ANOTHER VIRGINIAN-PILOT WITCH HUNT

[wpvboat]

As if the world weren't dangerous enough with all the sharks, sex offenders, below par schools, racists, crocked developers, rotten club owners, etc., now we have cold water boating deaths. Funny how these journalists latch on like leaches when they get everyone's attention. They will suck the life out of it until they scare the crap out of every wife and mother in town.

This morning's article stated that "Those who canoe and kayak are especially at risk.....because it is almost routine to end up in the water with such craft".

If you have any comments please e-mail steve.stone@pilot online.com. I already sent him one. I don't think it is fair to single out paddlers when there are plenty of safe ones out there. If you take precautions you are fine, like any other boater.

Tom

[Cory ruthless Routh]

I will also send him one on behalf of the TKAA.

[Linstad]

I read the article a couple times, and i don't think that we are being singled out. It is a fact that kayakers and canoers can more easily be exposed to cold water. (not just from tipping over either) And that wearing a PFD and having a boating plan with someone else expecting you back at a certain time.....are a good idea. This IMHO is not flaming kayakers, and nasty letters will only cause us to look like a bunch of jerks. They want the same thing we do, saftey. I am a safe kayaker, i wear my PFD, I dress for the water instead of the weather, and i always use the buddy system (as well as tell someone where i am going and for how long) I am not offended because i do so. If I didn't do these things, i would think about why i didn't (becasue of this article) It is too bad that people have died because they didn't follow those simple saftey practices...........so write those letters....make them feel bad for caring about the saftey of our fellow sportmen. I will send them a thank you letter.[grin]

[Cory ruthless Routh]

He really should have interviewed one of us, before writing that article. That article is not very benificial to the sport.

[Linstad]

YOU should of interviewed US before you write letters on OUR behalf. It is not benificial to the sport.

[wpvboat]

I agree there was alot of useful information about hypothermia in the article. I also know he mentioned the canoe accident and then later quoted a source stating that "those who canoe and kayak are especially at risk".

Anyway, if you think this won't scare some people, think again. What we do is already misunderstood by many. It's funny how perceptions can dictate reality. I will admit that I used to surf all the time and never think about sharks. After the 'summer of the shark' I couldn't help but look in the water and think WHAT IF.

The newspaper is not a public service non-profit organization either. They write what they think people will read, regardless of quality of content. IT'S ALL ABOUT MAKING MONEY.

My e-mail was from me, not TKAA.

Tom

[Linstad]

This is true....and they succeeded, they got me to read it, you too. They got their message across, and made a living doing it.

If i wrote an editorial titled "Skydiving without a Parachute causes Testicular Cancer in Women" i am sure i would get some nasty letters. But think for a second of all the people that would think twice about jumping from a airplane without a parachute![grin]

The end result is the same....be it safer, more informed kayakers, or safer, testicualar cancer free women. WE all benifit.[smile]

[ovyaker75]

do you know how many times I have heard " you better be careful in your kayak, ... you heard about those guys in willoughby?!" , from total strangers who just glances over my kayak on top of my car when I'm just about to get in to my car? people who has'nt tried kayaking, canoeing, or even thought about it, will give a bad opinion about what we do. I've been fishing all my life, and I've been fishing out of my kayak for the past 2 yrs. and I enjoy kayak fishing more than anything. I know the writer for the newspaper was'nt trying to single us kayakers/canoers but he has, people who hasnt tried our sport and read the article has already made assumptions that what we do is crazy, eventhough I take extra precautions before I go out. it only takes a few little words to give what we do a bad name.

[Linstad]

Ok.......
you had people tell you "you better be careful......etc etc etc" at your car.....now vision that you arent you...but you are guys just like those from willoughby. And you didnt hear about it, you ask "why what happened at willoughby?" They proceed to tell you that some guys were out without life jackets and one of them drowned and the other guy got hypothermia..... you hadnt realized that you could get hypothermia because no one ever told you.... you had always thought "having a life jacket in the boat" was all that is necessary. Now because a TOTAL STRANGER warned you.... you might just put yours on. Now, i know this isn't you, because we ALL take necessary precautions....right? If that were true, no reporters would have stories to write.....because it wouldnt need to be said....right?

[Va_Yakfisherman]

Linstad, whoa buddy. We are all in the same kayak here. We are talking about two guys that went out in a canoe without much experience and not wear PFD's in very cold water. A canoe in waters that move extremely fast and can be rough. Not a great place for a kayak at times but most assuredly not a canoe. Thats plain stupid. We hear about it each year. People trying to get to the fish in whatever they have but not using much brains. We (most of us and for sure TKAA) promotes safe kayaking, what to wear in cold water times and paddle with a buddy. Know the weather and what to expect. We are not talking about the majority of people that post on this board or most other kayak fishing boards that dont think before they paddle. But what I think most are trying to say is that Kayak fishing has come a long way. And it is detremental and really not fair to chunk us in with a few bad people that dont know the basic rules as to fishing this area in small type craft such as kayaks and canoes. It would have been nice if the reporter would have saught out more info about kayak fishing and canoe fishing in general before he used that reference. Thats all. And each person has the right to send an email. As for Cory sending one from TKAA, well he is the president. I am sure he is only protecting our best interest.. I am sure it would have been a good idea to pass it along to all of us before hand even if he has sent one yet. All he said was that he was going too. But we dont have a meeting set up to discuss it. All I think he is trying to do with such a letter is to bring to light that the majority of kayak fisherman are well versed in safety, weather protection and cold water paddling. Not to jump on the guy but to help him (the reporter) and the public become more aware of us and what we do. Cory and I have worked hard and long (over three years now) to make kayak fishing a strong reality here in the Tidewater and we only want to portray our sport in a positive way. We hope that it keep growing and growing and from the interest that has come up, we know that it will. I am glad that there is someone out there (reporters) reporting the good and bad about such things. But its usually all bad, thats what sells papers. When was the last time you saw an article about someone catching a 43 pound Cobia from a kayak. Was hardly a mention if there even was one in the paper (way to go CHAD!) So lets let forget this one and show others what is good about our sport.