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Sea Kayaks Techniques Bulletin Board
Re: Uneducated!
Posted By: Ian Johnston In Response To: Re: Rolling Unnecessary! (Rod Estvan)
Date: Saturday, 18 November 2000, at 8:06 p.m.
: I actually see a larger problem in this discussion than just one person who
: will not learn how to roll or wet exit and re-enter. What I have been
: seeing on Lake Michigan is a yearly increase in the number of roto-molded
: recreational kayaks on the water.I think that this is the main problem. People are now looking at these types of adventure sports as recreational pursuits and it is an image that many businesses foster in order to sell a larger volume of equipment.
Before, the people who did these sports saw the dangers and addressed them. They were not mainstream sports so most people looked at the participants as crazy or suicidal and the sport as being very hard. What they did not realize is that these sports are no harder than any other sport but they have a very high risk factor. If these risks are not properly addressed, you die.
This person I know who refuses to learn self rescues has often said that if she knew how easy kayaking was, she would have started years ago. I have tried to explain to her that kayaking IS easy but it is not SAFE unless all the risks are addressed. If all we have to do is paddle a kayak across a pond in the middle of summer on a calm day with a partner, there isn't much of a problem. It is when we go out on big water, be it a lake or ocean, where conditions can deteriorate then there is a big problem.
She says she will cross that bridge when she gets to it. I say she has gotten to it long ago and is living on borrowed time. She paddles big lakes known for their storms and has done short ocean trips.
The head in the sand analogy is all I can think of!
Ian

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