Richard Magill had some commentary on the last post. It seems to add to the conversation. We're not doing comments, but we'll gladly post any well reasoned posts you may have if you email us
Richard Magill wrote:
These seem to be very good definitions, but would you say that all have to be completed before you could consider yourself and intermediate paddler? Or could the paddler just get 51%, or 75% and say he is intermediate?
I suspect that somehow paddlers are going to have to come up with an agreeable set of definitions (these look as good as any, although I think maybe force 4 winds is a little low), figure out which ones are an absolute necessity (I'd say good forward stroke, sweeps, and rudders; rescues in moderate conditions; and at least a descent side landing in moderate surf), then take a look at the rest and assign a pt value at each one. Once a paddler achieves all of the necassary ones, plus achieves a certain pt value on the rest, he/she can be considered an intermediate paddler.
One last thought: I absolutely love to roll my boat, and agree that it is an invaluable tool. However, I'd have to say that I know some really good paddlers out there that don't, for what ever reason, have a roll. When I lived in SC, I knew a guy who I suspect could paddle with any of the big guys
- the Nigel's, Derek, me (okay, so maybe I don't fit in that list, but hey, I guy can dream can't he) - any of them - but he had a bad hip and refused to roll. I'm not even sure he ever learned a roll. He just didn't go upside down. Of all the times I've seen him in halacious soups, surf conditions, and force 6 winds; even in stuff that was kicking my butt left and right (man, those were fun times), he never once spilled, or swam. Would he be held back from being called an advanced paddler becuase of his roll? ACA would probably say yes, but they haven't seen him paddle.
