Cover the Empties
Published June 15, 2009 | 
Dawn Paddling on Lake Michigan
Well, we’re back for 2 days before we’re on our way back north to the Inland Sea Symposium on the coast of Lake Superior. We pealed a layer of sand of the gear and the Jeep last evening. Not that it will matter much since I have a couple folks meeting me this morning for private lessons on Devil’s Lake. Kayak Week at Point Beach along Lake Michigan was great. A bit quiet and happily un-official. Enjoy it while it lasts.
Kayak Week at Two Rivers was enjoyable as always. What’s not to like about camping on the dunes next to Lake Michigan? For a few days you can spend all your daylight hours paddling the coast or riding your bikes through dark northern forests. Each evening a meal is provided for the group and then we all gather around a big campfire late into the evening. It’s Soooooo lazy! As I mentioned, this year it was much quieter than previous years. You could wonder if it was economics, old age sneaking up, or simply club politics. It seemed like a bit of all of it. Too bad too since this is the only non-ACA sanctioned, non-structured, non-participation fee, totally normal, human gathering around kayaking in our area. While I’m all over safety, organization and guidelines I can also get a bit disgusted when liability and “By the book” vampires suck the life out of, well.. life. It’s even worse when you allow your propensity for paperwork destroy clubs, kill group activities, friendships, and worse turn you into a snob when it comes to paddling with new folks who are just looking for others to share their new found love of kayaking with. What’s the point of insurance coverage when in the end you find yourself always paddling alone? I understand liability fears and it’s important sometimes to be insured as a group or instructor.. but there comes a point…
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4 Responses to Cover the Empties
I think the whole insurance, paperwork issue in the US is hurting paddle sports more than anything.
We almost had to cancel our winter pool sessions over insurance issues.
Most trips at my club have now become secret, un-announced trips and volunteers are reluctant to get involved with anything that requires paperwork or a lawsuit.
Paddlers tend to hate unnecessary complications, thats why they paddle instead of sail.
I know as an instructor, it reduces my ability to teach and lead trips.
I realize that the bureaucracy increases safety, but the real reason it’s so bad is the legal system in the US. If the legal system was cleaned up, insurance would be much cheaper and less complicated.
Derrick, nice picture, really.
Any post production work on it?
Being the Events Coordinator of QSKC (http://www.qldseakayak.canoe.org.au/) I feel your pain when you mention all the red tape necessary if insurance is involved.
Some good paddlers have been put off and left my Club because of it.
We have solved the problem of club politics and bureaucracy by simply clanning. We paddle together, have a website (http://hunterpaddler.ning.com) and our only meetings are to drink beer and eat. Nobody holds an office other than a designated trip leader and we are very successful. We are also spreading with other clans forming.
Having said that, I am still a member of the NSW Seakayaking club and will remain so but our clan is the central part of my kayaking life these days.
Hey Gnarlydog, thanks.. Um.. Usually with my photos here I’ll enhance color saturation, sharpen, and sometimes adjust levels. You often have to sharpen a photo when you reduce it’s size in photoshop. In this photo I bumped the saturation up a notch and sharpened it.
Brad – How long until there is “Clan Liability Insurance” It seems like as soon as you come up with a title, you’re screwed.
Here’s what I want to know though. How many clubs, individuals and coaches have actually been sued in say the last 10 years, what was the total damage? and how much have all these clubs, individuals & coaches and shops paid out in insurance fees? You would have to assume that if suits are rare then fees should be low… (not my experience)