"riverman" wrote in message
...

"Keenan Wellar" wrote in message
. ..

"Melissa" wrote in message
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snip

Even though I feel quite confident with my current skills for the
types of water I paddle on, I know that I could still benefit greatly
from the types of advanced training offered by ACA and BCU, and
someday, I probably will take advantage of one or more of these
programs. The actual certification isn't really the point for me;
just the training...for both the survival skills and just for the fun
of learning these techniques that would be new to me.

- --
Melissa

Hi Melissa, that's cool. I've seen this subject covered on different
forums many times, and sometimes there is an attitude (or it is actually
stated) that it is dangerous and reckless for someone to take up paddling
without first going through formal instructional programs. There are
different ways of learning and obviously formal instruction is one of
them that can be enjoyable and useful for people, but it's not
compulsory, in terms of becoming skills or becoming safe.


I agree wholeheartedly. I would even guess that the majority of 'lifetime
boaters' are primarily self-taught. Maybe they used something formal to
get started, but probably not. I think the type of person who needs the
external structure of a formal training situation is not the type of
person to have the self-motivation to keep at it. (The river slang for
those folks is 'Boy Scout' g) OTOH, the type of person who is willing to
get in a boat and 'figger it out' will be the type of person who continues
getting into a boat, imnsho.

--riverman

Yes, there may be something to that...sort of along the lines of the type of
person that maintains their own snowblower. But I do no people who tend to
start things with formal lessons and they do stick with them...they just get
a boost of confidence from the lessons. Nothing wrong with that. It's just
not a necessity and it's not necessarily the best way to learn.