Why you need to practice your skills!

[Kudzu]

There is some humor watching this guy, but it also brings home a very important point.

 

 

If you listened to the sound track you heard the son(?) say he did this in 43 seconds last time. This times the fellow ends up giving up and swims back in.  What if he had been alone out a ways from the bank? Swimming would not be an option!

 

Everyone wants to comment on what he did wrong and while I see at least a couple of things that he did wrong I prefer to dwell on what he did right. The biggest thing he did right was get out there practice before he needed it! He knows he has something to work on and that getting back in was not as easy he might think.

 

This an excellent example of why I stress that you need to practice you skills regularly. Then if/when the need arises you know what to do. You don't find yourself going from bad to worse.

 

When warm weather comes back I hope all of you will try this and see what you know and what you need to work on!

[Action Tiger]

I spent so much time in small cockpit boats, where the default is simply to roll back upright, I definitely need to work on my wet rescue. Although, I do like to swim a mile or two for fun. Yes, Virginia.

The pool is where I honed my rolling techniques, and I highly recommend one to practice boat skills. Relatively controlled environment with help on standby. And, if you're like me, you can entertain the heck out of your grandma while you try to drown yourself in a boat in her pool...

Don't try to practice rolling or wet rescues alone. Like swimming or scuba, you need a buddy.

And, if you think you don't need practice, you're wrong. We ALL need to practice regularly.