Claudine and I were getting ready to launch at Stony Creek on Saturday, and a woman pulled up next to us and asked some questions about kayaking - nothing unusual, and then she proceeded to tell us a personal story about a kayaking experience. She had been paddling for a while and had never come close to tipping over, so she decided it would be safe to go kayaking one day in April. As she was approaching shore, a rogue wave hit her and nearly swamped her kayak. (I confirmed that she was not wearing a sprayskirt). She said that she barely made it back the short distance, and indicated that the water was in fact very cold.
We assured her that we were prepared for the water, and went on our way.

She had been giving us a warning – but had done it by way of a personal story. There have been many discussions in ConnYak about how to inform people that they are putting themselves at risk. It seems to me that the story method tends to avoid the whole dynamic that comes from someone acting as an expert, because it can be taken as a put down. But a quick story, done right, may avoid making someone defensive.

These things depend on the people and the situation, but this approach might be easier and possibly more effective. Just a thought.