Force v. Size

Back from Canoecopia which had huge attendance. Unfortunately, I didn't bump into a lot of the folks I had looked forward to seeing. I will be posting pics and comments soon.

Meanwhile, I have been driving myself nuts while mulling over an issue around boat size and speed. For starters, we all agree that a longer boat (all else being equal) can go faster than a shorter one. So far so good. In addition, we know that that longer boat will need more horsepower (muscle) to hit those higher speeds. Correct? Here's where the waters get muddy. 

Say a paddler is capable of putting out, oh say, 5 units of power. If we put this paddler into a long boat that needs 6 units of power to hit top speed, he will fall short. Okay? Now, let's put him in a slightly shorter boat that tops out with only 5 units of applied power. Hurray, the paddler hits hull speed in that boat.

The question is, in which boat can he go the fastest?

Now, I have a headache.

Paddle safe...
DS

Group Therapy

Tomorrow, JB, Sherri and I are off to Canoecopia where (see Roy's comment last post) I hope to reunite with old friends and make new ones. Hopefully, the fires will be rekindled, and I will be good to go. More next week.

Paddle safe...
DS

OK, So I'm Back

The good new is that I got out for a short paddle today. Lovely ice formations and fog were the setting. I have other pics, but photo shop may have died on my computer.

On the other hand, the vacation did little to refresh me or, for that matter, cheer me up. The fog today was appropriate and symbolic. I do not know when it is supposed to clear.

Paddle safe...
DS

Homeward Bound

Supposed to get to 70 F here today. Plans are to fly home to Milwaukee this evening where the word is that all launch sites are open. Paddle tomorrow?

In my abscence, my former partner (medical practice) has had surgery with severe complications. I await word to see how he is today and am anxious for his recovery.

Like the song say, "I wann' 'go home."

Paddle safe...
DS

Water, Water (even boats) Every Where

and not a kayak in sight. Alas.

Paddle Safe...
DS

I Joined Linda in Floridaxx

To relax and enjoy warm weather. But I forgot to bring my

fleece and cag.

Paddle safe...

DS

No MASK

To our south is the CASKA, the Chicago Area Sea Kayak Association. West of here, in the capitol city of Madison, are the HOOFERS ( U. of Wisconsin outdoors organization) and the MAD City Paddlers. Even the small towns north of us have organized into a dynamic North East Wisconsin group that gives assistance to those wanting to become instructors and organizes events and lessons year round. But, alas, there is no Milwaukee Area Sea Kayak anything, just a Yahoo Group site.

I am told that before I ever joined other paddlers in this area, they actually thought about forming one. If I understand correctly, a few lawyers in the group (remember, 99% of lawyers give the rest a bad name; but I digress) feared the legal ramifications and liabilities of having something on paper. It never happened.We do have BS Squared, or BSBS, the Badgerland State Boating Society, which organizes the local winter pool sessions. I am told that over the years, the meetings have lost energy and the group has become one of mostly white water paddlers.

We have several instructors in our area, some of us level 4 ACA certified: but only one, Sherri Mertz, has developed it into a business. It was she who brought all this up at the pool session this past Sunday. Her thought was to reactivate the sea kayak "section" of the already existing BSBS. Not a bad idea. Certainly, she has a business interest in such a concept, but (let me be clear) Sherri has been around the retail end and teaching end of the business longer than I have been paddling. She has taught a whole bunch of people to enjoy safe paddling. She is one of the folks I go to when I need someone to watch me and diagnose when something isn't going right. She knows products and is an invaluable source of info for new paddlers looking into buying a first boat. She is not attached to any retail outlet (she does teach at her former employer's store on occaision).

First, and fore most, clubs are a place someone can go to find out about paddling. When there is no club around they are left to talking to retailers whose interests may not align with the novice's. A club can introduce inquiring minds to our sport, suggest ways to get started and maybe even get them onto the water for a taste. It is a place to be with other paddlers both on the water and socially. It is a place to take an idea from concept to fruition. It is a nidus for trips and outings and so on.

We are an area of over a million people. We are blessed with a monstrous lake that is, in essence, a tideless free-of-salt ocean with all the conditions one could wish for. More over, we are surrounded with large numbers of lakes with clean water and public access. What we don't have is an organization.

(BTW: I teach tomorrow all day and evening and am off to Florida on Thursday. Will post next when I can).

Paddle safe...
DS

A Medical Case Study

Successful Scientific Approach

Of a Rare Nautical Congenital Lesion

Utilizing

The Team Method

History

This pediatric patient, of English birth, was only a few months old when it developed leakage problems in the area of the lower bowels. The patient's delivery was professional and without complications and there was nothing on examination (early on) to suggest any congenital problems. Records confirm that the post natal care was excellent.

Because of the chronic nature of the problem that developed, the patient was referred to a highly respected team of specialists that included JB, a highly rated POF (Professor of Kayaking) and an EMT; Sherri, a highly rated POF with a long experience in the anatomy of these patients, and yours truly. 

Proceedure

The patient was prepared and draped in the normal manner and its rear umbilical cord (here after referred to as the toggle) was removed without complications. Then, purposely omitting any anesthetic which might blunt the response, SADT (specially adapted duct tape) was applied in the coronal plane circumventing the dorsal/distal end of the patient (see phot below...used with patient's permission).

Next, according to the protecal demanded in the grant, the patient was taken to the diagnostic tank test and subjected to the AAR test (all sorts of rolls) after which the patient was taken back to the lab for final testing.

Findings

After excissing the circumference of the the distal cavity (here after known as the rear hatch), it was noted that no extra or intracellular fluids had entered this area. This was carefully confirmed after which the area was recovered. The sponge count (1) was noted to be correct.

Conclusion

Many of you, because you practice (your sport) in small and remote areas, do not have access to large diagnostic centers with sophisticated instruments and techniques as described in this  paper. Suffice to say, the patient does, in fact, have a small congential lesion; that being PTO/WR or a patent toggle opening with regurgitation (also called insufficiency in some literature).

Therapeautic Plan

The patient will be referred back to the author's garage where plastic surgery involving well tested chemicals will be used to close the offending lesion. In most of these cases, the proceedure takes less than an hour, is well established and is approved by the AMA, BCU and ACA. There is often a slight febrile/thermal reaction, but this is self limited and does not usually require medication. Best of all, with this modern technique the patient often can return to work the very next day. Some researchers are already reporting cases of patients treated early in the morning and actually working that same day.

Prognosis

If the author does not breath in too much of the toxic fumes there is chance of total recovery.

Paddle safe...
DS

Sometimes I Feel Like Staying in Bed

This is the time of year when winter gets long in the tooth. I'm another year older, like you, and don't like to see my days wasted by being in doors. I wax philosophical at these times and muse over the future, such as it is. The economy is not good here, and I worry what the future holds for my kids and their children. That's for another day, and you will have to buy the whiskey.

I am presently teaching 3 courses, 2 in the nursing school, and I am debating letting all that go as of spring. I love teaching, but the crap that goes with it is becoming annoying. Students are whiner who believe staring at a power point presentation will magically move knowledge into their heads. Fewer and fewer can write an complete sentence. Come the warm weather, I don't want to be writing exams (I need 3 by next week, but I digress...yes, within parenthesis Mr. Editor). Teaching on the water is a whole other thing, and I love it.

Some of my favorite people are moving from Ohio (6 hour drive) to the Washington D.C. area (12 hour drive). I will be driving out with my daughter and grand son and flying back to help in the move. Meanwhile, I've had a scare from a medication reaction that my colleague prescribed for my sleep disorder....are you seeing a down-in-the-mouth long-in-the-tooth feeling here?

I gotta' get back on the water.

Paddle safe...
DS

Images of Arizona

Right from the moment I stepped into the airport and looked out the big windows...

I knew I wasn't in Wisconsin. The other clue was that it was 40F degrees warmer on the outside. But I digress. Walking to the baggage area, I saw my first female shoe shine boy.

While waiting for Lady Linda's nephew to  pick me up for supper, I walked the parking lot to stretch my legs and was rewarded with this car. Be sure to note on the right below the window.

Even the bark on an old tree was visually pleasing.

All that, and the course went well. Now I have to snow blow.

Paddle safe...
DS

Headed For Greener Pastures

Kayaks all tucked in the garage. I am headed to Arizona to give a CME course on Cardiology. It is supposed to rain there on Saturday. No matter. I will be delivering 6 one-hour lectures to medical professionals. I love the interaction and energy at these courses.

Lady Linda's nephew is there, and I hope to have dinner with him and his fiance.

It will feel good to feel warm air on the old body. Meanwhile...

Paddle safe...
DS

I Got Nothing

It's winter. I have a neurological sleep disorder the treatment for which has given me cardiac arrhythmias. Last night was my best night sleep in months, and it wasn't enough to make up for all the hours I spent tossing.

We are iced off the lake, and my Cetus still takes on water in the rear hatch (we are honing in on the source). I don't get enough exercise, and I don't have anything new and stimulating to photograph. What to do?

Go up into the attic or down into the basement or into the archives and revisit some old photos to post, repost and share.

So, that's what I did.

'nough said.

Paddle safe...
DS

Michael must be proud.

I watched the opening of the olympics yesterday. Impressive and sadly darkened by the death of a bob sled athlete. Still, the olympics seem to be the one place where the world's nations seem at peace with one another. The games are the thing, and who you are and where you are from is not the issue. Seems there is a model there for a way of coexisting. We can only hope.

Paddle safe...
DS

Take Another Bow

A ways back, I posted about having the bow of one's kayak appearing in pictures. At the time, I thought it was an over done cliche' and challenged folks to think of ways of getting good images without the bow of their boat appearing in the photo.

Recently, Stan McKenzie had an interesting post on the same subject. Unlike myself, he took the approach that the presence of the bow gave a sense of self and a chance to show off one's boat. After all, he pointed out, we are generally proud of our crafts and have a close bond with them. His articles (and his always excellent photos) got me to rethinking this entire idea. That's when I pulled this image back up (taken earlier this year).

I realize that I had intuitively stressed the presence of the bow of my kayak in order to give perspective to the image. The proportionally large presence in the fore ground helps make Sherri and her boat look smaller and, hence, the water bigger. It almost succeeds, although I am not 100% thrilled with the result. I am, however, grateful to Stan for stimulating my thoughts.

Paddle safe...
DS
x

Predicting Winter Weather With 100% Accuracy

 Here in the states, we have a silly tradition of having a ground hog come out early in the year to look for its shadow. If he sees it, so goes the tale, we will have 6 more weeks of winter. Turns out, there are better, more scientific ways to handle this. The bench test, for one, is far more accurate.

This scientifically designed bench just happens to sit in my back yard where, as it turns out, is the only important place to consider when it comes to weather. If the bench is covered with snow (as it is in the picture taken this week) we know that there will not only be lots more winter but that the temperature is currently below freezing. This simple, yet elegant, observation can be made through the window without having to exposing one's self  to the miserable elements.

Although reliable and 89.77% accurate, when it comes to life and death decisions, we turn to The Oracle Of The Tree for uncannily accurate information. This old wood sprite has been with us for several years now, and he has never failed us. We believe that his wisdom continues to grow as evidenced by the fact that his eyes are farther apart than when we discovered him over a decade ago. But I digress. 

Rooted deeply in mythology, he sees all and almost never blinks. His gaze is fixed on the north west, from where our weather emanates and, it is said, he can see over the horizon to the other side of the world. It is told that he blinks when the end of winter is 24 hours away. Since this usually occurs in the wee early hours of the morning, no one has actually seen or been able to photograph this sacred happening. Rest assured, however, that is eyes remain wide open as I type this and that winter surely will not end in the next few days. Is that a snow blower I hear?

Paddle safe...
DS

Silbs in Wonderland

You've seen pictures of the pond behind Rutabaga in Madison. Usually, there is the dock where folks who want to demo a boat get hang out.

And there is the usual teaching activities around paddle sport. When I went up there on Sunday (see last blog), I wasn't surprised to see snow on the pumpkins (read hulls).

What I didn't expect to see was the teepee that is usually set up for the Door County Sea Kayak Symposium. It is usually part of the kids' program and seemed like an apparition in the early morning dreary light. No one was around to explain why it was there.

The pond did have some activity, even though it was 7:30 am., but those guys weren't paddling.

I didn't see my shadow. No matter.

We're under a snow storm warning here in Milwaukee, and it doesn't expire for 24 hours. Oh, well.

Paddle safe...
DS

Learning about Learning

Yesterday, I had a unique opportunity to be part of a team teaching a rolling class. It was unique in as much as I was a sort of third wheel there to learn how this class is usually run. The course has usually been taught by Dan

and Jeff

both excellent teachers and accomplished paddlers.

Yesterday, having little responsibility, I got to watch and listen a lot. Having my own way of teaching rolling and, thus, not starting from scratch, I was free to listen to the words, to watch how much was show and tell and how much was doing, and to see how the time was used for each stage of the learning process.

I love teaching, and I hate being an educator. I am, for instance, likely to quit teaching my college courses as I cannot stand setting up a syllabus or meeting other paper work requirements. I just want to teach. That experience, however, has led me to listen and observe differently, and I am slowly getting the Gestalt of some class methods.

Most rolling classes do not produce students with a roll. After 4 hours, it is not uncommon for no one to have a roll...and this is after a rolling class.

Most accept the fact that learining to roll is a process and that is just how it is. But, like the song says, it ain't necessarily so. I have had any number of students roll after a single half-hour lesson. In fact, the majority do. My method, like all good methods, consists of bits brazingly stolen from other innovative teachers.

So, I learned a lot by watching. I learned a lot about what works and what doesn't. I hope it makes me a better teacher.

Paddle safe...
DS

Goals

My sense of paddlers, in general, is that they are affiable, of above average intelligence, interested in the world around them and goal oriented. They come from all walks and all sorts of job descriptions and tend to well at what ever they do. Aside from the once in a blue moon recreational paddler, the whitewater and sea kayakers are always working on their skills and trying to improve. Some of this motivation comes  from having goals.

There are more possibilities (read: goals) at the start than at any other time. It is like taking a hike. Every time you take a fork in the path you have eliminated (at least for now) all the forks in the roads of the paths not taken. The first time in a kayak, that first lesson, holds out to the imagination all sorts of possibilities. There is so much to practice and such a great urge to get up to speed.

Jump (or paddle) ahead and we all arrive at a place where we have the basics. Our forward stroke is getting decent, our braces are pretty much working and we hit our rolls the majority of the times. Unless we find something new to work on, the future may appear to only hold out repetitious outings during which we do the same old, same old over and over. This is when those of us really who are really into the paddling game look for new goals.

For some of us it is becoming an instructor and then working on becoming an even better instructor. Some will go on to be instructor trainers while others, eschewing the instructor path, will plan longer and longer trips. For some this may be conquering the shoreline while paddling to the next city 5 miles up the coast. Others eventually paddle around Australia.

So, in addition to planning and looking forward to the spring events, it is time for me to start laying out new goals. Since teaching is my passion, I want to learn more about it and about teaching teachers. At my age, I have no plans to become an instructor trainer, however, I do want to learn those skills as I believe it will make me a better teacher and a better paddler.

Then I need to work on a plan to maintain conditioning. I am going to lose some this winter in spite of getting out there on the lake and frequent visits to the gym and pool. It's just that it's harder as I get older. Finally, I need to sit and contemplate how I can best serve my sport going forward.

I have pretty much eliminated the idea of an Olympic try out, but I will continue to teach. I am on another board here in Milwaukee, and it involves paddling indirectly. I need to do more. Perhaps my next goal is to find my next goal.

Paddle safe...
DS

Long Days

I know, the days are actually getting longer; but they seem that way aside from their actual length. Perhaps it has to do with my age. Or, maybe, it has to do with my temperament which needs to constantly entertain both my left and right brain.

Today is a Wednesday, so my teaching day started at 8 am (waking at 5:30) and ends around 9 pm. This week only, yesterday I ended up teaching double classes for another instructor. Top this with the fact that Lady Linda is away for a few days leaving me with house, garbage and large dog. I look at the phone hoping the governor will call.

I am already looking forward to Sunday when I will be up in Madison helping with pool instruction (kayak rolling class). We constantly talk of moving to warmer places, but our magnificent cohort of family, extended family and friends are all here.

Common sun, make the days really longer...and a hell of a lot warmer.

Paddle safe...
DS

What is This?

I get, and see on other blogs, comments composed of these symbols. Michael thought they may be another language that did not translate via Google. Do you know what they are? (symbol has been removed from original  post)

Paddle safe...
DS