Hey, kittis,
I'm gonna throw my two cents in here, completely unsolicited (as per the usual).
I can see where the rant came from - admittedly the primary factor was a bad day - and I think the quick, unsolicited apology was super solid, other dude or dudette.
The thing is, when I read your post and all of the gear you lost, the part that jumped out at me was "10 paddles". I did admittedly think, "Jesus H., every single person let go of their paddle? Someone is gonna raze them over this."
I've been around the river in a lot of different capacities, as a SAR swift water rescue swimmer, a professional guide, a drunk fun boater, and more. But I do also still remember the early years of my boating career when it was probably only a little bit of intellect and physical aptitude, and a lot of luck, that prevented me from ever experiencing something like this (before I was ready to handle it like a pro).
My perception - my reality - is that there will always be pro boaters (sponsored athletes or commercial guides), avid and seasoned fun boaters, and people who are new to the sport. Pro boaters and seasoned fun boaters sometimes get pissy when shitshows like the one you threw down happen - but I like to hope that it comes from a motive of just not wanting anyone to die doing something they love and want to promote. At least that's my take on it - I want the river to accessible to anyone who would like to experience, and see if it's something they want to make a part of their life. It literally, without a doubt, has changed the course of mine, and I want to use that passion to connect people with the river, and use the river to connect people. Part of that is wanting everyone to have a positive experience, or at least not have a really bad one including loss of property, injury, or worse.
I'll never forget my river mentor's counsel in my early boating years: "You dance with the river, but the river always leads". It's sound wisdom born from a great many miles on the water, and it has never been forgotten.
PS - as a boat flipping, frequent swim team participant, I might add - You can fuck off, until you fuck up. Try to make river friends with more experienced boaters and get some miles in with them, and be better prepared to handle the situation next time! I consider flipping a boat "fucking off". No harm done. Losing all of your shit is getting close to fucking up. We the people of the river just want to see others show her the respect she deserves. We just don't want to see you lose something that money can't replace.
Get your outfit back together, and get back to the clean rivers and dirty nights that we all love. Happy boating.