Nice to be able to understand
others motivation without even interacting with them. To read many of my posts or see me on the waters at times you’d think I do nothing but build unpaddleable boats then spend most of my time trying to manage them.
The truth is after posting on this board since somewhere around 1998 I have said most of what I can about the regular flatwater paddles and the mundane inhabitants (mink, kingfisher, etc) so I choose to enjoy the experience but don’t talk about it anymore. However I find joy in the feel of a boat shell in progress, the excitement of hitting that roll I’ve been working on for a couple months, and exultation in the experience of a group attempting an 8 mile open water crossing and having to turn back because the danger factor was just to high.
Truth is though all those things add up to less than 10 percent of my paddling time, I just got tired of posting about every 1 hour puddle paddle I take.
Randy
It all depends
on what I’m doing that session.
If I’m in an adventure race I want to go as fast as I am able so I want to learn any techniques that will further that goal.
If I’m out for a Sunday A.M. paddle on the North East River with an 85F water temperature i don’t concern myself with safety beyond the basics.
When I paddle in the Bay of Fundy between Campobello and Grand Manan Islands (Ah, two more weeks and I’m there!)safety becomes much more of an issue.
So sometimes I paddle for fun, sometimes for speed, and sometimes for fun but with an eye toward the possible dangers.
One mans
trash…as the saying goes. People enjoy differant things.
I am with you on this one
I just haven’t been able to get too interested in learning the stuff let alone practising it.
Someday I will. But I stay in calm shallow waters in good weather and my paddling priorities are probably different than those of one who likes to practise rescue techniques. Frigid water is another matter and if I lived in the north, I probably would either learn rescue techniques really fast or just not paddle at all.
But I live in sunny south florida. I am cautious and I enjoy the hell out of my short paddle trips. I take an iPod and a camera. For two years I have done this. Is there a desperate need to learn? No. As long as I practise common sense, paddling calm coastal waters is safer than the car drive to the put in. And I am sure nobody is having more fun dunking themselves than I am just paddling along.
Huh?
Yeah - this seems more of a post for another board than advice and suggestions. But I can’t resist just one…
To one of the posters above, nowhere do I read Castaway’s original post as saying that “The paddling community seems [equally] unconcerned about the ecological relationships we are all responsible for.” Sounds to me like they are just saying to stop and smell the seaweed rather than worry about great gear and fancy technique. Apparently that is someone’s opinion though - if so I quite disagree. So does my charitable donations list.
As to the focus - it’s all fun. Some days practice is most fulfilling (rolls, static braces etc are very nice on a hot day), while other days it’s nicest to lean back on the deck and feel the stern get gently nudged around. The diff is, if I spend time practicing I can be laying around watching Puffins off an island 6+ miles out rather than Osprey about 20 feet offshore. Not that the osprey aren’t something I can and have watched for hours, but skill work gets me different birds and mammals to enjoy. This is especially true of the ocean, where you find that some birds just won’t hang out any closer than a half a mile or more off the mainland.
But this really should have been placed on a different board. I’m a road cyclist too, by the way, since 1984 off and on (tend to have an off year about every four or five) and can talk about the older bikes and equipment with the best of them. And I resisted a computer for a long, long time until I had to put one on to lead rides and manage a steadier pace. And while I haven’t and won’t put in a full Flight Deck system on my bike to check my cadence and all that stuff, I do replace my helmet and brake cables every few years at least and have the bike thoroughly broken down and cleaned each winter. That’s not techno stuff - that’s safety.
technique
No intention of offending anyone or ruffling feathers. I can only comment on the groups I am familiar with which include paddlers and divers. Both groups have tremendous potential for doing concrete things beyond the usual donation lists. Examples here in South Florida are the need for better info on the occurrence of certain species including subadult green turtles. Paddlers and divers can certainly contribute to the knowledge base. Sea Turtle standings are another example. Dead animals are an excellent source of info but are frequently tossed away by beach cleaners or beach dwellers. The sighting of the Ivory billed woodpecker is a great development aided by observant paddlers. Technique is essential for safe paddling but is not always the last stop in the journey.
You Lost Me On This One…
I do tend to get annoyed with boaters who feel that boating is not worthwhile unless you are timing yourself.
Timing yourself is fine, as long as you are not snide or condenscening to those who don’t. There is way too much of that here from time to time.
But rescues are another issue. I use SOTs and I never really worked on a roll, but I do practice deep water re-entries with every boat I own. I practice in the kind of conditions that might capsize me to begin with. I do it regularly to keep up the skills, and to make sure I am still fit enough to execute them.
I paddle a varity of venues. From small mountain lakes where skills are not that essential, to the open coast off NORCAL where they are very essential.
I am certainly no safety Nazi, but I don’t believe in just trusting that nothing bad is ever going to happen on the water.
Saturday
I paddled in my first race. It was a beautiful spot and the weather was most excellent. There were boats of every shape and style. Big surf skis, outriggers, sleek racing boats and my 3 year old plastic Necky. I took it for what it was a great experience. I am somewhat dillusional about some aspects of life but not about speed. I kept a good pace and crossed the start line dead last. I settled into my stroke and passed a few folks and made sure to check out the sights. Whiteface, Camels Hump, Mansfield. The sailboats that dot the lake, the huge cruisers anchored in the cove. It was a marvelous 71:33. I wasn’t first but I damn sure wasn’t last. It was a fun time and I still can’t figure out how I missed the lighthouse. Maybe next year. Balance in all things.
BDPL
Still w/ the assumptions
Groovymanatee - you are not familiar with “paddlers”. You are familiar with some paddlers. If you aren’t aware of any groups where the paddlers get literally dirty to clean up wildlife habitats, report changes in nesting areas or help track populations, you are not familiar with groups like some up here.
technique
My apologies,
Perhaps the groups up there are far more active than down here. I suppose we are all familiar with some paddlers not all.
Now Now
You enjoy your boat your way, and let the other fella enjoy his boat his way.
Personally, I can give myself a workout one day and do a spiritual paddle the next.
It’s all good.
Lost soul
You want to paddle? Go find some water to paddle!
There’s no water here, just a bunch of electrons moving togather to form words. Words are good for communicating information. There’s no scenary here either. Just a bunch of poorly formed text. This is a board for advice and (mostly) technical help. Do you need help looking at birds and shorelines? We may be able to help that too! But as others had pointed out, our sister forum would be a better place to talk about ENJOYING paddling.
Next thing, you’ll be posting on the computer tech geek forum and complain there’s no talk about how enjoyable life is? How do you like some gen-x’ers posting on a poetry board about the cool factor of their camera cell phone???
In short, you have misunderstood what this board’s focus is, and are barking up the wrong tree!
Wow
The last word. I believe a civil discussion is not a bad thing.
paddlers don’t need to be told to enjoy
the wonderful world we journey through. Unfortunately, every year we get hard proof that many need to be warned about the hazards and told how to mitigate them. Some few pay the price for the lack of respect. Many others get lucky.
Anything works on a pond! (till the water gets really cold!)
cool down abc
I’m not a lost soul. You sound like putting this thread on the “wrong” board killed innocent bystanders. Relax, It was just a thought provoking post, with obviously more thought you put into calling yourself abc. Was xyz taken? Obviously I’m not a regular poster but whats the deal with posters being too cool for a profile?
I’m COOL!
yes, xyz was already taken, although I’ve not come across his post. Or he’s busy posting on the “general” forum about how enjoyable paddling is and I just don’t frequent that often enough to spot him?
profile? I can change it fast enough to reflect real life. I was a sea kayaker when I join the board. Now I do as much WW as well. Where do I live? I’ve moved from CA to NY and back to CA during the time. Who has the time to keep updating the profile? I had hardly enough time to update my address for the payroll!
I was a beginer sea kayaker with a reliable roll when I first join. Or does that make me an intermediate? Now I’m a class III WW kayaker who can also do a t-rescue…
Maybe you have the time to help keep my profile up-to-date? I’ll e-mail you my password.
Or yes, my e-mail has changed too. And I’ll get another one in 3 weeks when I start on my next job!
In short, my life doesn’t fit into any kind of pigeon hole. That’s partly why I’m here, sharing thoughts not easily found other places (expert opinions on gear and technique). As for paddling, I enjoy that with my buddies in the real world made of cool water. I don’t have to TALK about it much, let alone online.
sorry Nigel
I’m so stoked. I didn’t know your greatness. I’ll call the BCU asap to make sure they send your T-rescue patch.
Joined has an “ed” on the end.
Passengers and drivers
A Volkswagen car commercial seems to apply here. I spent two years paddling with a tour-oriented paddling club with total emphasis on scenery, socializing, and boat equipment. Zero focus on basic paddling and rescue techniques, leave alone bracing and rolling. Most paddlers required, self-included, wanted a dry and unleaned ride. The leader himself could not rescue anyone, leave along share some skills, although he had a $3000 boat. I was thus a passenger in my own kayak. My arms were doing the paddling but I am not sure who the captain was. Could not have been me, for I prayed for a dry ride with minimal lean.
I switched clubs this year to one that does trips, has fun, but with heavy emphasis on skills, rescue oneself and others, and capability to control one's boat. Now with many skills developed, I am both the the captain and navigator of my boat. I no longer pray that my boat will not capsize, forcing a wet exit or worse. Most important, if someone elses capsizes, I have the ability to help them. I am now the captain, driver, and navigator of my kayak. If the winds and waves kick up, or a friend has a medical condition while paddling, i would certainly rather be where I am today vs. where I was last year!
balance
is an obvious need. Paddlers who are comfortable with the skills required for a particular environment are going to enjoy it more. However training does not always translate into competence in real life situations.
My experience with Scuba diving over the past 20 years is a case in point. The project I conducted involved tagging of immature green turtles on nearshore reefs at night. We used Scuba to capture, measure,tag and release the animals. The absolute best assistants I had were not the best trained divers but those with high comfort levels in the water at night. Being familiar with the current, sea state and potential changes was a more important factor.
I am not sure how that translates into paddling situations but I do know that “down here” may be different from the cold waters of the northeast. Nonetheless I believe we can sometimes get caught up in the seduction of the process rather than the comfort of where we are.
Different reasons for the activity and all are good. For myself I guess I dont like feeling all dressed up with no place to go.
This Is Interesting…
somewhat seriously and on a philosophical level…
“Nonetheless I believe we can sometimes get caught up in the seduction of the process rather than the comfort of where we are.”
I think it’s a misconception. “Where we are” is always a “process…” Life is not static but ever changing. There are implications to this regarding skill building, or not… Or appreciating the moment, or grasping to what we think the moment should be… etc, etc…
Would be too long and drawn out of a discussion for me… But internal perspectives/filters are very much at play in these posts and the thread in general.
sing