(William R. Watt) typed:

... Nobody likes to be seen in a boat with training wheels but if safety
is your real goal, and not looking like a waterborne stud in rut ...

PS - if you are paddling with some sort of physical or mental handicap we
can give you advice tailored to your individual needs, ...

Hmmm, for all yer goofiness in the matter of formal paddling
instruction, you have shown rare insight with these two remarks; you
have really NAILED Kelly. 'Course, since he is a trophy husband,
"looking like a ... stud in rut" is an occupational requirement.
Fortunately for him, his extreme physical buffitude outweighs his
equally extreme mental muffitude; these kept men, doncha know, aren't
kept around for their *mental* gigantism.

-Richard, His Kanubic Travesty
--
================================================== ====================
Richard Hopley, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
rhopley[at]earthlink[dot]net 1-301-775-0471
Nothing really matters except Boats, Sex, and Rock'n'Roll.
rhopley[at]wfubmc[dot]edu 1-336-713-5077
OK, OK; computer programming for scientific research also matters.
================================================== ====================

Now THIS is guidance, clearly give in the spirit of the question. I
deeply appreciate your advice. Chris Kelly

Really quite ammused at the idea of being paid. Spend lots of personal
time and money teaching people. Tonight I had three 7,8,16 yrs old and
everyone had a great time. You do not need to spend a fortune to learn
the basics. Here in the UK we have plenty of clubs who are only to happy
to welcome you in - regret I do not know what happens in the rest of the
world. We as a club have got more young people wanting to take up the
sport than we can manage. With regards to that which must not be spoken
about we have been using them for the last couple of years with people
with disabilities in sprint racing. Most have found them of use when
starting out. They aim to dispense with them after a short period when
they build up confidence and ability. Like most devices they do have a
use in confidence building but if you have to rely on artificial aids
then you really need to consider if you are taking part in the right
activity.

Frank Healy



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Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

"Frank Healy" writes:

Really quite ammused at the idea of being paid.

Dude, yer wealthy. Don't you know that? William Watt said so.

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Mary Malmros
Some days you're the windshield,
Other days you're the bug.

(Oci-One Kanubi)

Typed in Message-ID:

Hmmm, for all yer goofiness in the matter of formal paddling
instruction, you have shown rare insight with these two remarks; you
have really NAILED Kelly. 'Course, since he is a trophy husband,
"looking like a ... stud in rut" is an occupational requirement.
Fortunately for him, his extreme

physical buffitude outweighs his
equally extreme mental muffitude; these kept men, doncha know, aren't
kept around for their *mental* gigantism.

ROTFLMAO

Richard, you are not right! I almost hurt myself when I read this thread.
SYOTR
Larry C.

"Mary Malmros" wrote in message


"Frank Healy" writes:

Really quite ammused at the idea of being paid.

Dude, yer wealthy. Don't you know that? William Watt said so.


Wish someone would tell my bank manager! With regards Young Master Watt
young people often come out with idealistic nonsense - Really cannot
someone have a word with his mother - perhaps she should ground him
( Say under 6ft of it ) then he would not bother us grown ups. When I
was a lad my Grandmother used to say "Little boys should be seen and
not heard" Are you listening Mr Watt ?

Happy Paddling - Whichever style you do.

Frank Healy


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I understand due to unusual advertising bouncing around the Internet
regarding sponsons, this is quite an emotional topic.
Before any advice

I have sponsons. I do not sell them. I can capsize my kayak with
sponsons attached. This takes more effort than without these devices.
As long as I do my eskimo roll correct, with the sponsons attached,
I can capsize and roll up consistently on my strong or left side (no
wind or waves). I can almost make the roll up on my weaker or right
side. I cannot stand up in the kayak with the sponsons, although with
practice I could. And with practice, I could stand up in the kayak
without sponsons.

The sponsons offer some measure of safety. For me, sponsons are a
great way to perfect my eskimo roll in a sea kayak. I have to do
everything correct to roll back up with my sea kayak with the sponsons
attached. I think good bracing technique and an eskimo roll are
better techniques.

To use a bicycle comparison, sponsons offer less safety than training
wheels on a bicycle. When much younger, I had great difficulty
tipping over a bicycle with training wheels (would have to be going
"fast" around a curve). I can roll a kayak with sponsons (see above).

I believe the safety is less than advertised. The sponsons (I bought
used) came with a serious product defect. There are plastic clips.
Upon my testing using eyepads on a kayak, one or both of these clips
came off the eyepad (in a real world situation, the sponson would had
blown away). I replaced the plastic clips with chain links. This
replacement solved the problem of the sponsons detaching from the
kayak. I was quite annoyed at this defect. The end of the inflation
tube (which connects to the sponson) also came off during "sea trials"
and the sponson deflated. A little epoxy fixed that problem.

I will still consider the use of sponsons as a last ditch safety
device (swamped canoe, in a storm). There is the good question of how
did I end up on the water in those conditions. The kayak or canoe is
somewhat more stable. I have not tested my boats with sponsons in two
to four foot waves while traveling parallel to the waves. This is
next on the list. I will also use the sponsons with a downwind sail
as they offer more stability with both the fla****er canoe and sea
kayak.

And yes, they are view with disdain by many and much hated on Internet
newsgroups - (like bicycling around with training wheels).

End

On 2-Oct-2003, (Scott Bemis) wrote:

I have sponsons. [...]
I believe the safety is less than advertised.[...]

Your experience is similar to mine (though mine are based
on brief experimentation with the product). I also agree
with your conclusions.

The biggest problem is not the product (all safety products
have advantages and disadvantages and require practice
to be used effectively) but the idiot that sells one brand.
He has done more to harm their reputation than anyone
who opposes them.

If someone reads your comments and buys the product with
knowledge of their advantages and drawbacks, at least they
will be fairly informed.

Mike

(Scott Bemis) typed:

I understand due to unusual advertising bouncing around the Internet
regarding sponsons, this is quite an emotional topic.

[snip happens]

And yes, they are view with disdain by many and much hated on Internet
newsgroups - (like bicycling around with training wheels).

Not really. I don't think anyone has argued that sponsons are not of
potential value when they are viewed as one element in a larger
toolkit of safety skills and devices.

It's not "sponsons", per se, that are hated, but the feller that
markets them by calling "murderers" everyone who teaches any other
safety skill, or the use of any other safety device, and who would
have the use of sponsons mandated by government for all boats
(including whitewater boats, which are completely outside of his
experience, and outside of the experiences you describe).

If he could have discussed his device rationally, and recognized that
it is not a universal panacea, he probably would have been welcomed as
a valuable and creative member of this newsgroup. But he is obscene
(in his unfeeling references to boaters who have drowned) and
obnoxious -- an inarticulate and irrational spammer -- and nobody
really wants him around.

-Richard, His Kanubic Travesty
--
================================================== ====================
Richard Hopley, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
rhopley[at]earthlink[dot]net 1-301-775-0471
Nothing really matters except Boats, Sex, and Rock'n'Roll.
rhopley[at]wfubmc[dot]edu 1-336-713-5077
OK, OK; computer programming for scientific research also matters.
================================================== ====================