Caught this article in USA Today entitled "Kayakers keeping rescue crews busy". I found it interesting that according to ACA "kayaking is growing faster than any other outdoor activity on land or water". My take on the tone of the article is that kayakers are bothersome to maritime officials because they "take us away from other high-priority missions, like maritime security" (yet in the same article they conceed of the 710 boating-related fatalities in 2006, 27 were kayakers). Another theme is about how kayakers should be required to take boating safety courses. Supposedly the #1 thing we do wrong is not wear a lifejacket (I'm thinking paddle-jacket-skirt-helmet-boat). In any event, there's not a thing addressed in the article that I haven't learned by having been a BWA member, so, thanks for the education; hopefully we won't ever have be required to carry a "kayaking license" or anything similiar..

Russell, I think they're talking about sea kayakers primarily, or even exclusively. Unfortunate because most folks won't make a distinction. A big problem there too is that the vast majority of people don't seem to look at sea kayaking as risky whereas they look at whitewater kayaking as borderline suicidal. Of course, the approach you take to either one is going to largely determine the level of safety and this stilted attitude is one reason why you have problems like newbie sea kayakers not wearing pfd's. A casual attitude is as dangerous as a gun.

Hanley

Someone posted a link to this story in the comments about decending the Tsangpo river in Tibet. Amazing adventure.