Practicing safety enables enjoyable summer PFDs require proper fit; kayak lessons offered

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Perhaps you saw Wednesday’s story on Page 2 describing what children’s advocates, environmentalists, business executives and political leaders describe as a generation of “indoor children disconnected from nature.” If not, it’s worth going back and taking a look.

As a child in the 1950s I never suffered from the newly coined term “nature deficit disorder.” My two brothers and I and some 20 other kids in our little wooded neighborhood spent hours on end in the fresh air after school (we walked to and from school, too). We had no worries. There were no locked doors, no speeding cars, just a whole lot of fun.

Many of us went into Scouting and further explored ways to live in harmony with nature. Perhaps that’s why today, more than 50 years later, I still need to get out, get some fresh air and stave off the onslaught of Nature Deficit Disorder.

Richard Louv, author of the best seller, “Last Child in the Woods,” coined the term Nature Deficit Disorder. According to Wednesday’s story from the Washington Post, he argues “indoor kids are more prone to a range of childhood problems including obesity, depression and attention disorders.” He also contends they “miss out on the spiritual, emotional and psychological benefits of exposure to the wonders of nature, including reduced stress and improved cognitive development, creativity and cooperative play.”

I’m going to cut this out and put it on my boss’s desk just as a reminder that I need more time in the fresh air for all of the above reasons. More time outdoors may not make him so happy, but it’ll sure make me feel great!

I’ve managed to sneak in some after-work time lately on the waters of Pushaw Lake and one excursion on the waters of Castine Harbor. I even had a chance to stop by Orland River Days and spend a few minutes on Alvion Kimball’s front lawn catching up on the local scuttlebutt. (Kimball is one of the movers and shakers behind the River Days event and this weekend’s Bridgefest celebration of the Penobscot Narrows Bridge.)

Truly, summer is here, and more folks will be on the water.

My wife was paddling recently with a group of people, and after witnessing two boats tip over – a one-person Otter kayak and a canoe with two people – she reminded me it was a good time to remind folks about several important safety issues – the first, proper life-jacket fit.

Kathy’s observation: Both women she saw go in the lake had PFDs that were up around their necks and not properly secured. Fortunately, they did not slip out of them. If your lifejacket rides up while you’re in the water your mouth and nose could be below water level – not a good situation unless you happen to be a fish. A proper fitting PFD should be cinched comfortably tight around your torso so that it doesn’t ride up when you take a swim. Adjust it before you get on the water and wear it while you’re in your boat.

If you should tip over your canoe or kayak you need to know what to do next. Kathy saw the kayaker who went over reach out and grab the gunwale of the nearby canoe. Immediately there were three people in the water. Rescue attempts from other canoes nearby were feeble and it was maybe 20 minutes or longer before all three were out of the water and boats were emptied and re-floated.

Had the water not been hospitably warm this benign incident could have been a tragedy. If you are going out on the water in a canoe or a kayak, know how to right it or perform a rescue. In the situation above, with the assistance of a second canoe, the rescue should have taken no more than a few minutes for both the kayak and the swamped canoe. As it turned out the rescue took a while, and even on a warm afternoon the two canoeists were chilled.

Learn how to do an X-rescue from a dry canoe or kayak to save a swamped canoe or kayak. It’s relatively simple if done right. The swamped craft is tipped and emptied while being drawn up and over the dry boat. Then the rescued boat is slid back into the water and steadied, with the gunwale lowered for the victims to crawl over. Even a single kayaker can empty an overturned canoe and assist its paddlers back into the craft. If you’re going to be on the water, learn a few basic skills.

And remember, in colder water time is of the essence.

So is wearing proper clothing. Synthetics that dry quickly are much better than cotton jeans and shirts. Wet jeans are next to useless in a capsize/swim situation (and many would say a liability), and should you get out of the water, they’ll stay wet for the rest of the day and into tomorrow. Even if you’re wearing synthetics, it’s good to have a spare set of clothing with you, packed in a waterproof bag, to change into, post dunking.

Have this with you on all your outings. Kathy said the canoeists in this situation did not have a spare set of clothing with them. They said they hadn’t planned on a dunking. When last she saw them they were wrapped in towels trying to get warm and dry.

Kayak safety class

Here’s a chance to learn some rescue skills. Stonington’s Island Community Center is hosting a two-day Community Kayak Safety Course today and tomorrow at Old Quarry Ocean Adventures in Stonington.

Saturday, from 10 a.m. to noon, there will be a youth session for paddlers ages 12 and up with instruction by Ann Douglass. Cost is $20, kayaks and lunch included. The Community Center is offering $10 scholarships to the first 12 students. Mrs. Douglass will instruct in wet exit, self-rescue and rescue.

On Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Master Maine Sea Kayak Guide and ACA instructor Karen Francoeur of Castine Kayak Adventures will focus on helping you learn to travel safely and efficiently by kayak while understanding what to do to avoid a capsize and what to do in the event of capsize.

All instruction will focus on learning how different boat features such as bulkheads can help or hinder boat rescues in cold water. This course covers all basics from boat design, clothing for kayaking, rules of the road, basic chart reading, understanding tides and weather, essential equipment, basic strokes and maneuvers and self and partnership rescue skills.

You will practice basic skills Sunday morning and learn rescue techniques that work for each boat type and paddling location in the afternoon. Lunch is included. Price is $100 per person, but the Island Community Center is offering $50 scholarships to the first 12 attendees. Preregistration is required. Call ICC, 367-2735. Any questions about this, call Pat Gross, ICC, 367-2735.

See the bridge

This just in: During Bridgefest today in celebration of the new Penobscot Narrows Bridge, you will be able to take guided kayak tours from the small dock in Bucksport near the Verona bridge to the new bridge at 11 a.m., noon, 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Castine Kayak Adventures is running the tours.

Spiffy socks

I know. It sounds incongruous, and usually the two items are as far apart in your pack as possible. And getting excited about a pair of socks is, well, sort of silly. But let me explain.

I dropped into Epic Sports recently at just about the same time sales and marketing representative Michael Schmidt was due to show up for some staff training. I got invited to stay and watch the show – and maybe learn something. (I learned a lot, by the way.)

Schmidt was there to talk about several items, including the JetBoil stove I’ve told you about several times, Bridgedale socks and the Katadyn Vario water filter. He showed a couple of features of the JetBoil that I hadn’t discovered yet – like using the flux ring protective cup as a leftover storage container when combined with the cook cup’s lid.

But believe it or not, I was most impressed with the skimpy short Bridgedale socks he let me try. I’m not a fan of socks that don’t come over the ankle, but that aside, the sole of these critters is high-tech.

The pair he gave me are in the company’s so-called Fast and Light series and are designed to be worn with lighter, breathable footwear in warmer conditions and during more fast moving activities (no, I’m not into fast, but don’t rub it in).

Patterns on the sock target areas of your foot where padding is needed and where ventilation is most advantageous. Actually they look a little strange at first glance.

The company says it “combines the highest quality natural yarns – Merino wool or Tough wool – and fuses them with high-performance microfibers – Coolmax or Endurofit.”

I wore them for two days and found them really comfortable (save for getting used to the low cut. There are other styles with longer cuffs.) I would encourage anyone to check these babies out. They’re most impressive! I recommend you check them out for yourself.

Jeff Strout’s column on outdoor recreation is published each Saturday. He can be reached at 990-8202 or by e-mail at jstrout@bangordailynews.net.