florriej

In a pool session this winter, when trying the re-enter and roll, I kept floating out of my cockpit, which seemed to indicate too loose a fit between hips and sides of seat. My hips don't touch the sides of my seat, and I couldn't get the leverage I needed to right the boat with my hips (could be some technique was lacking there too!). I'm thinking this might have an impact on my overall steering of the boat also. I thought I would put a couple of those self-stick wedge shaped foam pads in at the sides. However, in a workshop with Ben Lowry he said hips should be touching the sides of the boat, but not tight. He also indicated that torso rotation can include the butt, more movement than I had previously realized. So currently I'm thinking I'll just put a couple of flat foam pads in at the sides of my seat. However, I am wondering if there are other implications within this question that I should consider. How tight are people generally within their cockpit seat and what did you do to get the right fit? Any input, suggestions or thoughts would be welcome. Thanks - Florrie (Impex Montauk)

I think that no matter who's land it is...It was the State of NH that conducted the search and they're the ones billing the hiker. This is a quote from the NH Forest Service website. There's a bunch of stuff on rescues there (of hikers, not paddlers), but this is all I could find about being charged for one - it's pretty vague. For more go to hikesafe.com "In search and rescue scenarios, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is the lead agency and is in charge of coordinating the rescue efforts. Typically, search and rescue crews are made up of New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Conservation Officers, White Mountain National Forest personnel and volunteers who venture into the backcountry in order to find lost and injured hikers. Many times these individuals are putting themselves at personal risk in order to find someone who has perhaps used poor judgment and stumbled into a dangerous situation, especially when there is a severe weather situation. Hikers should also know that if they need to be rescued as a result of their irresponsible actions, they can be charged for the cost of the event, which averages in the thousands per rescue. Annually, New Hampshire spends $260,000 on rescues"

Rob, thanks for all your organizational efforts on this! Florrie

Florrie and Ed, there's your answer! C'mon along! Rob Oh geeze, the pressure... I swear I'll do my best not to hold up the group. (I did 19 miles last summer and was fine, this year so far 11 has been my longest trip) Jeff, why don't you stay in Maine Friday and join us? I'll need someone to talk to at the end of the pack. (and think of the beer) - Florrie

Well, this trip is beginning to sound like something I could maybe potentially do. Rob, you've paddled with me before, so maybe you could advise. I think I could do 15 nm in a day with some stops. Conditions would be the thing - will keep going to surf practice in the meantime. Had a successful brace last Tuesday in the right direction finally, but also took a swim. Maybe have to wait and see what your plan develops into. Florrie

Yes, what a terrific day. This was my first nspn trip, and it was such an excellent learning experience and fun as well. Special thanks for taking some unknowns out into the chop! Great leadership and company all day. Thanks Heidi for your coordination of the party and to whoever made those great brownies! Florrie

Wow, that is such a helpful description, thank you! Makes me see that I mostly "chase" my boat trying to be in control. Didn't know what else to do, great to understand more about what good paddling is! Florrie

I would also like to join you for Saturday if the weather is reasonable! Florrie

Yay! It's great to see a trip I can sign up for, even if I'm the only one going! Thanks Rob! Florrie

As a former worker in a Pathology Lab I believe in the wisdom of autopsies. While Florrie's sentiments are hard to challenge I do think there is another reason humans tend to speculate on what went wrong even in the absence of complete information: we desperately want to learn from these situations. The articles in Seakayaker magazine and the book "Deep Trouble" represent the best of this hunger for knowledge in the face of mishap or tragedy. There is this overarching concern by some that these speculations or questions disrespect the victims or families who may read them. Unlike the comments found in the online news versions of these events I don't think anyone on this board has been unsympathetic to this concern. But even risking this we should not shrink from asking hard questions and trying to come to some conclusions that in fact may help and instruct others caught in similar situations. I realize now after posting my views about the benefits of VHF radios that there is no unanimity on this subject. Well, I learned something new even in the face of controversy. We're all human and we all want answers even when there are none. As long as we are respectful I think we need to continue to ask questions. Asking ourselves what we would have done differently in the same situation is not a way of showing our superiority but simply our humility. As Florrie put it so well, sometimes there are no good answers. Gene, I agree that the "autopsies" are helpful and useful. As a new paddler I always learn a ton from these long dialogs. The disagreements help bring out all perspectives of the issue, and increase my understanding of what goes into good decision making for our sport. Great that there are so many experienced folks out there sharing their thoughts! Florrie

Arm-chair critiques of rescue situations that assume people were ignorant or made mistakes are a way to believe that we could have done better, and that it could have been prevented. We don't like to face that sometimes you can have all the right judgment and skill, do everything right, and bad things will still happen to you. Maybe these kayakers were ignorant and foolish, or maybe they were just like us and their environment was more powerful than they were for a moment. We can mostly go along believing we have control of things if we just know enough and practice enough, but remaining aware that it's not entirely true helps us make safe judgments. Florrie

Hi - new to paddling, but experienced at winter hiking which leads to this thought: Is it possible the surprising and uncharacteristic panic was related to oncoming hypothermia? Fatigue from a hard day, maybe a little dehydration, cool temperatures - blood moving to the core, less available to the brain, which can lead to behavior change or fuzzy mental faculties. Just a thought from a different angle. Thanks for the interesting & educational discussion - Florrie

FYI: Haverhill High School, 137 Monument St. Haverhill 01832 Pool is in a small separate building at the far end of the parking lot. Florrie (I work in the middle school there!)

Regularly taking Pilates classes made a huge difference for my paddling - gives you strong core and oblique muscles which increases endurance and helps with moving the boat around. Don't be fooled by the fact that you do the whole class laying down - it's agony! Florrie