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Sea Kayaks Techniques Bulletin Board
Re: Sea Kayaking Books
Posted By: Ian Johnston In Response To: Re: Sea Kayaking Books (Robert Woodard)
Date: Saturday, 25 November 2000, at 3:43 p.m.
: Shawn (and everyone else who has read this book), can you expand on why you
: like this book? I've seen it touted many times so I went and bought it 6-8
: months ago. I realize it is the only book of its type for kayaking, but
: for me it was one of the most uninteresting books I've ever read.I think that you were perhaps looking for a story book with adventure and Deep Trouble is definately NOT that. It is a book which illustrates the real dangers of kayaking. It is not a "how to" manual or a "how not to" manual, it is an explanation of how people are lulled into a false sense of security while kayaking because of their believe in their skills, equipment and ability to survive.
I made a point on another thread about being alone on the water and not relying on anyone else to save you. If you read the story on page 70 called Long Swims you will see exactly what I am talking about. This guy was at the very end of a long voyage, he had all the equipment, he had a survival suit, he had an EPIRB and yet for various reasons all failed him.
When you read about the fiasco which resulted from his inability to turn on the EPIRB with his frozen hands and then the resulting confusion when his signal was finally picked up, you will realize that it is only luck that prevented this guy's death although he did the right things.
: Just curious what I'm missing... Maybe I was expecting more adventure. I just
: seemed to miss underscoring the real danger these people were in.I think this is the point. These people did not think they were in any danger either and yet many died and many came close to it. It isn't the obvious dangers that are associated with kayaking we need to worry about because we all practice for these, it is the subtle, hidden danger, the innocuous situation, where the real danger lies.
The gentleman in the story had a survival suit with him and yet when he needed it, he found that it was a model that was impossible to put on in the water. Now we may say that it was his stupidity that caused this but how many have ever tried to put on their survival suit in the water? Better yet, how many have a survival suit?
He activated his EPIRB but how was he to know that an airplane had flipped over at a local airfield in a windstorm, and that the authorities would assume that there was an EPIRB on that plane which had accidentally activated instead of initiating a search for him? How would he know that the police would go and check at a nearby logging camp to see if anyone had accidentally activated an EPIRB? TALK ABOUT MURPHY'S LAW!!
I think this is the whole point of the book, seemingly safe situations are in reality, deadly!
: P.S. Not related to HOW to kayak, but a book I'm currently enjoying is
: "Homelands: Kayaking the Inside Passage". I like journal style
: books, so if you folks know of any others like this please let me know!Have you read Kabloona in The Yellow Kayak? It is about a woman's two year journey through the Arctic by kayak. (The woman just recently passed away I believe.) I have been meaning to buy it but finances being what they are....
Ian
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