NSPN Training Kicks In

[markstephens]

So I was planning to go paddle in Cohasset with a buddy the other day, only I managed to split my head open on some metal ductwork in my basement the night before, and so decided I better not paddle that day. My friend decided to go anyway - solo. I asked him to be careful, knowing that when we paddle together, he usually isn't.

Come to find out, he managed to capsize offshore while playing in the rocks and ledges around Cohasset. He doesn't have a reliable roll yet, so he had to wet exit. Self-rescues in breaking waves next to rocks in 30-something degree water is about as dicey a situation as you would want, I would think.

One can think of all kinds of things that could have gone wrong - lose contact with the boat, hands numbed by cold unable to function properly, a bigger wave sending him into the rocks.

But he has been well-trained at numerous NSPN skills sessions, and told me that the self-rescue drill was already going through his mind even as he capsized. I asked him if there were any moments of panic. Nope, the drill was so ingrained that it was automatic.

What might have been an incident, turned out to be nothing more than a footnote in his day on the water. Chalk one up to excellent training and lots of practice - things that this club is really good at emphasizing and supporting!

[rick stoehrer]

all of the 'instruction' and the collective experiences say that the best tool in the box is judgement....not that we all haven't done it, but solo? now?

no one's roll is bombproof...we've all seen schwimma's that were so unlikely as to be shocking. water temps in the 30's is probably not the best time to test that roll solo, huh?

just one more lesson.

obviously, glad/fortunate it worked out.

[markstephens]

I don't think you can teach judgement. Certainly not in a flat-water skill session. But this is supposed to be a positive message - a success story. We get enough of this kind of preaching to the choir on here as it is.

[Dee Hall]

Frankly, I think that Rick's post is completely appropriate considering the dangers associated with cold water, rock/surge play, and solo paddling. This isn't to say that I am not truly happy that this person walked away from an NSPN event with a new skill that increased his or her safety, but the first skill should be judgement.

I also want to point out that according to the buoys, the water temperature is in the 40s. It is possible that this person would have panicked more if water was in the 30s.

Incidentally, I would love to know which self-rescue technique this person used.

-Dee

[rick stoehrer]

i would agree with you, judgement is learned, as much as it ever is, through experience.

the point is that no where in any training from the club is it indicated that solo in 30 degree water (or any degree water for that matter) is a good idea. all the training indicates actually, that hey, that's a bad idea. so in that regard, the training failed before the successful rescue could happen.

and you're right, it is a success story. fella came back to shore. happy day, he'll paddle again and might not make that mistake again based on his experience! that is good news! i'm not being critical...like i said, we've all done this. me too.

what it is not, is to say it's alright to do this solo, that someone has had training in a warm pool or lake with self rescue through nspn so by all means go out on the ocean alone. you don't want to perpetuate that, right?

[markstephens]

"someone has had training in a warm pool or lake with self rescue through nspn so by all means go out on the ocean alone. you don't want to perpetuate that, right?"

You know what, Rick, now that you mention it, I think this is exactly what is inadvertently perpetuated by the heavy skills emphasis of most of the training that is out there. It is "Skills in a Vacuum" training. People can go to pool or lake sessions, learn to roll, whatever, before even paddling in salt water. They may very well feel prepared to paddle in anything based on all the hard skills training that they have had.

But that doesn't scare me as much as all the people that I meet who go paddle solo in boats without flotation, in cold water, and who have no idea what a self-rescue is. They have neither skills nor judgement!

Or the "trip leaders" I've seen in some other clubs who take people out in conditions where they (the leaders) can't handle their own boats in the conditions and end up "leading from the rear", or worse, swimming to shore!

People are going to go out and do stupid things in kayaks. Given that, hard skills are definitely good!

[traction]

I paddle solo about 90% of the time....

I also snowmobile solo about 90% of the time..

Hike/geocache solo 90% of the time...actually i bring my dog.

Landsail solo 90% of the time...

Mountian bike solo 90% of the time..

Unicycle solo 100% of the time...

I must have REALLY BAD judgement.

Either that or i'm just lonley.

At any rate, many people would consider my actions a bit foolhardy,

I personaly do not.

I'm always very cautious and take safety seriously.

I'm not in any rush for the big dirtnap.

I consider driving on the local roadways to be BY FAR the most dangerous thing i do, primarily because i'm NOT solo.

Seems a bit ironic aye?

I guess my point is, SOMETIMES not being solo, can also be a liability.

I also think that this concept is not exclusive to driving.

[sings_evil_twin]

Mark, if you had not inserted "NSPN", the post may have been more acceptable. The face "culture" here is to go out in group, preferably "led" by one of the resident "leaders" or "gurus." If things go awry and "rescues" have to be performed after a good trashing, then it was "great" learning experience in the NSPN tradition.

If you go alone and end up testing yourself the training that were undertaken to self rescue in conditions, regardless of your success, you have had a major lapse in your (NSPN) judgement. Nevermind that the conditions after Monday of this week may have been challenging but not overwhelming for someone who has proper immersion gear and has put some time in practicing self rescue skills.

I say "face culture" because there are those here who have gone out in worse conditions but this contributes to their "legendary" status in NSPN. And, there have been small groups of the club "elite" who have gone out where, even with partners, the situation was probably dicier than what your friend faced alone.

If you don't into the "face culture" of this club, or haven't achieve the status to be an "exception" to that culture, you need to just not call your training and excursions "NSPN." Simple.

Brad, you and I and should meet at some put in. You can then paddle one way and I another...

sing

[bob budd]

Like many others I have benefited from NSPN training, both from official training sessions and from unofficial paddles including rescue practice, etc. I learned to roll in a pool, the first time I tried my "combat roll" I came right back up. (Special thanks to surfing god and all around great guy Chris Thomas.) Having these skills makes me both a safer paddler and a better copaddler.

Noone in this thread has said that going out alone in and of itself constitutes bad judgement. Many of us, for one reason or another, have gone out alone or with less than two copaddlers. In my opinion going out alone in these conditions and looking for trouble with the skills possessed did was bad judgement. As the number of copaddlers falls it follows that one should exercise greater caution. It is not to depend on the copaddlers. "Never less than three..." refers to a second paddler to hold your boat off the rocks while the third paddler assists in resuce, a second paddler to steady an injured paddler while a third paddler tows, etc. Bad judgement is not limited to solo paddling. One should not compromise the strength of the group by persistently running off alone, repeatedly getting into trouble, etc. I suggest that one of the foundations of judgement is the integration of individual responsibility with the responsibility for those we are with.

[JohnHuth]

Interesting thread, here.

The month of April is problematic, because the water has yet to warm up, and you end up sweating to death in a drysuit because the air temp is so warm.

I frequently solo canoe, kayak and back-pack - and I find that I am conscious about my surroundings in a way that I probably wouldn't be if I was with someone else.

I was talking with a friend who also frequently goes solo, and he confirmed the heightened sense of awareness - both of dangers and of wonders. It's a tradeoff - and judgement about conditions becomes paramount. E.g. I'd probably not try rock-gardening in cold water solo.

I wouldn't condemn a soloist if they're aware of the risks, but I wouldn't consel it as a paradigm of safe paddling either.

[Michael_Crouse]

You can do stupid things and make poor judgement calls with a group, you don't have to be alone to make a mistake.

Mark is saying something positive here, someone has learned something from being involved with this club. Does he/she have flawless judgement, skills, etc..? No, then again who among us does? Will this person stick with us, learn more from us and hopefully teach us some new things too? I hope so.

[cathyfoley]

I'm surprised by the responses to this post. This is exactly what our club is about....EDUCATION. The skills this paddler learned in our club certainly paid off for him. His decision to paddle alone is a personal one, and he is obviously aware of the risk associated with it. I don't think it's right for anyone in the club to chastise members here because they enjoy kayaking in a venue outside of a group. Regardless of what you think of his judgement, it is clear the skills he learned from NSPN were of great value.

[cathyfoley]

I strongly disagree with you Sing. There is nothing in this club that "mandates" paddling in a group.

[jonsprag1]

going solo for me usually means a more conservative approach to paddling, forgoing some risks due to the fact that I'm alone and, at this time of year, the fact that I'm paddling in 40 degree water. For instance, yesterday I was paddling around Sears Island in Penobscot Bay. I was alone on what is usually an easy safe paddle--no open crossings and along a coastline with mostly open gravel and sand beachs--the total length of the paddle is 5-6 nm. The winds were 10-15nm and the weather sunny. Towards the tip of the island the wind and waves picked up. I noticed large breaking swell about 100 yard off shore extending out to the middle of the bay---waves about 4-5 feet--I was headed back to the put in and this would have been a following sea. If it had been in July and if I had been with my usual paddling buddies I would have been tempted to go out and surf back to the put in. But since I was alone in April I did the prudent thing and stayed in calmer water closer to the Island. I have a good roll(but not bullet proof) and am experienced in other solo rescue techiques. I was also dressed for immersion in the water. However I also have a wife and others dependent on me for support. I elected to save playing in the high waves for a day when the water is warmer and someone is around to lend me a hand--just in case. I think maybe this is what Singh was getting at.

[djlewis]

Good example. That's what it's all about, IMHO... margins of safety and corresponding choices.

The thing about solo paddling is that it reduces the margin of safety in one, big, discrete jump. In fact, paddling solo probably cuts the margin more than any other common practice or choice. And, going solo is a quiet, undramatic choice. At least when you choose, say, to head into rocks to play in four-foot surge, or to surf six-footers, your adrenaline tells you you're making a fairly momentous decision.

--David.