Tom McCloud wrote:

Second answer is a question to our Canadian members: you know the
definition of kayak disease at it applies to the Inuit?

Are you referring to "kayak angst"? It's a form of vertigo that can
occur when paddling in fog, darkness or other conditions that make it
impossible to visually distinguish the water's surface. Your brain loses
all spatial orientation. Fortunately, simply creating ripples on the
water surface with your paddle is enough to "break the spell", so to speak.

"Brian Nystrom" wrote in message
...


Tom McCloud wrote:

Second answer is a question to our Canadian members: you know the
definition of kayak disease at it applies to the Inuit?

Are you referring to "kayak angst"? It's a form of vertigo that can
occur when paddling in fog, darkness or other conditions that make it
impossible to visually distinguish the water's surface. Your brain loses
all spatial orientation. Fortunately, simply creating ripples on the
water surface with your paddle is enough to "break the spell", so to
speak.


I've experienced this in a canoe on a glassy lake, under a moonless, crystal
clear star-filled sky. Very spooky, as your rational thought is fully aware
of what would happen if you fell over. Even in a stable boat like a canoe,
you can be so offbalance and dizzy from it that you could completely fall
out of the boat from a sitting position without dumping. The cure (other
than making ripples) is to close your eyes and lie on the floor of your
boat. Face down helps.

--riverman

Cameron O'Connor was found at the bottom of Tumwater canyon in WA
upside-down in her kayak after being worked in the rapids above. She was
revived.

In message , riverman
writes

"Brian Nystrom" wrote in message
...


Tom McCloud wrote:

Second answer is a question to our Canadian members: you know the
definition of kayak disease at it applies to the Inuit?

Are you referring to "kayak angst"? It's a form of vertigo that can
occur when paddling in fog, darkness or other conditions that make it
impossible to visually distinguish the water's surface. Your brain loses
all spatial orientation. Fortunately, simply creating ripples on the
water surface with your paddle is enough to "break the spell", so to
speak.


I've experienced this in a canoe on a glassy lake, under a moonless, crystal
clear star-filled sky. Very spooky, as your rational thought is fully aware
of what would happen if you fell over. Even in a stable boat like a canoe,
you can be so offbalance and dizzy from it that you could completely fall
out of the boat from a sitting position without dumping. The cure (other
than making ripples) is to close your eyes and lie on the floor of your
boat. Face down helps.

--riverman



--
Dave Manby
Details of the Coruh river and my book "Many Rivers To Run" at
http://www.dmanby.demon.co.uk

On Sun, 29 Aug 2004 13:48:30 GMT, Brian Nystrom
wrote:
Tom McCloud wrote:
Second answer is a question to our Canadian members: you know the
definition of kayak disease at it applies to the Inuit?
Are you referring to "kayak angst"? It's a form of vertigo that can
occur when paddling in fog, darkness or other conditions that make it
impossible to visually distinguish the water's surface. Your brain loses
all spatial orientation. Fortunately, simply creating ripples on the
water surface with your paddle is enough to "break the spell", so to speak.

Brian and riverman (Is that you, Myron---where you at?) are both
kind of on the right track. The Inuit kayak is, after all, a
hunting craft, often used to spear seals. On a sunny, windless day
the hunter may paddle out onto the ocean, and to have any chance of
spearing anything he must sit there, absolutely motionless for an
extended period of time, to prevent spooking the seals. So he's hot,
and the surface of the sea is glassy, rocking very gently, he gets
drowsy and he falls asleep, then turns over in the boat and drowns.
A death of this sort was referred to as 'kayak disease'. Not sure
where I read this, years ago. Maybe a Peter Freuchen book?
Tom McCloud

"Tom McCloud" wrote in message
...

Brian and riverman (Is that you, Myron---where you at?) are both
kind of on the right track.

Hey Tom...still cooling my heels in Kinshasa. Last year at the school,
looking for different political climes for my next place. I lurk more than
post here these days, but I'm still around.

--riverman

"riverman" wrote in message ...
"Tom McCloud" wrote in message
...

Brian and riverman (Is that you, Myron---where you at?) are both
kind of on the right track.

Hey Tom...still cooling my heels in Kinshasa. Last year at the school,
looking for different political climes for my next place. I lurk more than
post here these days, but I'm still around.

--riverman

We had a man die in his boat in Lake Melborn . That is in Labrador . I
can't remember his name either but he was on an epic voyage. He
paddled fron Greenland to here and died of a heart attack. He was in
his thirties.
An Inuit family found the body still in the boat if memmory serves me
correctly.