"KMAN" wrote

My part in the discussion came about because I felt that opinions were
being expressed to suggest that one cannot learn to kayak without
professional instruction.

Who ever said such a thing? Could you please quote that post? Mike has
been pretty clear that instruction is a good thing, and you have been
pretty clear on the opposite sentiment, that it's better to figure out
things on your own.

In another thread you said "The common assumption is often that learning
is something to rush through in order to arrive at enjoyment. Well, if
you like sex that last about 30 seconds, then I guess that's the right
philosophy! Personally I find the journey is just as important as the
destination, and that goes for paddling too :-) " and "Learning is
exciting. The problem is some people think it is something to
avoid or get past as quickly as possible. "

That's rather far from my ideas. I'll suggest a couple a things that I
believe, that you apparently don't.

1. Knowledge and skill are beter than ignorance. We begin every new
activity in a state of ignorance. Most people do in fact choose to get
past that state fairly rapidly, because...

2. Activities pursued skillfully are more fun than those pursued
clumsily. This is certainly true for boating. Being able to place the
boat where you want it, to play, to surf: that's great fun. More fun
than just floating down the river because you don't know how to paddle
skillfully. "Learning is exciting," you say, which is certainly true,
but then you say "some people think it is something to avoid or get past
as quickly as possible." You NEVER get past learning. All the same, I
can't imagine anyone saying, as you seem to, "I'm in no hurry to get
skillful; I'd like to remain ignorant and clumsy as long as possible."
I'm not criticizing you for that belief, just pointing out that I think
you're in a distinct minority. Certainly the people who come to me don't
think so. In fact, many have said things like "I had been paddling on my
own for along time and didn't seem to be making much progress, but this
class showed me how to improve."

3. Activities pursued skillfully are safer than those pursued clumsily.
You are clearly concerned with safety, so this should be persuasive even
if the earlier comments weren't. The more challenging the water, the
more important this point is. If you're content with a protracted,
casual learning progress, you limit the number of places you can go
safely. Of course, if you don't want to do challenging water, that's
fine, but don't denigrate people who do want to develop skills to get on
something like the Chatooga. As someone said earlier "There are lots of
rivers out there and not much time to enjoy them."

BTW, earlier you called me "a professional who isn't an asshole" (which
may be one of the sweeter things ever said to me on Usenet), but I'm not
really a professional, even though I do receive money for classes
sometimes. I'm not really a super expert paddler, either. Mainly what I
am is an inveterate, incorrigible instructor. People who paddle with me
get instruction even if they aren't paying for it. I just can't help
myself. You probably don't want to paddle with me.

--
Steve Cramer
Athens, GA