Jack
Please send me an email from paddlingnet with your correct email in it.
Group Dynamics
This is a valid concern, but it should be mostly a concern to the group organizer (there should always be someone responsible for same). The dynamic we’ve used in the past is as follows:
- group leader buddies boats together (often not by paddling ability) and the buddy teams are responsible for maintaining contact with each other
- group leader slows/halts the lead boats if the group is pulling too far apart
- group leader separates the best paddlers so that the most accomplished (in rescues, as well as paddling skill) are represented in each segment of the pack
- group leader maintains a position where he/she can communicate with all boaters in the group (this may be anywhere in the group, btw, but is harder from the rear is the lead boats pull outside of easy communication range)
There are a host of other things to do with communications, including visual signals (usually with the paddle), organization, personal dymanics (some folks just don’t play nice with others), etc. And a lot of conditions where the “rules” have to be much more fluid (ie. rapids, high winds, rock gardens, high swell/waves, etc.).
Generally, paddling with a group is more a social activity than a race. There is usually a pretty bunched up group in the middle, probably because speed differences between boats/boaters aren’t usually that great. There is always some jackrabbit(s) out front who need to be reigned in once in a while (if the leader feels that is necessary) and some straggler(s) in the back who decide it’s time to fish, take pictures, or splash in the water, but the number of times the group will actually stop and wait is fairly small.
Rick
assume 3 mph
for the average boat under normal conditions with an average guy at the paddle.
THEN figure the sea-kayaks will be way out in front and the recp-boats way behind.
So you will be all over the place.
The only time you will be in the group is at the put-in BEFORE anyone hits the water.
Horse feathers JackL
I have paddled with you and Nanci many a time and never saw you lagging behind.
unfortunate
that your group is like that and certainly there are other clubs like that, but many do a pretty good job at targeting certain events to subgroups based on speed, distance, conditions, etc. My clubs generally at least target short in-harbor or lake rec type paddles verses open ocean ones that may also be longer. We then often further divide the ocean paddles based on whether they start in a harbor vs a surf a launch along with other factors.
something in between
Most clubs are different, and they fall in between the two extreme examples you gave.
I’ve paddled with a few different clubs. One club will have their “group” strung out all across the bay. Annother club will paddle at the slowest paddler’s speed. Yet another group will split into fast and slow pod…
My beef since starting kayaking with clubs is this business of “assuming” speed.
Coming from a cycling back ground, all cycling clubs rate their rides by distance AND speed. Some even add hilliness. But I don’t know of even ONE kayak club would mention speed!!!
So most kayak trips will have distance and technical difficulties spelled out but NEVER speed. The assumption is if you can handle the longer distance or more challenging condition, you’re good enough of a paddler you can keep up!!! Not true.
I came in from white water, I can handle just about any kind of “rough” condition short of an actual storm. They’re nothing compare to class III/IV rapids! So I showed up for a 10 mile paddle in open water and everybody just raced ahead at something like 5 knots!!! When I did my 10 mile paddle by myself, I stopped to take photos, lunch on the bank etc. It took all day. Sure I wasn’t tired because I went leasurely. At 5 knots, I only lasted about 10 minutes!!!
The group did slow down for me. But it’s not fair for others who could and may wish to paddle speedily!
That was a few years back. Now I learned to read between the lines in trip description to figure out if I belong or not. But it really shouldn’t be that way. When will kayakers grow up enough to state their speed. So if they have to go to a 4 knot group instead of a 5 knot group, their manhood will not be in danger!!!
HEAR HEAR!
I’ll second that!
Except for when Nanci takes a group shot from the drag position, she’s usually pretty close to the lead in that neat little red boat of hers…
And Jack? Well, we try to send him out first, so he runs into whatever it is we’ll end up run ning into except he’ll get there first.
But he’s right about one thing -if you’re in with a group, and they’re not “on a mission”, or a training run, it’ll more than likely be one you can keep pace with. And it’s pretty easy to find similarly-minded folks so you can all, happily and at about the same pace
PADDLE ON!
-Frank in Miami