Me again.
It is rare the day I CAN'T go for a paddle.
It is not so rare that the day that I and often other paddlers with
lots of skill ( 6 people with good rolls all in wet or dry suits, good
rescue skills all around. ) Say no, lets not go here and head off to
some other spot.
At 47 I have the confidence to do that.
I have also called adventure races for 3 or 4 foot waves. I was comfy
but the athletes would not be.
Chipscheeseandmayo you are likely a fine instructor. Your questions and
doubts about yourself likely put you in better stead than you think.
I have been cought out with friends in bad conditions, it is not
pleasant to see friends scared when it is no real problem for you but
it truly is for them.
Your consideration is fine.
My recommendations for rescue and emptying a boat stand: but your
judgement is what will keep you and your friends safe.
I have been in ( assisting instruction ) one CRCA sea kayaking course
where we had 10 candidates and 4 instructors. Things went to crap and
we had multiple swimmers , winds hit 70 - 80 KM waves were at 4 feet,
water temp was about 7 C.
Everyone on the course thought we "The instructors" were great.
I thought WE sucked eggs.
It did get much worse as we were on a crossing but before we left on a
2 KM crossing I had a bad feeling. ( One of those gut things you get
for getting old. ) I never voiced it!!!!

Another incident on another course saw waves a little higher than
recommended and we had a candidate walk out.
Again we should have taken more time to consider the most conservative
voice scenario.
Bad stuff happens. On both those trips / courses I would have traded
that exciting trip for a mundane " No lets put this off, or go to a
more sheltered spot !" type of day.
We got lucky because the instructor client ratio was rediculously good
in one course and the skill level of a couple of candidates accompanied
by a very high instructor student ratio existed on the second. The
second trip we had five instructors for 17 clients and a couple of the
students were already very good paddlers.
Chipscheeseandmayo you are fine . Oh, In Canada we would call you
Poutine.
Take care. I am sitting at my desk because we are getting 20 CM of snow
with 80 KM winds and freezing rain. Not a good day to paddle.
Alex