ThePADDLER 48
There are three factors in a paddling adventure that a participant can take control of , and you may recognise them from the section above : 1 . Their performance . 2 . The environment they paddle through . 3 . The types of the challenge they take on .
If someone else is making all of the decisions in category 2 and 3 for them , the only thing they ’ re left with is their boat control skills . Suppose those skills are not quite up to scratch yet . In that case , it is almost inevitable that issues around fear and anxiety will creep in as they experience the uncomfortable realities of capsizing and swimming in white water . This is how a great many confidence issues in paddling are born . In short , no matter how good the river leader is , if they don ’ t share their understanding and control with their participants , every trip will be a roll of the dice for that person when it comes to their confidence .
RIVER MENTORING – BUILDING THE RIDE TOGETHER
The paddlers with the experience to lead make decisions on a river for reasons that would appear obvious . Firstly , their personal skills in whitewater and rescue create the safety net if things go wrong . Their judgement calls should also keep the group out of harm ’ s way by putting them in the right place at the right time and using sound tactics to support the group ’ s descents . This is unlikely to change on a given day , and that is the reason that control can ’ t be entirely given away . On the other hand , there may be a great many other decisions that a leader makes on a day that has little to do with the group ’ s immediate safety at the time .