I’m not a fan
of listening to music while paddling because one of the big reasons I paddle is to immerse myself in nature and observe wildlife. I have no problem with others listening to music on the water so long as they use headphones. I have one request for those that like to listen to music - please use headphones so you don’t disturb others. BTW - I am a huge music lover and there is music playing in my home and in my car pretty much 100% of the time. So I do understand.
I’m with you Andy
I have even had to hush fellow paddlers as we came around a bend in a river or a mangrove Island, so that we could come quietly up on some wild life.
Jack L
Music lover
– Last Updated: Aug-24-13 10:10 AM EST –
Am big time music lover at home, in car, or truck.
Don't want or need music on the river.
Give others a break; use earphones/earplugs.
Drunks with boom boxes are some of the rudest people in the world in my opinion, and play some of the sorriest music ever made.
If you absolutely/positively must carry a boombox on the river; do everyone else a favor. Invest in a high quality boom box with built in equalizer; as opposed to the Wally World cheapie.
The expensive boom box will produce higher quality sound when it's 6 feet under water than the cheapie.
Seriously,
:^/
BOB
Don’t care for bicyclists & music either
– Last Updated: Aug-24-13 10:47 AM EST –
It's turned up loud, guess because they can't hear it otherwise as they're traveling away from the sound waves. Come to think of it applies to motorcyclists. Then there's several bikers or roller bladers moving together down my road talking to each other. I live on one end of an S-curve and when I'm out in my yard, I can hear what they're saying back and forth long before they pass my driveway. I've never caught any juicy tidbits of conversation that way so doesn't have any entertainment value for me. :)
wow we have some real generalizations
here. Drunks loud music powerboats and bicycles? And interfering with natures sounds?
I find that when practicing FreeStyle to music the loons seem to come to me. Perhaps birds like music too.
And my paddling gets smoother to music.
time and a place for everything
When in a very natural area especially one new you you or in a traffic area with dangers music is best off. But other times when doing a long, solo fitness workout and with little dangers music is nice. Not everyone’s situation is identical to what you may imagine. Otherwise one could make an argument to never ever listen to music as there’s always some quiet to enjoy, people to listen too, etc… Everything in moderation.
Check ads on Surfline …
I don’t remember the name of the case but there is a case that I have seen people paddling surfboards, SUP, paddle boards and listening to their iphone. The earplugs are water proof and it plugs through an electronic contact into the case .
Personally I have the sound track in my head and sing to myself when alone .
I recall the first time
– Last Updated: Aug-24-13 5:17 PM EST –
I landed on a small lake in the arctic at the start of a northern canoe trip. We all stood on the banks of the lake and watched and listened as the float plane drifted off over the horizon and out of sight. There was a moment that I realized that perhaps for the first time in my life I heard the sound of the wind and the birds but not one single man made sound. I'll never forget it. It changed my life. It is hard to get away from man made sounds. Even up on the Allagash - every 10 - 15 minutes a jet flies over at high altitude.
The problem is that on a canoe trip there are many people who are trying to get away from all the man made sounds and so it is considerate to use head phones. Is that too much to ask?
Truth is that it worries me if the loons come to man made music. Loons have existed for ions with out man made music. Our goal should be to let them continue and to give them places on earth where they can continue on as they always have. How can we know the impact it might have on them if they become habituated to the sounds of humans.
You call them generalizations;
I call my comments above observations.
Life proof
Sound quality without headphones on a lifeproof case is about equivalent to a 1970’s transistor AM radio. My kid listens to his and it drives me nuts even when it’s music I like, or maybe especially if it’s music I like. With a lifeproof case there is no argument NOT to wear headphones.
Musicians use a metronome
to train their ability to keep a consistent beat. You can get really good at it.
I may be totally wrong
but isn’t it sort of dangerous to paddle with headphones/ear buds in? It kind of reminds me of bicyclists who have headphones on while they bike in the city…makes me very nervous. They are certainly less aware of their surroundings.
On the other hand, unless you have your music absolutely cranked, you should certainly hear somebody about to run you over…although you may not hear them until they are almost on top of you…(I may be wrong, I’ve never paddled with music OR headphones)
Not unless around powerboats
There are lakes in the South and the Inland water Way in Florida where there are lots of big power boats where it might not be a good idea to wear earphones. Most places as long as there is not a lot of boat traffic it’s probably not a big worry.
agree
comes down to common sense. Some areas where I do solo fitness paddles mostly just have small, slower boats for fishing around. With mostly open headphones and a low volume you can still even hear those folks pretty well. Always be looking around and when there is more traffic, nature, etc. around then pause the music. If I’m paddling eight hours for fitness on a route I do often music makes the miles fly and rarely do I miss what nature has to offer either.
No there is a whole group of paddlers
who usually regarded on the lunatic frings, paddle to music with headphones on.
Mind you this is every day paddling and usually on some sort of very small body of water. I used to do this on a quarter acre pond.
Lots and lots of miles in a very small space.
http://www.freestylecanoeing.com/
It has nothing to do with tripping but the skills you learn while paddling to music do help you on trips. Believe me I did not take electronics on Lake Superior save to save my butt. Nor paddle to music in six foot seas. What music has taught me is the rhythm of the paddle and relaxed me so that I could focus on those seas and be balanced and relaxed.
Singing while Crossing …
Several years ago I did a three day trip out to Todos Santos island with an outfitter. There were a few paddlers who did not have a lot of ocean experience, one was a professor from San Diego State. When we started heading to Bufadora to end the trip we got 4 or 5 foot swells with some healthy wind waves on top … whitecaps … wind about 15 -20 kts … not a big deal in a sea kayak, but it was a pretty lively paddle with following seas and a big tail wind … The professor started singing bits from operas as we danced over the waves and surfed down the swells … I thought it was pretty cool… when we got to shore she confessed she was scared to death and it was the only way to keep from freaking out.
Install speakers
The American River in Sacramento was a real music zoo in the early 80’s, the boom box era. Rafts, canoes, tubers, kayakers all had music blasting.
I liked the guy who had waterproof outdoor patio speakers installed in the ends of his canoe. He could really crank out water shaking decibels.
Man is part of nature and the sounds he makes are, ipso facto, natural.
Of course I never went back to the American River, though I would like to go back to the early 80’s – or preferably the 60’s. Music started sucking in the 80’s.
I am amazed that g2d has not had
a suggestion that this is the advice column.
Not the whether or not music is good. Glenn you and I need to do atonement. Mea culpa
Sort of.
I love music
But not on the water unless my fellow companions wear headphones. Sorry, but I am not retired and have to endure man made noise all day. Would like true wilderness sounds if only on a weekend trip.