EEL Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Seven paddlers including two with beautiful wooden boats launched around 11:30 on Monday and meandered down to and back from Wallis Sands taking time to play about among rocks and surges. A wonderful sunny day with no wind and long swells just right for this beginner to gain some experience in the rocks and to ride up and over nearly breaking waves. Wallis Sands provided modest surf to land and launch into. All in all a great day with a few misadventures and a few more scrapes from rocks. A very nice day for January indeed. My thanks to those who came and those who provided by example the encouragement for others to play amongst the rocks. Ed Lawson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markstephens Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Ah, yes. Beginners encouraged to play in the rocks. In surf, in January, in wooden boats. Probably without helmets. Gotta love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 Gotta love it, and love it is exactly what the group did. It was a fine day in great conditions with a fine group of prudent, well-equipped paddlers. Mr. Lawson deserves credit for initiating this fine outing, rather rather than the snide , haughty and entirely unhelpful remarks of someone who wasn’t even there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markstephens Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 Haughty? Haughty? No, haughty would have been "You newbies have no business doing what you are doing, and I know because I have arrived as a superior paddler." At least that is what I was subjected to on this board a couple years ago. Shame on me if I were to now turn into one of same. Snide, OK maybe. Sorry. But made you think, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob budd Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 The note about helmets is helpful, really shouldn't play in rocks without one on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 I would like to be informed who was playing in the rocks without a helmet? You would know more about it than I, but what I saw was perhaps three of the seven participants navigating between some rocks in virtually no surf, with others electing not to as their prudence dictated, and observing . I seem to remember wearing a helmet myself .No one did anything in or near rocks which wasn’t practiced to a significantly greater degree in the Nigel Foster intermediate class this summer, a fully sponsored NSPN event in which not one helmet was worn. The outing was safe, had an eminently sensible float plan, and the wooden boats were every bit as outfitted and seaworthy relative to the conditions and trip level to as any other boats there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee Hall Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 Knowing Mark as I do, I would never have interpreted his remarks as haughty or sarcastic. Perhaps that is the downside of an electronic message board and the large audience it addresses. However, if anybody has a better way to address the three rec kayakers that left Conomo Point at 3:30PM in jeans and fleece sweatshirts, please let me know. I asked them if they had anything other than jeans to wear. -Dee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EEL Posted January 5, 2006 Author Share Posted January 5, 2006 > Perhaps that is the >downside of an electronic message board and the large >audience it addresses. All of the cues we get when hearing and seeing another speak are absent in electronic messages which in turn means it is very easy to misunderstand and misinterpret the author's intent and to get an inaccurate impression. That applies to my posting as well as others. Gail and I were less experienced than the others on the trip. I watched, considered, and did what I felt comfortable doing. I thought I was careful and prudent. In the grand scheme of things the conditions were quite benign and "just right" for me to explore and expand. As such it was a great day and fun. Part of that was due to the confidence I had in my companions who were also being careful, were well equipped, and appropriately skilled. Not only would I unhesitatingly paddle again with those on the trip, I look forward to it. The trip not only expanded my paddling experiences, but introduced me to more NSPN paddlers in a very positive way. >However, if anybody has a better way to address the three >rec kayakers that left Conomo Point at 3:30PM in jeans and >fleece sweatshirts, please let me know. It is amazing how many apparently clueless people go out and about and come back safely isn't it? Reaching out to them is not easy. Otherwise you would find them showing up at club events. To me they are a totally different category form those who knowingly assume risks in a sport with inherent dangers. Ed Lawson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonsprag1 Posted January 5, 2006 Share Posted January 5, 2006 Well sounds like you all had fun---for me it is not the lack of a helmet that keeps my off the water in January, it's the lack of a dry suit equipped with boots and a male relief zipper(well all right--I'ld even accept one with a female relief zipper--not too picky and should stay in touch with my feminine side anyway). I suspect if I was playing in the rocks wearing my farmer john and paddle jacket, the cold would kill me before the rocks would. Anyway I already have a helmet from my white water days---lot less expesive than one of those Kokitat suits. I'll be on the water in April, unless a rich uncle leaves me 700 bucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djlewis Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 >....No one did anything in or near rocks which wasn’t practiced to >a significantly greater degree in the Nigel Foster >intermediate class this summer, a fully sponsored NSPN event >in which not one helmet was worn. Just a clarification -- was that class working in the rocks without helmets? Or, was it strokes and such in open water? (I'll reserve any remarks until I hear the answer ;-))) --David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee Hall Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 He is speaking of the Intermediate class which was supposed to be open water. I would also like to hear a description of what happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eneumeier Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 Dee, I'm glad you spoke to the rec boaters. It is hard to do so as nasty looks are no fun, but I make myself say something too. Asking if they have back-up clothes in case they get wet seems reasonable. I sometimes mention that a friend got swamped in a rec boat and really got hypothermic because he was wearing only cotton. Often people paddling rec boats like that don't stay out long and stay relatively close to shore. Liz N. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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