An ancient Greek aphorism, one of three inscribed on the the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, "know thyself" was popularized by Socrates (via Plato). It harmonizes with his maxim that "the unexamined life is not worth living," which Socrates uttered at his trial after choosing death rather than exile.
I've found it difficult to know myself over my life, and still do. However, this topic has a less ambitious and narrower focus: to know thyself as a paddler. In other words—What kind of paddler am I? What kind of waters do I like to paddle?
It took me many decades to find out.
I have paddled many boats, many ways, in many waters. I started as a child in a Maine lake in a Grumman canoe. Later, in northern California, I became attracted to whitewater, first in a kayak and then in a canoe with a double blade. I was counseled to put away my double blade, and did, becoming a single blade whitewater addict, first in open canoes and then in a decked C1.
But after 20 years, I began to know that running hard whitewater was becoming increasingly dangerous as I aged and paddling companions began moving, marrying, dying or otherwise fading away.
However, at the same time I entered serious whitewater in the early '80's, I also began paddling high performance flat water solo canoes with straight and bent shaft paddles in many still and easy moving waters. Sometimes portaging, other times base camping, most times moving here and there all over America.
From 1996 to 2004, I joined the increasingly popular sport of sea kayaking, eventually buying three of them. But I never mastered a bombproof roll or self-entry, so I was to afraid to go way out in oceans where brave sea kayakers go. Nor did I really like sitting butt-on-bottom in a constricted cockpit wielding a double blade. I was beginning to know myself.
So, in 2004, I decided to get the fastest single blade canoe, which was also easy to re-enter and could paddle oceans, lakes and many rivers—a Hawaiian outrigger canoe. I had one made in California, and drove from Connecticut to California to pick it up. I single bladed that va'a (Hawaiian OC1), which I consider an open canoe, all over North America from 2004 to 2009. But then I began to know myself that I wanted to return to a more capacious, leisurely and traditional open canoe.
I had great fun and great learning experiences in all these crafts over decades, but in my mid-sixties I finally realized that, as a paddler, I was mainly still that eight-year old in Maine—a single blading open canoeist. So, from 2009 to date, that's all I've paddled. During that time, I've bought a Hemock SRT, Bell Wildfire, Nova Craft Bob Special, and a reproduction Morris wood-canvas canoe, all used, and each of which was supposed to be my "last canoe."
What kind of water is my favorite? That's hard, because I like so many, but the answer is also now obvious to me. I mostly like rivers with some rapids I can easily dominate and play. I never much liked propelling myself at racing or even exercising speeds on flat water, or battling wind waves, or carrying loads over precarious terrain. I prefer the water to propel me along, keeping me focused on moving left and right, avoiding obstacles, eddying and peeling out, ferrying, and just floating along.
While I like paddling in all waters, and always will do so, I now know myself as a paddler. I mainly like paddling open canoes with single blade paddles in rivers. I regret never having had the opportunity to do so in the long wilderness rivers of Canada.
How about you . . . Socrates?
I've found it difficult to know myself over my life, and still do. However, this topic has a less ambitious and narrower focus: to know thyself as a paddler. In other words—What kind of paddler am I? What kind of waters do I like to paddle?
It took me many decades to find out.
I have paddled many boats, many ways, in many waters. I started as a child in a Maine lake in a Grumman canoe. Later, in northern California, I became attracted to whitewater, first in a kayak and then in a canoe with a double blade. I was counseled to put away my double blade, and did, becoming a single blade whitewater addict, first in open canoes and then in a decked C1.
But after 20 years, I began to know that running hard whitewater was becoming increasingly dangerous as I aged and paddling companions began moving, marrying, dying or otherwise fading away.
However, at the same time I entered serious whitewater in the early '80's, I also began paddling high performance flat water solo canoes with straight and bent shaft paddles in many still and easy moving waters. Sometimes portaging, other times base camping, most times moving here and there all over America.
From 1996 to 2004, I joined the increasingly popular sport of sea kayaking, eventually buying three of them. But I never mastered a bombproof roll or self-entry, so I was to afraid to go way out in oceans where brave sea kayakers go. Nor did I really like sitting butt-on-bottom in a constricted cockpit wielding a double blade. I was beginning to know myself.
So, in 2004, I decided to get the fastest single blade canoe, which was also easy to re-enter and could paddle oceans, lakes and many rivers—a Hawaiian outrigger canoe. I had one made in California, and drove from Connecticut to California to pick it up. I single bladed that va'a (Hawaiian OC1), which I consider an open canoe, all over North America from 2004 to 2009. But then I began to know myself that I wanted to return to a more capacious, leisurely and traditional open canoe.
I had great fun and great learning experiences in all these crafts over decades, but in my mid-sixties I finally realized that, as a paddler, I was mainly still that eight-year old in Maine—a single blading open canoeist. So, from 2009 to date, that's all I've paddled. During that time, I've bought a Hemock SRT, Bell Wildfire, Nova Craft Bob Special, and a reproduction Morris wood-canvas canoe, all used, and each of which was supposed to be my "last canoe."
What kind of water is my favorite? That's hard, because I like so many, but the answer is also now obvious to me. I mostly like rivers with some rapids I can easily dominate and play. I never much liked propelling myself at racing or even exercising speeds on flat water, or battling wind waves, or carrying loads over precarious terrain. I prefer the water to propel me along, keeping me focused on moving left and right, avoiding obstacles, eddying and peeling out, ferrying, and just floating along.
While I like paddling in all waters, and always will do so, I now know myself as a paddler. I mainly like paddling open canoes with single blade paddles in rivers. I regret never having had the opportunity to do so in the long wilderness rivers of Canada.
How about you . . . Socrates?
