"Brian Nystrom" wrote in message
...
Jon C wrote:

rescue is something you can be
talked through or figure out if it becomes necessary.

I vehemently disagree with this statement! Rescues need to be practiced
and drilled until you can do them in your sleep. Sure, you can puzzle
through one or walk someone else through one on flat water, but when you
REALLY need to do a rescue, you DON'T have time to think about it or
figure it out for the first time. If you don't believe me, try it in
real conditions sometime. It's a real eye-opener when you try a rescue
in 3'+ waves and 15+ knot winds as you're getting blown toward rocks.
That's exactly the kind of conditions you can find yourself in during an
unexpected thunderstorm. Practice rescues in real conditions on a
regular basis and you'll be much better prepare to face real-life rescue
situations.


You should absolutely have your rescues down cold if you could possibly end
up in that kind of situation. If you're going to be on the open ocean or
anything like that, then most certainly. For the mile long lake down the
street, then it's not that important. There are lots of reasons to do stuff
before rescue, not the least of which is avoiding making everyone sit around
soaked and waterlogged during a very basic intro to kayaking class on a
little pond.