Foolhardy - 1st time Paddleboarder

[Guest]

42 minutes ago, booke23 said:

 

Perhaps he didn’t wear an ankle strap on purpose, so that if he did fall over the edge at least his board wouldn’t get dragged to oblivion too…..every cloud! 

Seriously though, it’s utter stupidity. I thought CRT has guidance in place that paddle boards shouldn’t go across the aquaduct, or if they do you should not be stood up. 

 

They do.

 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/places-to-visit/pontcysyllte-aqueduct-world-heritage-site/pontcysyllte-aqueduct-safety-advice

 

The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, which is over 200 years old, has no protective railing on the canal side, making it a no-go crossing for stand-up paddle boarders.

Stand-up paddle boarders can paddle over Chirk Aqueduct (due to enhanced protection) but along the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and the two tunnels, you need to dismount and walk on the towpath, towing your paddle board in the water behind you.

[booke23]

2 minutes ago, M_JG said:

 

They do.

 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/places-to-visit/pontcysyllte-aqueduct-world-heritage-site/pontcysyllte-aqueduct-safety-advice

 

The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, which is over 200 years old, has no protective railing on the canal side, making it a no-go crossing for stand-up paddle boarders.

Stand-up paddle boarders can paddle over Chirk Aqueduct (due to enhanced protection) but along the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and the two tunnels, you need to dismount and walk on the towpath, towing your paddle board in the water behind you.

 

I was just looking that up as it happens, and found that guidance. I’ve inserted it below….they even provide a picture to illustrate the technique. 

 

Idiots like the youtube guy will simply end up in CRT banning paddle boards from the aquaduct all together thereby spoiling it for sensible paddle boarders. 

 

 

 

[matty40s]

5 minutes ago, booke23 said:

 

I was just looking that up as it happens, and found that guidance. I’ve inserted it below….they even provide a picture to illustrate the technique.. 

 

 

 

Utterly stupid too, just lift the thing out by the..."CARRYING HANDLE"..and dont get in the way of boats crossing.

[mrsmelly]

35 minutes ago, M_JG said:

I left a comment in the comments section about his stupidity but it appears to have disappeared. 🤣

 

Another you tuber that doesn't like criticism.

 

Some/most of the comments clearly feed his ego so he's likely to carry on doing stupid things until he dies doing it or ends up seriously injured. I wont be going to the 'vigil' if it's the former nor shed any tears.

Ive just been on and left him similar, if you look, all the comments are good, he obviously cannot take criticism.

[tree monkey]

16 minutes ago, M_JG said:

 

The risk takers who contribute to human progress are people like explorers, scientists, astronauts, and the like. Or people who take risks as an occupational hazard eg National Grid line workers, Wind turbine maintenance crew, Tree surgeons etc etc.

 

They are not taking the risk to simply massage their egos or for 'likes' on Social Media. 

 

There is a big difference.

 

 

I will reiterate I think this bloke was foolish but the point you make is in my opinion wrong, (although ta for the tree surgeon mention )

 

Risk takers by their very nature take risks but they all start doing daft or pointless things, many will of course die or drift off into obscurity but a limited few will achieve great things but no one can really identify the winners until they win.

 

I would hazard a guess this bloke is just in it for the "likes" but who knows

[Guest]

28 minutes ago, tree monkey said:

I will reiterate I think this bloke was foolish but the point you make is in my opinion wrong, (although ta for the tree surgeon mention )

 

Risk takers by their very nature take risks but they all start doing daft or pointless things, many will of course die or drift off into obscurity but a limited few will achieve great things but no one can really identify the winners until they win.

 

I would hazard a guess this bloke is just in it for the "likes" but who knows

 

We shall agree to differ then.

[Victor Vectis]

45 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Ive just been on and left him similar, if you look, all the comments are good, he obviously cannot take criticism.

Me too.

I wonder how long before the onanist takes it down?

[cuthound]

When the inevitable happens he could paraphrase Spike Milligan and have the epitaph "I told you I was stupid" engraved on his gravestone.

[booke23]

4 hours ago, matty40s said:

Utterly stupid too, just lift the thing out by the..."CARRYING HANDLE"..and dont get in the way of boats crossing.

 

Well quite. Or better still ban the ridiculous ‘craft’ from CRT waters all together. 

Edited December 21, 2022 by booke23

[manxmike]

5 hours ago, doratheexplorer said:

Actually it's risk takers who have contributed well above average to human progress.  Most historical figures who are looked on as heroes, were risk takers.

It's those who sit at a screen, moaning online who generally hold back the gene pool.  And yes, I get the irony of this comment.

Totally agree, with the proviso that there are risk takers and there are idiots. Most risk takers will have at least thought about the danger they are facing, and will be doing it for a better reason than to make themselves look good in front of their like-minded idiot followers (most of whom are probably waiting for him to go that one little step too far).

Sadly, at my age, my chances of influencing the gene pool one way or the other are long gone. I have to admit to doing various things in my yoof which could be considered dangerous, some of which (riding motorbikes) I still do.

I somehow doubt this chap will ever be looked upon as a historical figure, possibly as an object lesson in the effects of Darwinism.

[matty40s]

2 hours ago, booke23 said:

 

Well quite. Or better still ban the ridiculous ‘craft’ from CRT waters all together. 

No thanks, they are good exercise, very enjoyable in the evenings when most folks have moored up, and allow me to explore arms and dead ends that the boat cant get down.

Dont let your prejudice get in the way of sensible folks using stuff properly.

[booke23]

2 hours ago, matty40s said:

No thanks, they are good exercise, very enjoyable in the evenings when most folks have moored up, and allow me to explore arms and dead ends that the boat cant get down.

Dont let your prejudice get in the way of sensible folks using stuff properly.

 

We shall have to agree to disagree. 

[Stroudwater1]

5 hours ago, cuthound said:

When the inevitable happens he could paraphrase Spike Milligan and have the epitaph "I told you I was stupid" engraved on his gravestone.

I thought it says “I told you I was ill?” 
 

Daft doing it across the aqueduct but agree with Matty it’s good fun plus exercise in the right place. 
 

 

[Dog]

19 minutes ago, Stroudwater1 said:

I thought it says “I told you I was ill?” 
 

Daft doing it across the aqueduct but agree with Matty it’s good fun plus exercise in the right place. 
 

 

paraphrase meaning - Google Search

[robtheplod]

19 hours ago, IanD said:

We had to wait for a long stream of canoeists, but at least they were cheerful. Paddle boarding across seems ridiculously risky, but then some people seem to enjoy dicing with death...

I think its the sanitised life people lead now. People crave risk (and the associated YouTube views!).....

[doratheexplorer]

12 hours ago, manxmike said:

Totally agree, with the proviso that there are risk takers and there are idiots. Most risk takers will have at least thought about the danger they are facing, and will be doing it for a better reason than to make themselves look good in front of their like-minded idiot followers (most of whom are probably waiting for him to go that one little step too far).

Sadly, at my age, my chances of influencing the gene pool one way or the other are long gone. I have to admit to doing various things in my yoof which could be considered dangerous, some of which (riding motorbikes) I still do.

I somehow doubt this chap will ever be looked upon as a historical figure, possibly as an object lesson in the effects of Darwinism.

Fair points but remember he's not just doing it to look good,  it's his living.  Lots of jobs involve a degree of risk.  In this case, he's really only risking himself, he has total control over the level of risk he's willing to take, and it looks like he gets a lot more job satisfaction than most.  Compare that to someone working long hours for poverty pay in a dangerous factory, helping to make their boss richer.  Suddenly, earning a living by paddleboarding across an aqueduct and filming it looks like a rather good option.

 

Also, who decides what level of risk is ok?  Lots of hobbies are risky; mountaineering, scuba diving, even narrowboating.  Do we really want a world where nobody can take a risk?

 

It looks to me that the subtext to the moaning on here isn't the risk taking, it's an annoyance that someone's found a way to make a decent living out of it.  Good luck to him, I say.  if it encourages people to go outside and be active (even in a risky way), I'd say that's better than half the population staying in all the time watching tv or playing computer games.

 

Also interesting that the adventurous youtuber who goes up the River Wye and such like doesn't come in for the same criticism on here.

[Sea Dog]

42 minutes ago, doratheexplorer said:

In this case, he's really only risking himself...

Well, he's not really, is he. If he plunges to his death, there'll be an outcry for some action to be taken to mitigate the danger. What that might ultimately mean we can only guess.

[Tracy D'arth]

8 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

Well, he's not really, is he. If he plunges to his death, there'll be an outcry for some action to be taken to mitigate the danger. What that might ultimately mean we can only guess.

Exactly.

[Athy]

27 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

Well, he's not really, is he. If he plunges to his death, there'll be an outcry for some action to be taken to mitigate the danger. What that might ultimately mean we can only guess.

Plus, of course, ambulance and police attendance would cost both time and money, both of which could better be used elsewhere.

1 hour ago, doratheexplorer said:

the moaning on here

Or "reasonable, sensible comment" as it is better known.

[SteveLevis]

..what...there is no blue sign!!!!! ..if he had fallen he could have sued CRT??

 

Edited December 22, 2022 by SteveLevis

[doratheexplorer]

50 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

Well, he's not really, is he. If he plunges to his death, there'll be an outcry for some action to be taken to mitigate the danger. What that might ultimately mean we can only guess.

Sounds like your problem is less about him and more about the nanny state then?

21 minutes ago, Athy said:

 

Or "reasonable, sensible comment" as it is better known.

If you're looking for sensible, reasonable comment, you've come to the wrong place.  This is CWDF.

Edited December 22, 2022 by doratheexplorer

[Stilllearning]

20 hours ago, doratheexplorer said:

Actually it's risk takers who have contributed well above average to human progress.  Most historical figures who are looked on as heroes, were risk takers.

It's those who sit at a screen, moaning online who generally hold back the gene pool.  And yes, I get the irony of this comment.

Yes, but I wish my old friend hadn’t insisted on standing on the roof of my trad boat as we went across the aqueduct, so that he could take pictures of me looking really worried!

[Alan de Enfield]

6 minutes ago, SteveLevis said:

..what...there is no blue sign!!!!! ..if he had fallen he could have sued CRT??

 

 

I doubt it, as C&RT specifically state that the paddleboarder should walk along the walkway.

 

As quoted in post number ???? earlier in the trhead.

 

 

[cuthound]

9 hours ago, Stroudwater1 said:

I thought it says “I told you I was ill?” 
 

Daft doing it across the aqueduct but agree with Matty it’s good fun plus exercise in the right place. 
 

 

 

That is why I said paraphrase.

[matty40s]

56 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

I doubt it, as C&RT specifically state that the paddleboarder should walk along the walkway.

 

As quoted in post number ???? earlier in the trhead.

 

 

That's not a sign, that's a lady at an angle