Mary Malmros wrote:

True of almost the ones I know. I did some sea kayaking with a couple of
different groups in the Boston area. Could be they were just
exceptionally timid, although I think it was something besides timidity
going on. They had a sort of...elitism? credentialism? It was like
some of the self-appointed "experienced paddlers" didn't like to see
anyone developing a skill they didn't have, or getting better at
something.

Culture difference, could be a micro-culture in a club, even (that
one or mine, don't know...). In ours, the most experienced paddler
is bending over backwards to get people to develop more skills and
become coaches themselves. At times he's quite frustrated that
more people aren't pushing harder to be coach level and develop
more skills.

The result was that this "rolling is very very very hard and
you can maybe start to learn it in a year or two" idea became
conventional "wisdom". I couldn't find any club where they started
noobs on rolling right away.

Come to Dundee, welcome to Tayside Sea Kayak Club. First thing new
people have suggested is pool sessions we run where it's very soon
into rolling. Some people are there by the end of session 1, some
take longer. Some of the (much) older members seem to grumble that
training is something that should be picked up on the job as it was
good enough for them etc., but a distinct minority with no general
support in the club beyond themselves.

I'd say for a paddler at any level it s a case of when, not if.

In /moderate/ surf, I'd think there's no reason a really good surf
paddler should expect to go over unless s/he's trying something
silly in the tricks department.

Yup. My first ocean surf experience was in surf like this. But I'll
tell ya, it's a ton more fun in a whitewater boat! Whee!

That's what I got a whitewater boat *for*! ;-) (much easier to find
cheap second hand than a "proper" surf boat)

Yeah, but then trip planning comes in...you don't ever want to get
caught on a shore that you aren't sure you can get off. It's that old
outdoors thing about not getting in over your head.

Nice in theory, but the outdoors isn't predictable to /quite/ that
extent. There are times in any outdoor discipline when you have to
do stuff you really don't want to unless you work ridiculously far
inside your limits. It gives you something to talk ****e about
round the fire the next time...

I won't kayak alone, but I do
admit to being addicted to the solo experience in just about any other
outdoor venture.

I won't go out in the boat alone on anything but very easy water: I
know I'm not good enough. But with more experience the time may come.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/