Catching oneAwoke this morning to a dusting of snow on the ground. By midday the temperature had climbed to 3C but with west winds blowing at 30 with gusts to 45, the wind chill was -3C. A perfect day for some playtime. Nine of us were of similar mind ... or the lack thereof according to some onlookers. They questioned our sanity.
Watching The wind worked the sea up to 1 meter wind waves, some approached 2 meters. Some of us present have no formal training, having built up our skills by watching, reading but mainly by doing. Certainly instruction shortens the learning curve ...
Comin' thru ... but instruction is not the be all and end all. Taking Paddle Canada courses implies some level of competence. I, however, have found that having that piece of paper can be deceiving. I've seen more than a few level II certified paddlers that would have had trouble dealing with the conditions we played in today.
Bouncing around Skills taught at courses have to be practiced. The course only provides instruction on how to execute certain skills. You have to do your homework afterwards to prove you can actually execute the skills taught. Not all do the homework and end up wasting the course time.
I am not certified. Haven't even done a flatwater course. I have though spent considerable hours in my boat. In my humble opinion, that's better than taking a course and not following up the instruction with practice.
Though I'm not certified, in the eyes of onlookers today, I am certifiable. That's good enough for me.
"In my humble opinion, that's better than taking a course and not following up the instruction with practice."
ReplyDeleteor worse: getting certified and then not practice, forget the skills and still believe that you got it.
Often a rude awakening (if not worse) when conditions then call for those skills :-)
So true gnarlydog. Either way you say it, it still comes down to practice in the conditions that one may find oneself in unexpectedly. Its like insurance isn't it?
ReplyDeleteTony :-)