Any sea kayakers in the club?

[RogerPollock]

Any sea kayakers in the club?

Two north shore show & go’s for today ('xcuse me, "Private Trips")for today and no posted interest, and in our case, no takers.

What gives?

Isn’t this what we do?

Beautiful day, pushing 70 degrees, perfect sea kayaking in shoulder to overhead swells, watching the surge burst up the rocks. For me, a little surfing & combat training at Good Harbor, a little cold sea water up the nose, and yet another lost pair of sunglasses.

Are folks waiting for somebody to tell them it’s okay to paddle?

It’s okay, you know. You can.

Part of the show & go equation is the showing. So many postings, so few takers. Baffling. Can anybody shed any light?

[Ptrish]

>Part of the show & go equation is the showing. So many

>postings, so few takers. Baffling. Can anybody shed any

>light?

I can only speak for myself—water temperature.

Patricia

[Gcosloy]

Can't speak for myself but am willing and happy to explain everyone else's behavior:

1. Too cold water for those without proper clothing, ie. dry suits, even wet suits.

2. Many members not as gung ho. Will wait for "ideal conditions".

3. Some, including myself, not yet ready after a long winter layoff to keep up with the more fit.

4. Some of us live south of the North Shore. More's the pity! However it usually means a long drive for many of the S&G's.

5. Spouses, friends, competing interests and even obligations.

[jeffcasey]

...just spent a week hiking in the desert, so today was dumping sandy gear out of my backpack and catching up on laundry and bills. too bad, looks like a nice day for paddling. hope you enjoyed it.

[jgeada]

I am sure that there are other sea-kayakers here like me:

- out of practice from not kayaking in winter

- somewhat apprehensive about how our skills/fitness would hold up

vs people that clearly have been going out regularly

- concerned about water temperatures (weather may have turned nice

and warm recently, but the ocean lags significantly)

- not wanting to hold up other people with more confidence and better

skills

And yes, I have seen these trips being posted and, to be honest, am

finding them harder & harder to resist as the weather keeps staying

warm.

And thank you to all of you who do post them. I certainly hope you keep doing so & hope to see you on the water :-)

[KAJWKFG]

Myself - still nursing an injured shoulder from last summer. But hubby (and I this coming weekend!) invested in one of those nice light carbon fiber paddles to hopefully bring the anxiously awaited date-on-the-water closer! =)

It was truly painful to see this beautiful warm weekend come and go, without a possibility of going a-sea. But must keep reminding myself, that sacrifices in the short term = longer paddling days in the long term.....

[PeterB]

I’m sure that private trips/s&g’s will come around in time, so I wouldn’t be inclined to read too much into this. No worries.

This is definitely drysuit season! So paddling in the ocean at this time of year will always be restricted to those who have invested in all-season paddling (perhaps a minority in the club who may dominate public forums).

In the mean time, it is good to see replies reflecting general prudence in paddling at this time of year when the allure of the sea is so great.

"Alone,alone, all, all alone.

Alone on a wide wide sea..."

-Coleridge

[B]

Same here on the west coast. Lots of folks timid about getting back to paddling after taking the winter off to ski/hike and other stuff. The year round paddlers spend most of their time playing in current/surf instead of paddling. Those that have been paddling all winter are short on mileage even here in a warmer climate. The San Juan Islands see very little traffic until summer.

BB

Bob Burnett

Seattle WA

206-321-0011

[RogerPollock]

Thank you for the replies.

It’s excellent to see the serious message about cold water/warm air, has been heard . . . and to see folks who might not otherwise post do so . . .

To address a few points which may well be representative of many people:

<- somewhat apprehensive about how our skills/fitness would hold up

vs people that clearly have been going out regularly

skills

These are reasonable concerns. Nobody wants to be a drag on anybody else. However, Show & Go’s (Private Trips) are public, open trips. If the poster had a desire not to be “held back” they probably wouldn’t post it. After all, somebody with more skill than the poster could show, and then the poster would be the one holding back, no?

Regardless, it’s not about that. It’s about meeting new people (which is the aim of posting a trip) and enjoying paddling, having experiences and learning – in an informal way. It’s a community of peers (consenting adults interested in sea kayaking) pursuing the same interest. Who has what skill/star/cert/level of fitness/boat is incidental.

Obviously, one has to judge for themselves if a show and go is appropriate for them and their boat and their gear and their fitness, etc. Certainly, speaking for the group I paddle/post with, we’re happy to answer inquires in that regard. Also, there’s always only the vaguest of plans. Gloucester Harbor, Essex River, etc, so accommodations can be and are made, like if somebody’s rusty from the winter. So, again, please come along.

p.s. Not that this is the way it should be done, but for what it’s worth, I stumbled upon my first NSPN Show & Go in late November in my fist boat (having paddled it once), with a Farmer John, a windbreaker, a PFD, and a pair old running sneakers. No skirt, no pump, no float, no clue . . . They lent me a skirt and still took me with them.