Teaching Philosophy

I just got back from teaching at the Golden Gate Sea Kayaking Symposium. It was a blast as always. Catching up with old friends, seeing past students, making new friends, even meeting Facebook friends in person for the first time. The spirit at these events is awesome and the diversity of folks makes for great discussions. It's also interesting to get to work with coaches from all over the country and the world and see how different people do things differently.

I have noticed a bit of a trend in some of the instruction and it's something that I've been thinking about for a while. A little moment during one of my classes helped crystallize my thoughts, so I thought I would share them.

For me, teaching is about the students. It's about helping them achieve their goals in the best way possible. I don't think that's very controversial; all the great teachers I've worked with strive to find the way that works best for the students. The problem is that each student is different and their goals are different. Heck, most students don't even realize what they need to learn to reach their goals. So how do you teach to a variety of students who learn in a variety of ways and end up reaching different end results?

The trend I've noticed is one of experiential education. The idea that students learn best when they discover the concept on their own. Instead of telling them what to do, you tell them what to try and let them figure out the lesson. The instructor guides this discovery by focusing the tasks or asking questions to make the student aware of what to focus on. It's a great way to learn many things, and I definitely believe that students will retain what they learn this way more than any other teaching style. But I don't believe it's the only way to learn - or teach.

During a lunch break in one of my classes, a student remarked that they thought it was great that they had learned so much even though the instructor never demonstrated anything. The instructor responded, "That's what's wrong with the American Canoe Association. They're all about demonstration." Now, I'm an ACA Instructor Trainer. I train others on how to teach in the ACA style. I politely disagreed with the comment but didn't get into a discussion that would have been pointless and distracting to the students. But I feel the statement is wrong on many levels.

First, the ACA is not all about demonstration. It's one of the tools we use to teach. I believe it's a particularly useful and powerful tool, but it's one among many. The ACA (and myself and all the ACA instructors I know) also use guided discovery. Sometimes you use lecture, sometimes you use reciprocal learning. To dismiss the ACA because it believes instructors should have the ability to properly demonstrate the techniques and concepts that they teach seems downright silly to me.

After lunch I watched that very same instructor struggle when trying to explain a specific technique point to a student who was having trouble. The words weren't getting through. So the instructor did a quick demonstration of what he was describing and the student immediately understood. And that's the thing about discovery - it can take a while. It can also be frustrating and even lead to the wrong result. Sometimes it's better to save the student the pain and suffering and give them the answer.

It's such a situational thing. We were working with experienced paddlers on the finer aspects of technique. They already have a wealth of experience to draw from. Give them a little idea and they're capable of playing with it and expanding it. But for beginners? The ones with no context? They need much more guidance, and demonstration is a crucial part of that. So is explanation. So are goal-oriented tasks. The principle thought behind ACA style is to try to hit students with multiple approaches so that each one can grasp the idea in the way that works best for them. Then you can also focus in on an individual and their learning style and give them specific feedback in the manner that works best.

One of the problems I have with this open-ended discovery approach is that it's heavy on the conceptual and light on the practical. I've heard several instructors argue that the important thing is not what they learn that day in class, but what they end up knowing as they continue to develop their skills in the future. That's all well and good if students keep trying to learn. My experience and observation of hundreds of students over the past decade is that most kayakers go kayaking to have fun. Relatively few work to learn new things outside of a formal classroom environment. I see students at symposiums all the time who've been paddling for years, attending several symposiums, are taking advanced classes, but have very basic technique deficiencies that hold them back.

I do try to take a long term approach. I want ultimate success for my students, not just a short term fix that makes them feel good that day. It's why I teach a sweep roll that takes time to get right. It's why I focus on the basics even when they think they're ready for the advanced stuff. It's why I focus on proper technique for safety and self-sufficiency. But I also want to make sure students leave the class with something tangible and solid that they can point to and say: I'm doing this better now. Because I know there's a very good chance they're not going to do drills or put in the time to work on exercises on their own. It's a reality that I have to deal with.

I'm not trying to say that I'm right and everyone else is wrong. The people I'm talking about are highly successful coaches who have earned a lot of respect through making a lot of students happy. Seeing different styles has made me think more about what I do. I've questioned what I've been taught and I feel I've changed and developed my own style and techniques based on what I've seen work and what doesn't. Over the years I've shifted to saying (and doing) less and letting students learn more on their own - with my guidance. But I do feel that at some point there needs to be the concrete. It's not all questions and trying things out. At some point, on some topics, you need to give the details and show them what their goal should be. That's how I teach. I'll continue to learn from others and try new things, but right now I feel pretty good about how things work for me - judged by my students' success.

I'd love to hear from others out there on their teaching philosophies. Or what's worked best for you as a student. Fill up the comments and let the discussion commence.

Kayak Beginner Naivete

An all too common tale of beginner sea kayakers that got into trouble crossed my desk the other day. The particulars aren't important because it is all too common. Since some of my readers might be new to the sport, I thought I'd take a little time to analyze why people make errors in judgment. While this focuses on the beginner kayaker, I think there are lessons that apply to paddlers at all levels.

When people start something brand new, they are in a state called unconscious incompetence. That basically means they don't know what they don't know. In such a case, they will make decisions based on something other than their own judgment in the situation. That can be a problem but doesn't have to be.

If we lack the knowledge to make good decisions, the wisest course of action is to rely on someone who has the information. This is when people take an introductory class. They learn from a (hopefully) knowledgeable instructor. Or maybe they just go to their local kayak shop and ask questions about what to buy and where to paddle. Even a friend who's been kayaking for several years is a possible source of information. While not every source will be the best, the truth is that in the sport of kayaking most people are genuinely helpful and offer good advice. It's one of the great parts of the sport.

But people often don't want to ask others. They think they can figure it out. How hard can kayaking be, right? I'll just hop down to Walmart, pick out a boat, and I'm good to go. There's often a reluctance to appear incompetent or a desire to save money. Ironically, it's the effort to save things (face, money) that generally costs more (time, health, life). Spending a little money on the right equipment, listening to those who know more, learning some basics, all will make everything easier in the long run. And as I said, people in this sport are happy to help.

What I think is an even greater danger to beginner kayakers (and those not so beginner) is the faulty sense of experience. It's natural human behavior to believe that if things went well in the past they will go well in the future. The problem is that kayaking is a dynamic sport - the future is always different than the past, even when you don't expect it. Weather changes things, temperature changes things, equipment changes things. Most people get in trouble when something is not quite the same as what it was before. Even a small change can lead to huge difference in outcome.

Let me give some specific examples of how this takes place and how we can mitigate it. Let's imagine we want to go paddling in San Francisco Bay. We've kayaked in Richardson Bay several times where the current is minimal. It's often sunny and warm. Maybe we even paddled over to Angel Island one time on a clear day without a problem. That makes us think we can do it again. So we set out on a bright summer day with all the confidence in the world. We get to the island and have lunch; it's so warm we take a nap on the beach. Eventually we decide to start back. But the tide is ebbing and there's a 3 knot current between us and where we launched. The afternoon winds have kicked up to a steady 25 knots. The water is rough and choppy and sailboats are flying in both directions. We start across and are quickly pulled into the roughest patch. Trying to avoid getting run over we turn sideways to the wave and our leaky sprayskirt quickly lets in lots of water. The boat becomes unstable and we end up in the 52 deg. water. The wind pushes the boat away from us faster than we can swim. If someone doesn't come along to help, we'll float all the way under the Golden Gate Bridge and towards the Farallon (where they do Great White Shark research). Not a good outcome.

Another common place that experience gives a false sense of security is the river. The idea that we made it through this rapid before so we can do it again. Change one little thing and everything can be different. Let's take a group of new kayakers. Maybe they're running the Gorge on the South Fork American River. It's a relatively easy class III that many people get to in their first year of boating. So they probably have done the run a couple times with a bunch of more experienced folks and all went well. Maybe a swim or two at the big rapids, but no problem. Now it's November. It's still fairly warm weather. They just did the class II stretch above it and the water is still releasing so they decide to just keep going.

But they don't really realize that they're at the tail end of the release. They're fine as they float down the easy start, but they have a swim when they enter the Gorge proper. No problem, they still recover the boat, it just takes a while. But now they're behind the bubble of water and everything's getting shallower. The rapids are different. There are more swims at Satans and boats go further downstream. There are no rafts to help out and even the photographers have gone home for the day. By the time everyone's sorted out it's starting to get dark. There are still more class III rapids to go and everyone is cold and hungry. Most of the people decide to walk the hard rapids but that slows them down more. The best paddler in the group (who hasn't swam yet) decides it will be faster to just run it. When he flips and misses his roll because he's in shallow water there's no one around to help. His boat is gone as he crawls to shore. It's cold now. He's on the other side of the river, the one without the trail. What to do?

Both of these situations have actually happened multiple times. Why? Because new kayakers will always make the mistake of relying on their own experience to make decisions, but that experience is lacking. They know some things, but still don't know what they don't know. How do you fix this? You listen to those who've been there. Learning through experience is overrated when it comes to safety. Learning through the experience of others is the way to do it. Put your ego in check and ask some questions, even if you think you know the answers. Instead of assuming this time will be just like last time, think through what could happen if something changes - because it always will.

For those of us that are experienced, how we share information is also important. Don't try to scare people, don't try to tell them what to do. Focus on informing them of the risks. Share some stories that they can relate to, let them know that you were once less skilled and made mistakes. Let them know that it's okay to screw up when the consequences are small but not when they are life threatening. Putting the situation in context will allow them to make the judgment for themselves but with the strength of your experience. We are each ultimately responsible for ourselves, and that's another great thing about this sport.

I've had to hike out of several rivers. I've had to wait out the weather while cold and miserable. I've had to take friends to the hospital. Some of it was preventable, some of it wasn't. There are risks in this sport and we can't avoid them all. But I've learned from each of those incidents (here are some good ones: Rubicon, South Silver, Channel Islands), and I've shared my hard won experience with others so they don't have to live it themselves. I continue to listen to others' tales so that I might have less exciting stories to tell in the future. I never assume that the next time will be just like the last.

So if you're reading this and you're new to kayaking. Or if you've been doing this a while and are pushing into new territory. Or even if you think you've seen and done it all. Take a moment to think about the consequences the next time you go for a paddle. Make sure you are prepared. Make sure you do have the knowledge to make good judgments. If not, seek out that wisdom before it's too late to find it. Have fun and be safe out there!

Taking advantage of conditions

The Mendocino coast is known for its dynamic water. Miles of rock gardens filled with pourovers and slots, surf breaks around every corner, and lots of large swell to fill it all up. But every once in a while the swells go away. We're left with nearly flat ocean conditions. And when it's also sunny and calm, you need to take advantage of it.

This past weekend we had short period swells under three feet. That translated to less than a foot of surf in on some of the beaches. So it was time to explore places you can't normally get to, and time for even the timid to start playing around the rocks.

On Saturday we went to Russian Gulch with a group of friends from the Sacramento Sea Kayakers. Most people were in short boats - some for the first time - and we got the chance to play around the outer rocks. Heading north towards Caspar is a series of tunnels and arches that allow you to explore while being protected from the swells. That protection comes from a line of outside rocks and take the energy of the day. Since this day had such little wave energy, we could actually explore the outside rocks, going wherever we wanted.

We still found some nice pourovers and slots. The occasional bigger set would come through and give everyone a little ride and excitement, but it was always gentle and forgiving. I was even able to climb out on the rocks to get some closeup shots.We didn't go very far, but it was a lot of fun.

The next day we went further south. We left the short boats and took our sea kayaks to Navarro. The beach  is steep and dumpy, but with one foot waves it was an easy launch. After Cate dropped some crab pots we headed down towards the town of Elk, playing in every nook and cranny along the way.

And there were lots of nooks to explore. Lots of tunnels that went through to secret lagoons, lots of caves that disappeared in darkness, and more rocks to paddle around then we had time for. There were multiple rocks with multiple arches and again, plenty of sunshine to see it by. The visibility in the water was just as good, and almost the whole time we got to watch the garden of the sea pass under us as we made our way along the coast. It's a beautiful stretch and normally requires a lot of work to reach, but this day was a walk in the park.

We finished the weekend with some fresh caught abalone (thanks, love!) and lots of gear cleanup. I'm sure we'll be getting more winter storms soon, and we'll enjoy the surf and excitement that comes with them. But it will be nice to hold the memory of a warm, flat weekend and the special places along the coast that are seldom visited.

More pictures of Russian Gulch HERE. Navarro to Elk HERE. And finally, after some delay, here's the video of the trip from Navarro to Elk:

Kayak Paddle Review - non specific

My gear reviews tend to get a lot of hits. That makes sense - people like to know what others think of specific gear. But the truth is, most people don't try to understand enough about gear in general. Instead of wondering if the Werner Shogun is the best paddle ever, you would be better off understanding how the different paddle attributes relate to what you paddle, how you paddle, and your goals as a paddler. So in that light, I want to talk about paddles in general (with some specific examples) so that people can make their own decisions instead of worrying so much about what other people think.

Like all paddling gear, paddles have competing characteristics. What makes it good at one aspect of paddling is exactly what makes it bad at another. So understanding what you want in a paddle is the first step in getting the correct paddle. I'm going to stick with the basics and the more common Euro paddles - I'll leave Greenland sticks and Wing paddles for another time.

Let's start with size since everyone know's that's what really matters :). Paddles come in different lengths. In general, taller people will want longer paddles. But ideal size depends a lot on technique and type of paddling. For dynamic paddling, whether in the ocean or on the river, most people use shorter paddles. Shorter paddles work better with more vertical strokes (which give more power but also use more energy). Longer paddles give more leverage and work better with lower angle technique. Shorter paddles give quicker acceleration while longer paddles often work better for maintaining speed. Bigger is not always better.

[I'm 6' tall with the same arm span. I use a 220cm paddle for touring, anything where I'm going to cover lots of distance and use mostly forward strokes. On the river I use a 197cm paddle. When I play in a sea kayak I use a 205cm paddle - sea kayaks often sit you up higher and don't respond as quickly as a WW boat, so the extra length helps out with leverage. For surfing I have a 193cm paddler, allows for a faster turnover rate and quick acceleration. For polo I use a 200cm paddle - it balances acceleration with the ability to block the goal if necessary.]

The other main size consideration is the blade size. I think most people use blades that are too large. A large blade really anchors in the water and it often feels like you get a good grip. But unless you have a lot of strength, or a lot of weight you need to push, that large blade is going to be much harder to pull on. It will accelerate slower and strain your body more. Don't judge a blade on how a few strokes feel - paddle with it for a day and see how your body feels at the end. Again, bigger not always better.

[I use a moderately large WW blade - I'm fairly strong and paddle a lot. I use a medium blade for most sea kayaking and a smaller blade for surfing. I don't have a lot of weight to pull through the water (170 lbs.) so I don't need the largest blades out there, even though I have the strength to use them. I can accelerate quicker and feel better using a medium blade for most things. I like a larger blade on the river so I can get max power out of it on those few occasions where it's really necessary. But I don't need it when teaching or running class IV or lower.]

left: low angle touring
right: downturned whitewater

There's also the blade shape to consider. Blade shape should match your paddling style and technique. The simplest way to break it down is that long and skinny blades work for low angle paddling, while shorter, fatter blades work for high angle styles. There has been a big trend for sea kayakers to use high angles paddles, especially those paddling more dynamic water. But the truth is that most of those people, most of the time, are still using a low angle paddling technique. Some paddles work okay for multiple angles, some are more specific in where they work. In whitewater it's almost all high angle designs, with the added option of downturned blades. Downturned blades come from the slalom world and work well for folks with good technique and very high angle strokes. To each their own.

[I like downturned blades for whitewater and surf - I have fairly good technique with lots of verticality in my strokes. For long distance paddles I definitely am a low angle paddler so I like a longer, skinnier blade.]

Paddles also come in different materials and different weights. The most important thing to understand is that lighter paddles are not as strong as heavier ones. You'd think that would be obvious, but people who snap ultra lightweight sea kayak paddles when playing among the rocks always seem so surprised. There's a reason that whitewater paddles weigh 50% more than sea kayak paddles in spite of being smaller. Carbon does give you a lighter weight for the same strength when compared to fiberglass, but it's also stiffer. A stiffer paddle can be more responsive but it also puts more stress on your joints. Wood is generally heavier than composites, but it also has more flex, more buoyancy in the water, and feels warmer in cold weather. Plastics are heavy and flexible, often to a degree that really impedes their performance. But plastic can be very durable and inexpensive, characteristics of importance to some folks. Lighter isn't always better.

[I use mostly carbon paddles. As I'm getting older (aren't we all) I find myself shifting away from the peak performance to find things that are easier on my body. I now use a wood shaft/carbon blade paddle for ocean play and will probably switch to that on the river soon. I use a light weight carbon paddle for touring and don't expect to change that - those ounces really add up over long distances.]

Top to bottom:
partial; full foam, no foam

Another material question is foam core blades. Foam cores give paddle blades more buoyancy and that results in a lighter swing weight (what you feel while paddling). They can also help (minimally) when rolling or bracing in aerated water. But the thicker blade does have a different feel in the water - I've found that they don't 'grip' as well until they're fully submerged. That's not an issue if you have good technique and are taking purposeful strokes, but that's not always the case in real dynamic environments. The other thing to be aware of is that foam cores are not quite as tough as solid composites - they can be punctured and while they are stiff they lose a little strength. Pick your poison.

top: foam core; bottom: plain carbon

[I now use a full foam core blade on whitewater and it took some getting used to. I appreciate the extra buoyancy and can still get what I need out of it but I have to be a little more careful to use good technique and fully engage the blade. For ocean play I use a partial foam core that has a thinner edge like a traditional paddle. I really like the combination of a little extra buoyancy with a nice sharp bite on the edge. I think foam core is the way to go for touring but the worries over durability have kept me away from them since I tend to to end up using my gear hard no matter what it's purpose.]

Between the blades lies the shaft. Lets talk about straight vs. bent. The idea behind bent shaft paddles is to put your wrists in a more neutral position. That's undoubtedly a good thing. If you have wrist or forearm problems, the bent shaft can reduce strain and ease carpal tunnel syndromes. But some people don't need it. A straight shaft is lighter and stronger (and cheaper). The main thing to know is that switching from one to the other will take some adjustment time. Give yourself several paddles to decide what works best. And realize that not all bent shafts are the same - some just feel better than others. Test 'em out to find your fit.

[I always try to use bent shaft. I paddle a lot and I type even more, so my wrists/forearms get a lot of stress. Bent shafts make a noticeable difference for me. The only straight shaft paddles I use are in polo - just too much moving the hands around and doing other things with the paddle to make a bent shaft work.]

Finally, lets talk thickness. My thoughts have evolved on this. Standard thought is that smaller hands should use a thinner shaft - less strain on the hand. But I had an interesting discussion with a paddle designer who said the research says there is less muscle strain when hands grip an object that fills up the hand compared to smaller diameters. After trying his paddle for a couple days (it being thicker than what I'm use to) I had to agree. I was surprised, but I actually felt less fatigue. This is another instance where first impressions often fail - the larger paddle always feels a little awkward when I first grab it, but after a few minutes of use I forget about it and at the end of the day my hands feel better. Don't be afraid of the large.

[I mostly use standard size paddle shafts even though my hands are on the small side. My newest paddle has a thicker shaft and I love it. One of my polo paddles has a thinner shaft and it always gave me more grip fatigue issues but I figured it was from the hard use or the straight shaft. I think I'll stick to thicker shafts from now on.]

There is more to talk about with paddles, more material/shape/swing-weight issues. But I've rambled enough. This should get you started. If you have any specific questions on paddle design please leave it in the comments. If you're curious, others out there will be as well.

Hardcore sea kayaking - or not

Looks hardcore but really just got left behind when the wave receded.

I had a student recently who said that he was interested in joining the local paddling club but he wasn't ready. He said they were hardcore. I held back my laughter. But it was funny on many levels.

First, this was in an advanced class - rough water rescues. The student in question had solid rescues - quick T rescues and scrambles in confused four foot swells bouncing off rocks. That puts him far ahead of many club members and many experienced paddlers. He also had a roll. Not completely reliable yet, but a solid roll that worked when he needed it. I know quite a few paddlers who venture out on the ocean in fairly rough conditions without knowing how to roll. Once again, my student was well ahead of the game.

Second, the club isn't really hardcore. I've never seen a club that is. That isn't to say that there aren't some very skilled paddlers in the club, and some that do gnarly paddling. But clubs always consist of a wide variety of paddlers. I would venture to say that the majority of any sea kayaking club are people who go no further than well protected ocean paddler. Many never experience swells. And that's great - there's so much beauty, fun, and variety to be had on flat water paddles. Any club that has open membership is going to end up with a range of members and that diversity means the club as a whole is not hardcore. Individual members may vary.

Looks cold but the air temp was 50 deg. and we had dinner at a nice restaurant after.

The third reason the statement was funny is that hardcore is a silly term. What's it mean? Do you have to paddle near rocks? Or in really big waves? Does it mean you launch before dawn? Or does paddling without any chocolate count as hardcore? Everyone's going to have a different opinion and all of them are valid so all of them are slightly meaningless. We can probably agree that circumnavigating Australia is hard core. Anything less becomes arguable.

In the end I highly encouraged my student to go ahead and join the club already. Like most paddling clubs, it's filled with friendly people of all levels who enjoy new members. Joining a club is a great way to meet people at your level and it's a great way to start paddling with people at a higher level - that's how you improve. Hardcore is not a prerequisite and isn't even a goal for most people. Clubs wouldn't survive if they didn't welcome newcomers and transfer knowledge.

The wave is all foam and dies out in ten feet.

So why are so many people intimidated by clubs? My student is not the first to express this opinion. It often comes from the fact that the most experienced members of a club are often the most socially active on forums/message boards/email lists. Everyone likes to talk about their biggest and baddest adventures. Or talk about other people's big, bad adventures. It skews the chatter away from being a true representative of the club and the sport in general. And I think it's getting worse.

While this 'hardcore' talk is natural, and everyone wants to excel in their sport, I think the mindset of many folks is a bit off. I've seen more and more people getting into rock gardening, more people getting into rough water play. I think that's great. But it's not necessarily hardcore. To be honest, it often isn't even advanced paddling. It's fun. Some of it requires good skills. But lots of it just requires solid rescue skills (which should learned early on in one's paddling career) and good judgment. I've seen plenty of people doing 'hardcore' stuff who have limited skills and experience, sometimes even limited judgment. I don't think that makes you hardcore.

Those of us who enjoy rock garden paddling, especially those with advanced skills and lots of experience, should be more aware of the perception we create. Without meaning to, we can easily disregard the other aspects of the sport in favor of our exciting stories. I know I talk about my adventures a lot - right here on the blog. But I also write up my flat water paddles. I also share the simple things I do. I celebrate all levels of paddling and appreciate those who don't want thrills but merely enjoyment. I know quite a few truly hardcore paddlers and they feel the same way. The 'hardest' paddlers out there tend talk up the fun and play down the danger.

As easy as it looks.

So if you want to be hardcore, that's okay. But the next time you post to your club or talk to a beginner, let them know that's it's also okay to not be hardcore. In fact, maybe even go out of your way celebrate easier paddling. Sea kayaking means many different things to different people. What's important is that people are having fun, doing it safely, and no one is left out. Hardcore or not.