I’ve read that there are warning signs at Pictured Rocks clearly stating that only sea kayaks are appropriate in the area; that you should dress for the cold water temp, and that the weather can quickly change.
I wonder if interviewing those who have to be rescued would be of any help in preventing future incidents. Learning why the decision to paddle was made. In this case, did they see the posted warning signs? If so, why were they ignored? If the signs were not seen, maybe they need different placement, larger signs?
I can clearly recall what got me into sea-kayaking, over 30 years ago.
I saw an ad in the back of a magazine for an ‘Aquaterra Chinook’, paddling off Pictured Rocks.
Being a canoer in Minnesota, never considering paddling the canoe out there, thought, hmm, maybe in a kayak.
(a couple years later, I did my 1st paddle around the big lake)
@raisins said:
What is happening to common sense, judgement?
This is one of my pet peeves. Common sense is the cause!
I repeatedly hear people say: “All those guidelines are too rigoristic. You should use your common sense. That is much safer.”
…and then they use their common sense and gets into trouble because they don’t have the necessary knowledge to be able to apply that common sense sensibly…
Yesterday I saw two young women with no PFD’s launching an inflatable tandem kayak into the St Joseph river banging paddles together and zigzagging out of control before they had even gotten into the current and powerboat traffic.
With kayaking (and water sports in general), until you’ve done them for a while, you don’t know what you don’t know. So you are applying land based common sense to a new area with different dangers that aren’t always obvious to the uninformed.
@Peter-CA said:
With kayaking (and water sports in general), until you’ve done them for a while, you don’t know what you don’t know. So you are applying land based common sense to a new area with different dangers that aren’t always obvious to the uninformed.
Very true, but in the canoe incident at Pictured Rocks there are warning signs posted. That’s why I wonder If the parents ignored them or didn’t see them. My understanding is they had to have passed them. Maybe the signs are too small or too few. The family is from Minneapolis, MN, so the parents had to have some basic awareness that Lake Superior is cold and can be dangerous. The parents were responsible enough to make sure all were wearing life jackets. So on what did they base their decision to go out in a canoe?
Safety conscious paddlers always talk about the need to educate the public. Maybe the survivors might have some good ideas on how to do that.
I’m sure the decision to take the canoe ran about the same as any other…they had one and knew what they were doing. {paddled with the kids before and they enjoyed it, no need to rent something because the canoe works fine and fits all of them} Had never had any problem before after-all it was only a lake, not like it was the ocean. They didn’t own any kayaks, but wanted to go, so based on past experience…load em up and make sure you all have a PFD on, so your safe. no different than any other outing.
Pictures never show how rough the conditions really are to a small boat. Those pictures in the article looked relatively calm. But that water is deceiving.
@Overstreet said:
Pictures never show how rough the conditions really are to a small boat. Those pictures in the article looked relatively calm. But that water is deceiving.
Yeah, I looked at the water and thought it didn’t look too bad, but it’s tossing those largish powerboats around quite a bit. And when it gets that busy, I’m sure there’s unpredictable turbulence below the surface, especially close to that rocky shore. Maybe harder to read than river currents, too.
This day would have been no problem. > @Overstreet said:
Pictures never show how rough the conditions really are to a small boat. Those pictures in the article looked relatively calm. But that water is deceiving.