Melissa Meyer

Some time ago I thought I'd float the idea of a trip / weekend of current play in Woods Hole (my backyard), just for the ladies. Depending on the group's needs & wants, I had in mind: messing around with boat handling across strong eddy lines, surfing hydraulic waves behind a rock in strong current, exploring any of several tide races that set up in our area under various conditions, and potentially some downwind surfing. I don't haunt the NSPN message board, but Josko keeps telling me to check out this & that on here. Not even sure if this post will work. So! since it seems that interest is trickling around for the Ladies' Weekend, it's ON (weather permitting - but really, most weather will just modulate what we choose to do, not whether we do something at all). Saturday, September 28 (also 29? Would people want 2 days? There are plenty of different ways to spend a day around here), and you can stay in our house or camp in our yard if you wish. If you want / intend to join us, please let me know. Semi-relatedly -- I saw there was some interest in trying surfskis. This year I've been logging many hours, miles, and races in a surfski. They are downwind and fitness Fun Machines! While I'm not opposed to letting folks try it while they're down here, my ski is not one of the more stable ones and also it could get gear-chaotic with most of the weekend being set up for sea kayak play. However... Wesley Echols (of surfskiracing.com) and I were recently batting around the idea of jointly offering an intro-to-surfskis day. If you (guy OR gal!) would be interested in this, again, let me know. Thanks! Melissa

Given two identical boats, same weight but one is stiffer (say one fiberglass and one full-carbon), would the stiffer one be advantageous or easier to paddle in some way?

I like high bracing in current, whether breaking out, in, eddy hopping, etc, but notice that BCU seems to strongly discourage it, and is coaching lowbrace-based support strokes for all above. Justification is that the high brace is just too likely to result in a dislocated shoulder. So, do folks find the high brace useful or shun it because it's likely to pop your shoulder. Or, as I expect, is it somewhere in between. Has there been a recent shift away from coaching the high brace for sea kayakers in moving water?

David, Mel and I tagged it Saturday (9/12) from Mt Desert, and I've circumnaved it out of Old Quarry. Shoot me an p.m. if I can help. (Oops, I accidentally posted this from Mel's account. I'm 'josko'.)

Sometimes nerves just get in the way, even when one is well-practiced in rescue and preventive skills. Managing healthy fear so that it enhances safety rather than hampers personal growth is a tricky thing to master, and something that I struggle with. I get scared of capsizing even though I can roll 10 different ways, have a helmet, am dressed for immersion, and am with people I've practiced T-rescues with in tideraces. I once had some advice on how to coach climbing partners through a lead climb when they are frozen with nerves, which I feel is very analogous. Talking to the person (about *anything*) helps immensely, but he stressed that merely repeating "you can do it" or "just do it" type platitudes are nowhere near as useful as things like: (*) reminding them that they've climbed similar difficulty routes before without any problem at all (*) asking them to breathe and focus on that fact that they WANT to be here, doing this, with these people (*) focus on what's going right, not what might go wrong (*) If they're at a spot where they can take a breather or momentarily relax, ask them to notice how safe / prepared they are (ie dressed for immersion, etc) (*) reminding them that you're not leaving their side, you've got their back, and (in the climbing case) that you'll catch them if they fall (*) In kayaking, you can remind them to keep looking around so they anticipate swell/ waves coming in before they feel the effects

Ulterior motive for this Sakonnet trip is for me to practice my 3* skills.

Ed, you're 100% right and I expressed myself badly. BCU coaching and skills ladders are indeed distinct and different. I suppose the spirit of the separation is that a 4* sea paddler can take out a group of paddlers and help them be safe, but not 'coach' them in terms of offering technique tips or advice while underway. Oops, I posted this from Mel's account - Josko.

I once read we'll have error-free software in three years.