Remaining sane by going LOCO…
So, what do you think? It’s 9 am on a warm Saturday morning in early May. Hey, the lawn doesn’t need mowing yet and my spouse won’t be back with the pots of flowers and bushes until at least mid-afternoon. Think I’ll try and find all my gear, dig out the kayak from wherever I left it last fall, throw it on the car, and go out paddling for the first time this season.
Sounds great? Actually, it sounds like the beginning of a comedy of errors or, worse yet, possible a day that could end in tragedy. This paddling venture should have started on that raw, rainy Saturday a month earlier, the ideal day to go LOCO (Locate, Organize and Check Out your equipment).
We should check out our gear every time before going paddling, but especially the first time. The best way for most of us may be to start with your least used items first and then work your way slowly and thoroughly over each and every item while leaving the kayak for last. Why, you ask, would I leave the main item for last? Well, for one thing, if you check out the boat first, you may be more tempted to skip the rest of the check out routine and just throw everything in the car and go off for that first paddle, only to find out (at the worst possible time, of course) that the paddle had developed a crack or the paddle float didn’t hold air. Surprises like that can just ruin your whole day!
Make sure the supplies in the first-aid kit aren’t all stuck together by leaking tubes of antiseptic cream and sunscreen. Are there new batteries in the small flashlight? Does your whistle work, or is it still full of sand from the last time you got trashed in the surf? Any holes in your neoprene suit, paddling jacket or PFD? How ‘bout the pump? Hopefully some unknown rodent didn’t take the suction part out to use for its nest. Small things, you say? Yep! Until you need them.
If you do practice this LOCO idea, by the time you finally get to checking out the boat, you‘ll probably have developed quite an awareness for details, and the boat is where the details are as critical, if not more so, than the rest of the equipment. Are the hatches and bulkheads watertight? Is the seam between the hull and the deck on a fiberglass kayak showing any signs of separation? How about the footbraces, are they working properly? Does the rudder or skeg work smoothly and are the cables in good shape? Are the deck lines, static lines, and carry toggles in good condition?
By spending some time checking out your gear, you will find that your first trip, and every trip, will be more enjoyable and your gear will be there to help you when conditions aren’t quite as enjoyable!