www.iska.ie

PUBLIC RELATIONS
- We should submit articles to local Paper before an ISKA meet explaining
what we are about.
Liason withLocal Authorities with a view for Facility use and raise the Profile and
needs of Sea Kayakers. Especially where Marinas’ etc. will obstruct us.

re. the needs of sea kayakers and liaison with local authorities;
we need to become aware of planning and development around our coast and how it will affect us. Local authority by laws are being enacted not aimed at SEA.KAYAKING BUT ARE/CAN/WILL BE USED TO RESTRICT IT.Major example is the BLasket issue. Another is Spike island I spent a lot of time chasing TDs and civil servants and making a good case just for permission to overnight for one night only and met with a blank refusal.THis is public property and we are denied access for no good reason. I point out these two as very obvious and in your face examples and there are many other smaller ones going through and you will be told \"it wont affect you\" but be aware once things are blocked off they wont listen to promises made. sometimes i feel we should in the words of the bard \"take up arms against a sea of troubles\". I am not promoting a revolution even though i am a child of the sixties but we should be aware and maybe make sure our needs and requirements are brought to the attention of the relevant authorities in our own areas. Do not take this as a rant but an attempt to raise a discussion. the opinions expressed are mine alone with due repect to the bard.
martin guilfoyle

-> We should submit articles to local Paper before an ISKA meet explaining
what we are about.

This was my suggestion. Here\'s the background to it.

I go back home to Clonakilty and head out to the local with my Dad. Upon which, I get questioned regarding the boat on the roof and how that it is extremely unsafe to go out to sea in said \"tiny\" boat, etc. etc. We\'ve all heard it before I\'m sure.

I thought that since there are so many local community based papers, why not try raising some awareness of ISKA and the copious amounts of safety and training that is involved so that the general public become rid of the impression that we\'re nutters who waste the coast guard\'s time since they must always be running out to save us.

As well as that we follow the \"leave no trace\" philosophy. So we\'re communicating that we\'re not going to show up in your community, camp, and leave beer cans after us, etc.

This would also raise the profile of ISKA and sea kayaking in Ireland which would align itself to Martin\'s concern that we need to raise the profile and needs of sea kayakers.

- Sarah.

My personal view on this... when you don\'t ask, no-one says no. If you ask, won\'t people wonder, if they say yes, what their liabilities might be?
A local story, saying 30 kayakers were about to descend on your village, camp on island X and leave on Sunday.... isn\'t that more likely to create problems than to solve a problem that (in my view) doesn\'t really exist as a real problem in the first place.

It is true, I\'d agree, that people sometimes don\'t appreciate how seaworthy kayaks are. This may lead to them thinking we are a waste of coastguard time, though I\'ve never heard that myself, from public or coastguard. But so what?

I think we do pretty well travelling under the radar, and that drawing attention to ourselves may not be the most prudent strategy...

just my two cents!

Ciaran

Definitely.

I don\'t think any sort of article should go into the logistical specifics of a set weekend.

I mean do we want to advertise that there will be X number of deserted cars available for plundering over a particular weekend at a particular venue??

What I was thinking was more along the lines of a general type informative \"fluff\" piece. And not the \"fluff\" piece your filthy mind Ciaran is now descending into....

I don\'t think we perceive it as a real problem because we\'re not the locals who see all these cars with boats on top suddenly descend upon them. Generally, if they have had some exposure to us before, there\'s no issue. They know we\'re responsible etc.

- Sarah.

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