So, where are we as inland sea kayakers? This could be some eye-opening revelations, some ruffled feathers, or some calls-to-action for some by the time they finish reading this entry.
I have to admit that while I sit and peck at the keyboard, I could both lavish and lash, so I'll just do what I do best ... speak and hope it sinks in.
To me, we as inland sea kayakers need a bit of a wake-up. There are far too many paddling our inland placid waters with a chip riding on their stern cleverly disguised as the status quo. I'll not mince words, so read along and see if you fit the mold. If you do, then let it sink in and return for more as my goal is to kick some paradigms squarely in the ass.
Our whitewater brothers and sisters should teach us all something: that Class II begins to become a little monotonous after learning eddy turns, how to ferry, and how to draw stroke on the face of a wave. I mean, really, how much of that can any rookie take before they are ready to shed that moniker and head for some Class III with their new-found knowledge? I mean, they want to improve! God forbid we as sea kayakers should desire the same!
We as sea kayakers already face the burden of being "the guys that don't want to paddle the tough stuff," so why on earth do so many of our longboat brethren go out of their way to perpetuate that ideology? We are inundated with those that won't go out when it's cold, windy, not between the hours of 11am and 2pm, and wouldn't learn rescue techniques if our lives (or sadly, the lives of those we paddle with) depended on it. We paddle in jeans, we get a quarter of a mile behind after a quarter of mile of paddling, we have to stop and rest after the second quarter mile, and we drop off the radar if an overnight trip is planned and we have to (gasp) sleep on the ground. We paddle boats as wide as they are long, wear lifejackets made for wakeboarders, and have car racks made out of swimming pool noodles. We couldn't turn a kayak without a rudder, we've never bothered to attend a roll class, and we damned sure won't subscribe to 'Sea Kayaker' Magazine to gain the slightest amount of knowledge as to why the above is just flat-out wrong! It's time to wake up, y'all.
I can't fathom going into a pursuit and just thinking to myself, "I'm doing as little as required and maybe I'll make it thru unscathed. I mean, maybe things like sprayskirts, rolls, rescues, quality gear, and sleek sea kayaks are just for those who circumnavigate Iceland before breakfast and us mortals should just sneak by with whatever they tell us to buy at the local mass-merchant." WAKE UP! Why get involved in anything if you aren't seeking every opportunity and every shred of advanced thinking? Why paddle two miles and not think to yourself, "What would it be like to paddle six, eight, TEN miles?" Why flounder along in a rec boat struggling to keep up when there are these really cool things available to the public called "sea kayaks?"
This is where I - or your consciousness - will kick in. I freaking hate the status quo. I believe in a sunnier side to everything and if there's a better, more efficient, more comfortable, or safer way to go about something, then I'll damned sure be the one to crack a beer and champion the cause. I hate being led to believe that just 'cause something is the way it is, that it has to remain that way just because some ill-informed moron has led me to believe it HAS to be that way.
I'm not one to circumnavigate Iceland before breakfast, by the way, but if the phone rings and I get the invite, you'd better bet your best piece of drygear that I'd like my chances to hang with those animals and I'd be tying the North Shore on the Jeep before you even got out of bed. I'm not afraid of anything in my kayak and it becomes the great equalizer when dealing with less-than-desirable conditions. I like my chances, period. Why? Because I don't subscribe to the staus quo, I always desire to learn, and pushing myself has only taught me more and with each opportunity to push further, comes another chance to learn.
Sadly, I'm the minority. So many others bought a boat because it was a good deal, wore paddling what they wore to work the day previous, and believed they couldn't get hurt because it was only "flat water." I don't begrudge you or judge you and I'll definitely paddle with you under ideal conditions for your skill-set, but when things get dicey, this big dog's jumping off the porch to play and you'd be better to just keep your seat. The fact remains - and I'll pull no punches - that I have no room for incompetence and if your very presence on the water compromises my ability to come home to Sally and Parker, then by all means, stay on the porch.
What irks me, and I've said it before, is that so many around here just 'float' along and if they were on the coast where REAL sea kayakers dwell, they'd still be like that Class II whitewater paddler fumbling with peel-outs and they'd be relegated to only the perfectly sublime paddling conditions because no real coastal paddler is taking you along for the ride (i.e. ... you'd never go paddling). Is that where you want to be? Really??
Just because we're holed-up in a reservoir or rivers wider than a football field doesn't mean we can't learn and improve our circumstances. It doesn't mean we can't outfit ourselves with the very best boats and gear we can afford. And last but not least, it surely doesn't mean we can stop learning or want to improve our abilities as paddlers. We aren't dealing with tidal currents and tides, but we are dealing with TVA releases and yacht traffic, so why not do yourself a favor and educate yourself on this? Learn to roll, learn to rescue a swimming kayaker, and learn how stroke X affects boat position Y.
Feelin' like I touched a nerve? Did I hurt your fee-weeings? Suck it up and educate yourself, because if you read all of this and you aren't the least bit concerned about improving your abilities as a sea kayaker - even one who paddles on a lake - then take up something else, 'cause I don't want you on the water with me.
-rob
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