Feedback wanted

[JohnAbercrombie]

But, while hauling yourself up a difficult route shows you can do it, nobody had the means to evaluate some unknown climber's judgment and stability/reliability in difficult or stormy conditions. Similar problem among paddlers.

:big_thumb
And, there's a difference between a route climbed competently in good style and surviving an epic of bad judgement and screw-ups.
Back to paddling:
For me, there's a big difference between 'qualifications' for a day paddle and a trip- even a short one.
On a trivial level, most of us can put up with each other's 'peculiarities' for a day - after a few days, it can be more difficult.
And, I'd guess that more trips are ruined by petty aggravations than major skill deficits.
I'm not sure any survey can expose things like:
"I want to take my loaded boat into that 'rock garden' situation; don't ruin my trip by refusing to follow!"

"I'm going to pitch my tent in the middle of the path to the latrine; it's flatter there."

"I know it's starting to rain but I'm not in the mood to help put up the tarp; I want to spend some time with my phone in my tent."

"I don't care if the current will turn against us at 0930 for tomorrow's route; I like to sleep in and enjoy my morning coffee in peace."

etc..
BTW, the above aren't imaginary scenarios...live and learn!

For me, it's definitely a case of 'day paddle before overnighter, short trip before a longer one' etc.

 

[Astoriadave]

John's list of "high maintenance" people and their inability to share group objectives reminds me of a trip we did with two other couples. In the runup, one couple did not participate in either of the two day warmup overnighters down here [reason? rainy weather :roll: ] before we drove 1500 miles and rode two ferries. The other couple did.

To deal with this wilfullness, we all agreed at launch time that the group could split and follow different routes back to a common point so we could regroup. That happened, and two couples went one way, the third another, for three days. On regrouping, we all hit the pickup beach, relieved to have "solved" our dilemma.

Ummm, no, we have not gone anywhere with those two since.

 

[pikabike]

I was going to post that WW was not even on the early questions, but someone else already pointed that out.

One thing that I don't think anybody mentioned is WHEN did the experiences take place? I did a 4-week self-supported trip in AK...more than 12 years ago. I also have various other Did Those answers in my background that were not as long ago but not recent, either. Even though having done those things is definitely more helpful than not having done them, time has a way of allowing skills to get rusty.

I bring this up because someone I know used to name the places he had paddled whenever someone asked about skills, of which he lacked even a good foundation. He had been lucky more than anything else, AND those trips happened many years earlier with little practice since.

That reminds me also of boastful people who called themselves WW kayakers based on having "run the SoAndSo" river. Just getting through without accidents is good. However, it does not equal a reliable (as in repeatable many times) level of skills.

I too have had the experience of being laughed at by WW boaters merely for choosing to paddle a sea kayak in a WW-dominated region. And I have occasionally been surprised at what seems a real reluctance for some sea kayakers to view WW kayaks as more than a toy.