Sometimes even big and heavy isn’t enough!
That can be a nerve wracking bridge when its windy, even if you don’t have Gephyrophobia
It seems like lately there is always maintenance going on when I go over the bridge & I end up driving on the grid with the tires hunting just a bit. Concentrates your attention wonderfully.
The grated deck does wonders for those underworked sphincter muscles.
been across the Mack. bridge many times.
Only once crossed it with a kayak - and that time I was in the yak, under the bridge.
Now, try crossing the relatively short Dames Pt. bridge (over the St Johns, ocean a few miles east), with a strong E wind blowing against the ‘sail’ of a kayak on J rack atop a little Yaris.
(Subaru replaced the Yaris, no more need to ‘avoid’ the bridge)
The American Alpine Club publishes their “Accidents in North American Mountaineering” each year and my outing club buys a copy for our library. I used to read them back when I guided trips and taught wilderness skills. Our state Department of Natural Resources also publishes a breakdown of all of the boating deaths annually. The reports offer good examples reminding one of what CAN go wrong and what NOT to do and even what can be done right to deal with accidents that could not have been mitigated. I think it is useful to present the facts and being aware of them can reduce complacency. The highly publicized and tragic deaths last Summer of two young women who swept over a low-head dam on the Ohio here in the Pittsburgh area has increased public awareness of the dangers on our big rivers.
I’ve lost many friends and acquaintances to the mountains, cliffs and the waters over the decades – a certain proportion were avoidable, some were not. There is always risk out there, but there is also experience, training and, mostly, good judgement that can minimize a good bit of it. As somebody mentioned earlier “a wise man learns from the mistakes of others.”
@willowleaf said:
As somebody mentioned earlier “a wise man learns from the mistakes of others.”
Unfortunately the situation appears to be getting worse year by year according to ACA reports at
https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.americancanoe.org/resource/resmgr/spp-documents/paddlesports_fatality_statis.pdf
@Rookie said:
I’m going to paddle Superior for the first time this summer - that is, providing I can summon the courage to drive over Big Mac with a kayak on the roof of my little car.Fingers crossed the wind gods are gentle.
speed limit on the bridge is real low…i’ts majestic you’ll love it … i have a little hatchback
@castoff said:
LOL! Yes I am capable of something like that. There is humor all around us. I laugh at lot at the absurdity I often see in myself. Laughing is good for our sanity. If you raised children you are very familiar with absurdity!
@Canadice Clipper said:
@willowleaf said:
As somebody mentioned earlier “a wise man learns from the mistakes of others.”
Unfortunately the situation appears to be getting worse year by year according to ACA reports at
https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.americancanoe.org/resource/resmgr/spp-documents/paddlesports_fatality_statis.pdf
As the population density grows.
@Paatit said:
speed limit on the bridge is real low…i’ts majestic you’ll love it … i have a little hatchback
True, it’s a beautiful bridge. I’ve driven across it and it’s those grated lanes that are spooky because I can see the Straits as I drive over them.
Am sure I’ll be muttering: “Sight the horizon! Sight the horizon!”
@string said:
As the population density grows.
I would respectfully counter your theory that population (density?) growth is responsible for the increase in paddling deaths. I would propose that those groups that are responsible for the population growth in the U.S. are not representative of the growth in paddlers entering the sport. The vast majority of paddlers in my area of NY (an area I consider quite diverse) look unfortunately too much like me. The 200 plus Meet-Up paddling group to which I belong also bears that out. I think that the problem lies in older, out-of-shape (often obese) baby-boomers venturing out on the water with no conditioning or training in the sport and is at least partially responsible for the statistics.
# Kayaking is a fun and safe sport for the whole family! 
I see/hear that reported over and over by people who are selling something.
Well, no. Kayaking is not an inherently safe sport (if its a sport at all…but I digress), its an inherently dangerous one. Its only as safe as the kayakers doing the kayaking. But “Kayaking is only as safe as the kayakers doing the kayaking” isn’t going to sell anything except Cheetos, flat screeens and remotes.
@Canadice Clipper said:
@string said:
As the population density grows.I would respectfully counter your theory that population (density?) growth is responsible for the increase in paddling deaths. I would propose that those groups that are responsible for the population growth in the U.S. are not representative of the growth in paddlers entering the sport. The vast majority of paddlers in my area of NY (an area I consider quite diverse) look unfortunately too much like me. The 200 plus Meet-Up paddling group to which I belong also bears that out. I think that the problem lies in older, out-of-shape (often obese) baby-boomers venturing out on the water with no conditioning or training in the sport and is at least partially responsible for the statistics.
Hi Canadice, I read the whole PowerPoint on your link. The part that really surprised me is that canoe deaths are roughly equal to kayak deaths. I’ve always thought that kayaks take people into much more dangerous (whitewater or offshore) places than canoes and that it seems hard to die in a canoe…but apparently not true.
I want to challenge your “old folks” hypothesis just for fun. The middle aged folks in the SE Michigan area paddling club were conservative, experienced paddlers and some had genuine safety training…although many were out of shape. When we moved to SW Michigan the local paddlers were a group of gnarly retirees that paddled often and were hard for me to keep up with…experienced and in quite good shape.
So personally I’d speculate that lack of experience/knowledge is the main culprit, irrespective of age. I’m a long time motorcycle rider and I remember hearing years ago that 90% of deaths were first year riders and that always made sense to me so I’m thinking the same may apply to paddlers.
The kayaker that died near here in the recent floods was young…late 30’s I think. But paddling at night in floodwaters with no PFD. In Ann Arbor I remember one woman died because their aluminum rental flipped in one of the only deep areas and no one in their family could swim (they were not old)…and only flotation cushions are provided to customers. Most recently I talked a young couple out of taking their Hobie pedal kayak out for the first time in fast current on a flooded river (with lots of submerged trees)…they were definitely out of shape, but young.
@TomL said:
Hi Canadice, I read the whole PowerPoint on your link. The part that really surprised me is that canoe deaths are roughly equal to kayak deaths. I’ve always thought that kayaks take people into much more dangerous (whitewater or offshore) places than canoes and that it seems hard to die in a canoe…but apparently not true.
I want to challenge your “old folks” hypothesis just for fun.
I did say ‘partially’ Tom! What surprised me was that there were fatalities involved with SUPs? Run over by boaters???
an easy availability of cheap boats has made paddling more accessible to the masses. Many more people now have kayaks than ever before. I’m not surprised that overall paddle fatalities have increased…
People that don’t live in nature have no clue what they are getting into
The lack is in the head not muscle
Safer to be a pessimist than an optimiss.
@Canadice Clipper said:
@TomL said:
Hi Canadice, I read the whole PowerPoint on your link. The part that really surprised me is that canoe deaths are roughly equal to kayak deaths. I’ve always thought that kayaks take people into much more dangerous (whitewater or offshore) places than canoes and that it seems hard to die in a canoe…but apparently not true.
I want to challenge your “old folks” hypothesis just for fun.
I did say ‘partially’ Tom! What surprised me was that there were fatalities involved with SUPs? Run over by boaters???
SUPers die because they don’t wear PFDs
@TomL said:
Hi Canadice, I read the whole PowerPoint on your link. The part that really surprised me is that canoe deaths are roughly equal to kayak deaths. I’ve always thought that kayaks take people into much more dangerous (whitewater or offshore) places than canoes and that it seems hard to die in a canoe…but apparently not true.
I think a kayak in skilled hands is more seaworthy than a canoe in equally skilled hands, with the possible exception of covered canoes. I know if the going gets rough in open water I would MUCH rather be in a kayak
@qajaqman said:
SUPers die because they don’t wear PFDs
Agree. And PFDs save more than just lives. On Friday I took a SUP class, never having been on one. No idea how it happened, but I did a face plant on the board. What saved my drysuit from being bloodied was the cushioning on the front of my PFD. Kept me from full impact. A bruised or broken nose and bloodied lip sure would have been embarrassing…