The Kayak Forum is Sponsored By
|
|
|
| |
Sea Kayaks Techniques Bulletin Board
Re: Gulf Information...
Posted By: FrankP In Response To: Re: Gulf Information... (Robert N Pruden)
Date: Monday, 7 March 2005, at 4:19 p.m.
: That brings me to the point I was making with my chiroprator when she told me
: she would be paddling on the West Coast with a guide friend. I lent her my
: copy of Deep Trouble and asked her to read it. I explained to her that she
: should NOT depend on her guide friend unless she was also aware of all of
: the factors that make for safe paddling on the ocean. I told her that she
: could depend on certain aspects of her guide friend's experiences but that
: ultimately, her life must be in her own hands, meaning if conditions seem
: uncertain to her and she feels that she is depending on her friend too
: much, then she should back out until everything feels right.: In the end, she didn't do the paddle but at least she was aware that ocean
: paddling is not the same as paddling a local lake. I am sure she will
: eventually get out there and do the paddle but you can bet she will know
: what she needs to know to paddle safe. She is a very thorough personality
: so I believe she will get learned up on all conditions regarding weather,
: tide and safety equipment.: Robert N Pruden
This is, in my opinion the hardest thing to get across when dealing with kids. They have a few factors working against them: 1) they think they are immortal, 2) they have generally been trained to rely on adults for any decisions that involve dangerous or life threatening situations, 3) they are rarely taught how to maintain a calm demeener and think rationally through problems, 4) they are generally taught to not discuss/argue with adults in "leadership" positions such as guides or scout leaders or whatever.
I have been working with teens for 6 years as part of my SAR work and we teach them to be equals with the adults and in some cases they are in positions of authority over new adults who are still learning the ropes. It's a valuable lesson when dealing with emergencies and I'm trying to distill the same thing in my daughter. She's 9 but knows when to speak up about her concerns and fears and when they are just nervous fears. I can't say I'm always open to her fears, but I really try to be. We miss out on some things as a result but the day will come when we save ourselves a lot more heartache by following that doctrine.
Every person in a leadership position such as guide or outdoor trainer or whatever should (in my less than humble opinion) make a point of asking each and every person what their fears are at multiple (and random) points in a trip or task just to ascertain everyone's comfort level and give the guidees/trainees the feeling that it's okay to be scared and communicate it.
What you did for your friend may not seem like a lot but odds are it will make a difference down the line if/when she does start kayaking on open water.
FrankP
| |
Sea Kayaks Techniques Bulletin Board is maintained by Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks with WebBBS 5.12.
|
Kayaking Technique |
|
|
|
