if folks don’t know what they are doing:
- sing
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Champlain can lose it’s temper in a flash.
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Gads! That group needs to get some lessons on rescues.
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Even if they did have training waves 2-3 ft could keep some out of good shape people from getting in. No telling what the group had as far as skills, boats, fitness, experience and/or lack of experience. Of course they are all more experienced than before but not necessarily more skilled or smart.
Someone was equipped enough to send a distress signal.
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The wind can get fierce on Lake Champlain, especially a North or South wind. I wonder if they went out early in the morning when the wind was calm and didn’t check the forecast.
I have been on the Plattsburgh (NY) South Hero (VT) car ferry several times when the waves were big enough to spill over the rails and onto the deck.
I have hit people in the head with a rescue rope on a river and yelled at them 3 or 4 times to"grab the rope." Practicing rescues is vitally important. .
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I have paddled around the NY side of Champlain quite a bit and it can be rough. Like on the lower Hudson, Lake George and a lot of places around here, you see lots of unprepared paddlers in little pond boats and 95% of the time they do fine. But, as others have said, when the wind picks up and the water starts piling up, you want to be in a real sea kayak
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Looking out to Plattsburgh from the Burlington shorefront. Pretty idylic looking sunset with those approaching clouds…
Drastically different when a storm is on top of the lake. Champlain becomes a beast. I was in that same spot, watching the Coast Guard rescue boat hurrying out of the station towards the breakwater. As soon as the boat cleared the breakwater, it was bouncing repeatedly into the air by short period waves in the 6’ plus range. By the grace of… and the skills and commitment of the CG.
Groups are a liability unless individual members know and practice skills routinely with each other.
-sing
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Don’t know that I would phrased it quite this way, but I agree with your point - its best to paddle with people that you know, and who have appropriate skills for the conditions. When I join a group of people I don’t know, its not usual to get questions about my experience and skills. I’m pretty good about matching my skills to the trip, but there have been times (especially with my new sea kayak) when people suggested that I might need a little more experience before taking on a trip. That’s OK - there are lots of trips to do.
Now that I have been out more in my sea kayak, I’d say that sea kayakers are more diligent at practicing rescues than whitewater paddlers. Most of the whitewater groups that I paddle with do an annual rescue clinic. Other than that you are rescuing people in real-life situations. Most of the rescues are easy - just getting the paddler and boat to shore, and the paddler can usually swim there themselves. Fortunately, real serious situations like entrapments and pins are pretty rare - at least in the type of water that I paddle.
Sea kayakers around here seem much more diligent at practicing rescues - for good reason. There’a a lot more to getting someone back in their boat in open water, even in easy conditions. A lot of the trips that I have been on recently have ended with rescue practice - maybe because they have a newbie along. That will probably change as we get into colder water and weather, but its good to practice in summer.
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Group dynamics can lead to people doing things or taking risks they’re not prepared for. Being in a group can also give people a false sense of safety. A good group can manage those things.
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“That will probably change as we get into colder water and weather, but its good to practice in summer.”
@eckilson I agree with everything you said. Initially, it’s good to practice in summer to develop muscle memory; but you should ALSO practice in whatever conditions that you will be paddling in. I’m always surprised how many experienced paddlers don’t want to do rescue practice in cold water. In many cases, I think it’s because they aren’t really dressed for immersion. That is especially a problem in the spring, when dressing for immersion can be very uncomfortable when the air is 70-75 F. My solution has always been to practice my roll; when the water is still 45, it’s a great way to cool off!
People who are obsessed with safety still die in time. So the topic saying “safety not guaranteed” is true but not just for paddling. It’s not guaranteed for anything. Death is! So knowing that, we don’t look for total safety in paddling because we have no gills and can’t stay alive for long periods of time in cold water.
Going in groups lowers the danger and helps in most cases. Like wearing a seat belt, it’s a good policy. So if you can go out with a partner or partners your risk factor lowers, but never disappears.
We are never 100% safe. Risk, to some degree, every day of life, IS a guarantee. but not safety
It’s always a plus if the group is more skilled or more competent than you. The problem starts when an unskilled person thinks there’s safety in numbers. It only works if everyone stays within the skill set
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I took a friend sailing in a Sunfish on Lake Champlain in a strong south wind. I knew that he was inexperienced but I did not realize how inexperienced.
As the wind picked up I pulled in the sail, hooked my toes under the edge of the little cutout, and leaned back as far as I could. I told my friend to do the same. He either didn’t understand or was too nervous. He leaned forward instead. As the wind pushed the boat up on it’s side he fell right out. I had to do some fancy sailing to come about and pick him up. No harm done but I guess that I assumed that he would do better. That was my bad.
Lake Champlain in a strong South wind is a tough initiation!
Yup - I think they call that the “expert halo”. “Peer pressure” is the other big one when you are in a group. These risk biases (there may be others you can name) are not all group related, but they do effect all of us all whether we are in a group or not.
Familiarity - experience with the trip or similar trips
- This is my home turf, I know it well
Enthusiasm – “get-moreitis”.
- This is great – let’s keep going.
Confidence Level
- I’m experienced – I can do this
Peer Pressure
- The group is all here - I can’t let them down
Dedication to a Plan
- This is what we planned to do – we can’t change it now
Risk Shifting – “expert halo”
- I’m with an expert - if he/she thinks it’s safe, it must be safe
Scarcity
- This is the one day that I can do this - it’s now or never
I have to say that starting over again in my sea kayak has put all this in a new light. In my canoe I think I am pretty good about judging risk - when is an appropriate time for me to step up, and when I should take a pass. Nothing like a few good wipe-outs to ground you in a sense of reality.
In my sea kayak I am kind of like @Kevin777’s friend in the sailboat. I don’t have enough experience (wipeouts) to know when the rocks are too gnarly, when the surf is too big or when I shouldn’t go out around the next point. It’s pretty easy to fall in the “expert halo” and “peer pressure” traps. Fortunately the group I’ve been paddling with is good about bringing new paddlers along.
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I’ll add Fearless vs. Foolish - “If I’m not always at the edge of my competence, I’m not trying hard enough.”
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That’s a good one.
Personally I prefer to paddle solo. I’ve tried joining clubs but haven’t really gotten into it,yet, mostly because my schedule doesn’t really allow it. I don’t think I’m any less safe relying on myself for rescue. Of course, there is a possibility that I might encounter a situation that I can’t resolve by myself. But I try to mitigate those possibilities when I prepare to go out on the water.
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