: Novices please take heed. Have fear and respect for open waters and ever
: changing weather conditions.

One of the hardest points to get across is that there are real and severe risks involved in taking a small boat out onto the water. A kayak is basically easy to use. Most paddlers can learn to navigate an 8' kayak in a matter of minutes. The downside of this ease of use is that it is not obvious that going out on any water with this simple boat takes any real skill at all.

There is skill just in determining if the conditions are worth the risk. Although it may be obvious to anyone who has spent time on the water, it is not self evident when conditions are "safe" and when they are not if you have not built the skill to recognize the signs.

Even on a bad day, there are often put-in spots where the conditions look benign. It is not uncommon for a paddler to set out in mill-pond conditions only to round a point and be subjected to the full fury of the open water.

Good judgment is not something we are born with. It is a skill learned through experience. If you are looking at conditions you have not experienced, risk approaching them only with caution. Stop and think about what the consequences are if you misjudge, and decide in advance if you want to proceed. What you don't know may kill you.