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Sea Kayaks Techniques Bulletin Board
Re: Gulf Information...
Posted By: FrankP In Response To: Gulf Information... (Robert N Pruden)
Date: Monday, 7 March 2005, at 7:45 a.m.
:"If we had any doubts, we shared the information
: with each other. That done, we were very comfortable once under way yet
: careful to watch for sudden changes for the worst."Robert,
I think one crucial thing you mentioned that is often overlooked, especially in "guided" situations is open communication. I've been a member of a ground SAR team for the last 6 years and been involved in outdoor "training" for about 10. The key to safety is communication. Especially in situations that can be life threatening, everyone MUST be comfortable voicing their concerns. Not only that, but everyone else must respect those concerns and act accordingly.
In guided situations, especially where those being guided are newbies, people often defer to the guides judgement and assume he/she is going to make an informed decision and the best option. That is often foolhardy and naive, unfortunately. Guides often discount people's fears as inexperience (and are often correct with no damage done) or think that with their own experience they will be able to deal with anything. While that may be true on an individual basis, you have other factors to contend with when dealing with other people's fears and capabilities. This guy, Hall, may or may not have heard any dissenting opinions about doing this trip, I don't know. Being that the kids were teenagers, I would suspect he didn't. Either way he should have planned better and been more prepared.
With regard to the press statement, I don't see anything that says they believe the guide did a good job, just that he hasn't had any safety issues in the past. He's been lucky, not good. There is a huge difference, and unfortunately it's accidents like this that are the only times that difference shows up.
So back to my point, whether you're paddling (or any other potentially dangerous sport) with friends, or guides or whomever, always be willing to voice your opinion and back out of a trip. If your opinion is discounted, simply back out. Your life and those of the people around you are far more important than a couple of days on the water.
FrankP
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