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-==== Saturday Paddle ====
+<<stories:patos_2009|Previous Story^stories:bellingham_stories|Story List ^ stories:sat_safety_2009|Next Story>>
+===== Saturday Paddle =====
 **fennmako** \\
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 **dnjacobson79** \\
-/01/09  #7276
+/01/09 #7276
-I agree there needs to be some discussion as a group on the errors and poor group dynamics which resulted in a ‘risky situation’, or whatever you want to call it when paddlers are spread across Bellingham Bay and Coast Guard are notified of possible missing/ rescue situation.  Saying that, we should be able to discuss this situation with the intent of improving the safety factor associated with these group downwind cold weather outings.   All of us that loaded our boats on the trailer decided to go on the group paddle instead of  tracking our heart rates on Lake Whatcom, therefore we all had some level of inherent group commitment to safety.
+I agree there needs to be some discussion as a group on the errors and poor group dynamics which resulted in a ‘risky situation’, or whatever you want to call it when paddlers are spread across Bellingham Bay and Coast Guard are notified of possible missing/ rescue situation. Saying that, we should be able to discuss this situation with the intent of improving the safety factor associated with these group downwind cold weather outings. All of us that loaded our boats on the trailer decided to go on the group paddle instead of tracking our heart rates on Lake Whatcom, therefore we all had some level of inherent group commitment to safety.
-Having spent considerable time in creek boats trying to be in the ‘big huck club’, I learned a bit and was humbled a lot having gone to the funerals of three good paddling friends in the last decade.  Not bringing this up as anything I’m proud of, but rather to highlight that all action sports have an element of risk and in a sense the risks involved are a statistical reality.  By paddling as a group, being prepared, and being smart about these kinds of activity can help reduce the risks involved.  Something can be learned about situations that went south in order to prevent them in the future.  One paddling accident I was involved in occurred when no one stepped up at the put-in to advice a friend that the usual creek at double flow was too high for his skill level.  This increase in volume closed the window on one drop from a five gap to a two foot gap and we had to wait five hours for the water level to come down for body recovery after a lengthy failed rescue.  Needless to say after this accident the group I paddled with were far more vocal in telling each other when it was appropriate to stand down.
+Having spent considerable time in creek boats trying to be in the ‘big huck club’, I learned a bit and was humbled a lot having gone to the funerals of three good paddling friends in the last decade. Not bringing this up as anything I’m proud of, but rather to highlight that all action sports have an element of risk and in a sense the risks involved are a statistical reality. By paddling as a group, being prepared, and being smart about these kinds of activity can help reduce the risks involved. Something can be learned about situations that went south in order to prevent them in the future. One paddling accident I was involved in occurred when no one stepped up at the put-in to advice a friend that the usual creek at double flow was too high for his skill level. This increase in volume closed the window on one drop from a five gap to a two foot gap and we had to wait five hours for the water level to come down for body recovery after a lengthy failed rescue. Needless to say after this accident the group I paddled with were far more vocal in telling each other when it was appropriate to stand down.
-Looking back on yesterday, here’s my take on some of what went wrong.  This opinion is intended to help prevent this situation in the future and not intended pointing fingers or causing hurt feelings.
+Looking back on yesterday, here’s my take on some of what went wrong. This opinion is intended to help prevent this situation in the future and not intended pointing fingers or causing hurt feelings.
-.  This was a colder weather downwind paddle, not a race.  Anyone watching me load my boat on in the morning would have had a good laugh because I first put my Elite on the car, then Kristen’s R, then walked around the truck for five minutes trying to decide which boat to bring.  I’ve never dumped off a ski (shit, that means I’m in for it) and have had my Elite in as big conditions during the summer in SanFran and at the Gorge.  The R is a more stable boat, easy to get on in big condition AND I’m fairly confident I could help rescue a swimmer on it, which I’m sure I can not do on the Elite.  The R is slow and definitely does not have the sex appeal as the Elite, but I decided to latex up and practice safe sex by bringing the R for the group paddle.
+. This was a colder weather downwind paddle, not a race. Anyone watching me load my boat on in the morning would have had a good laugh because I first put my Elite on the car, then Kristen’s R, then walked around the truck for five minutes trying to decide which boat to bring. I’ve never dumped off a ski (shit, that means I’m in for it) and have had my Elite in as big conditions during the summer in SanFran and at the Gorge. The R is a more stable boat, easy to get on in big condition AND I’m fairly confident I could help rescue a swimmer on it, which I’m sure I can not do on the Elite. The R is slow and definitely does not have the sex appeal as the Elite, but I decided to latex up and practice safe sex by bringing the R for the group paddle.
-.  I think the group failed to have and stick to a firm plan of regrouping and staying together.  A couple weeks ago four of us did the same downwind paddle and we agreed on a plan to stay together and regroup at Governors Point.  We also decided to stay close to each other, i.e. once you’re done linking a couple rides and find yourself alone, stop and look about.  This conversation didn’t happen yesterday, and the result was we were spread across the bay, some of us buddied up, and some the group got in different levels of trouble.
+. I think the group failed to have and stick to a firm plan of regrouping and staying together. A couple weeks ago four of us did the same downwind paddle and we agreed on a plan to stay together and regroup at Governors Point. We also decided to stay close to each other, i.e. once you’re done linking a couple rides and find yourself alone, stop and look about. This conversation didn’t happen yesterday, and the result was we were spread across the bay, some of us buddied up, and some the group got in different levels of trouble.
-.  I saw a sweet bumper sticker last week that brings up me last lengthy point that is; tight lycra is a privilege, not a right.  Everyone likes to paddle hard to not overheat, but it isn’t summer anymore in the PNW and folks doing runs like this need to be ready to spend time in the water.  If that means a little over heating and smelling a bit in the shuttle, well shit, that’s OK.  Rudders and paddles break, so it would be nice to be dressed so a prolonged dip would be survived.  So put the lycra summer gear away, you can still put it on once in awhile this winter for a walk around the house flexing.
+. I saw a sweet bumper sticker last week that brings up me last lengthy point that is; tight lycra is a privilege, not a right. Everyone likes to paddle hard to not overheat, but it isn’t summer anymore in the PNW and folks doing runs like this need to be ready to spend time in the water. If that means a little over heating and smelling a bit in the shuttle, well shit, that’s OK. Rudders and paddles break, so it would be nice to be dressed so a prolonged dip would be survived. So put the lycra summer gear away, you can still put it on once in awhile this winter for a walk around the house flexing.
-I’m know there are plenty of other factors and ideas that need to talked about (and they’re nothing new for any of us) so we avoid acting like a bunch of lemmings.  It’s nice to have the coast guard around if we need them, but it’s not a good idea to depend on them and looks poorly for our group and the paddling community when we’re not smart.  Yesterdays conditions were by no means the biggest paddling conditions we’ve seen on the bay, probably average storm paddling to tell you the truth, so as a group we owe it to each other to wise up a bit and take better care of each other.
+I’m know there are plenty of other factors and ideas that need to talked about (and they’re nothing new for any of us) so we avoid acting like a bunch of lemmings. It’s nice to have the coast guard around if we need them, but it’s not a good idea to depend on them and looks poorly for our group and the paddling community when we’re not smart. Yesterdays conditions were by no means the biggest paddling conditions we’ve seen on the bay, probably average storm paddling to tell you the truth, so as a group we owe it to each other to wise up a bit and take better care of each other.
 **erik.wermus**
-/01/09  #7279
+/01/09 #7279
-Thanks for getting some discussion going Simon. The thing that struck me most was that we (maybe not all, but at least many of us) didn't simply have a 3 minute conversation about forming groups / making a plan for regular check points to stay together / staying within 30-40 ft of each other etc. Pretty simple thing to do, but it also goes to show how easy it is to take your eye off little safety disciplines like that. Its just really foolish and totally unnecessary...
+Thanks for getting some discussion going Simon. The thing that struck me most was that we (maybe not all, but at least many of us) didn't simply have a 3 minute conversation about forming groups / making a plan for regular check points to stay together / staying within 30-40 ft of each other etc. Pretty simple thing to do, but it also goes to show how easy it is to take your eye off little safety disciplines like that. Its just really foolish and totally unnecessary…
 EW
 **Larry Goolsby** \\
-/02/09  #7281
+/02/09 #7281
 Erik is right on the button with this one. We didn't take a moment to agree on what we were going to do and where we should re-group. This is probably because we were all experienced paddlers and didn't feel that there was anyone in the group not capable to handle the conditions. The thing about down wind runs is that once you take off from the beach, you are pretty much committed. On more than one occasion, I have seen conditions go downhill very fast once we left Wild cat Cove. Down wind runs in the winter shouldn't be treated as races. Dress warm, take a stable boat if you have one, and be prepared for unpredicted weather changes. Next time I do a down wind run with a group, I plan on starting the discussion about grouping and where we will regroup. I also think it's a good idea if everyone stays on the beach until the group is ready. By the time I got myself outside of Wild Cat Cove, everyone was really spread out and communicating to the group wasn't really possible. I also firmly believe that everyone should have a waterproof VHF radio. Had we been able to talk to the two missing paddlers, we wouldn't have had a need to call the CG. I have been carrying a radio for a few years now and I can't think of a reason why I wouldn't.\\

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