: IF THERE IS ONLY ONE MESSAGE THAT EVERYONE TAKES AWAY FROM ROBERTS ESSAY LET
: IT BE THIS: Go out there and paddle confidently but remember one thought:
: a live weenie is a weenie who is the first to back out of a dangerous
: situation and gets to paddle for at least one more season

I've developed a little robot voice in my head that says,
"Danger! Danger! Will Robinson" when I start down the path
to stupid choices.

I've learned to listen to that voice, It helps me to keep all
my fingers in the shop too.

Yeh, sounds silly, but it works.

The biggest danger I've gotten into and seen others fall victim
to is the unswerving goal.

Like the last day of a week trip, we had a short paddle to the take
out and then the drive home. In our minds we were home already.

But when we woke a storm was raging.

We were on an island 2 miles off shore, but we had some closer islands
we could get some protection from, if we could get there.

My old WW paddling buddy Joe and I were leading a large group with
a few novices. We waited a few hours, but the short distance to safety
and hot food and a warm car ride home wore on our brains.

We wanted to leave!

We had a slight break in the storm and took it.

One novice tried to launch parallel to the shore
and got "window shaded" by the breaking waves.
Fortunately, she was very strong swimmer and
wasn't fazed by it. Joe and I had the rest get
in their boats and we tossed them
straight into the waves.

We all made it fine but the margin of error for
the novices was paper thin.

I wouldn't make that choice again.

If your goal is inflexible you are putting yourself in unnecessary danger.

Rob