How kayak companies can help your marriage.

Marriage is a complex partnership.  Two people agree to work together towards undefined goals for the rest of their life.  One of the most difficult parts of marriage is that it can be difficult to know when you are being successful.  Even when you have material wealth, there can be an emptiness in the relationship.  Communication is also critical.  When there is open communication, marriage is easy, but when the communication breaks down so does the relationship.  Marriage counselors try to rebuild this communication in order to get the relationship back on track.

Paddling a tandem kayak is also a complex relationship.  The person in the front sets stroke rate but the person in the back is responsible for steering the boat.  To complicate matters, the person in back can barely hear the person in front.  Both people must agree where to go and how fast to get there.  When you are out of sync with your partner, your paddles collide, the boat stops and yelling at each other does not solve the problem.  When things really break down, both people may end up swimming in very cold water.

This couple could not agree on their heading.  Now look at them.

Obviously, if a married couple cannot communicate on land, it is a bad idea for them to be in small boat where they must depend on each other.  However, this is exactly the market that kayak companies should pursue.

Here is how it would work.  Tandem kayak companies should first work with a marriage counselor to define a mini program on couples therapy including a list of communication do’s and don’ts.  After the program is defined, the kayak company should use framing to advertise the new program to troubled couples.  Call it kayak couples therapy.

The day of the trip, the guide would review the program and set expectations.  Communication guidelines and teamwork emphasis would be mixed in with paddling technique and discussions about the surrounding water.  Roles would be agreed to and goals set.  On the water coaching would fine tune the paddling technique and remind everyone of the ground rules.

This program would work because a tandem kayak is a controlled environment.  Initial conversation is limited to the task at hand.  By following the rules outlined ahead of time, people quickly begin to paddle in sync and the boat moves forward.  This teamwork creates instant gratification and evidence of success which can be difficult to observe in a marriage.  The couple quickly sees that when they communicate clearly and work together, they can be successful.

Evidence of success of clear communication.

By creating a couples kayak therapy program, kayak companies can offer more than a relaxing day on the water.  They can provide a controlled situation where couples practice their communication skills and receive immediate evidence of success of their collaboration.  After a couple realizes that they can work together on the water, the communication skills shared confidence can be applied on land.  The couple will also have an activity they can do together for a long time which is one of the reasons people get married in the first place.

Special thanks to Chris Young and Gloria Cotton of San Francisco Kayak & Adventures for the inspiration for this post.

This couple probably attended a marriage kayak therapy program.