So, I finally went kayaking today. After months of mulling the idea over and over. This was my first time in a kayak ... and I had an excellent time paddling out in the Puget Sound. Amazing views. Crossed paths with various wildlife, rode some waves and made some new friends along the way. Greg of Alki Kayak Tours (see photo) was our guide. Check out their website! Alki Kayak Tours Overall the experience was fantastic! I may become a kayaker on a regular basis. I knew I'd love it ... and of course, I did.
Monday, September 05, 2005
my first kayaking adventure
So, I finally went kayaking today. After months of mulling the idea over and over. This was my first time in a kayak ... and I had an excellent time paddling out in the Puget Sound. Amazing views. Crossed paths with various wildlife, rode some waves and made some new friends along the way. Greg of Alki Kayak Tours (see photo) was our guide. Check out their website! Alki Kayak Tours Overall the experience was fantastic! I may become a kayaker on a regular basis. I knew I'd love it ... and of course, I did.
6 comments:
Hay Kat,
Good paddling with you, thanks for the plug...
Greg
I've only kayaked a few times in my life, one of them being from Orcas Island. So many opportunities here in Vcr. If you're ever up here, we should go!
I've seen people go by in kayaks on Lake Ontario when I've been down there and it always looked enchanting. I haven't done it yet myself... I figure, yeah, it looks like a piece of cake but then there's this little guy in the back of my head that goes, "You know you'd have arms like Chinese noodles inside of five minutes, don't you?" :)
Also... what happens if you turn upside down? How hard is it to right yourself?
Hi Lone Primate,
When I went kayaking ... it was a tandem kayak. And I was extremely lucky to have a professional kayaker in the boat with me. He was providing most of the power for our journey as well as operating the pedals that kept us on course. This eased my concerns about 1) arms turning to "Chinese noodles inside of five minutes" and 2) turning upside down was unlikely since my guide is a professional and instinctively knows to lean left if I lean right. Plus, he prepped us on what to do IF such a thing should happen. Which is ... #1 remember to hold onto the boat (it can float away quickly). Then undo your sprayskirt, make sure your partner is out, you each go to your end of the kayak and turn it back over, the back person gets in first and stablizes the kayak for the front person to get in, after you're both back in the boat ... you use a pump to get any water out. Though the kayaks can float regardless since they have areas built in that are water tight. Anyway, I felt at ease from the first minute and had no concerns about safety. And so what if your arms get tired? That's when you take a break from paddling and enjoy the scenery. I know you're all about having the most complete experience you can. So, the more rest time ... the better!
I plan to go again, and hopefully often. It was really a great time. My experience was of the go with the flow variety, if I wanted to rest ... I rested. I encourage you to try it. After all, (to paraphrase you) kayaking is not exactly as daring as sitting naked in the forest. ; )
Anyway, I felt at ease from the first minute and had no concerns about safety. And so what if your arms get tired? That's when you take a break from paddling and enjoy the scenery. I know you're all about having the most complete experience you can. So, the more rest time ... the better!
I've seen people kayaking down off Cherry Beach. I'll bet there are places you can rent one, or go out with someone. I think I'll do that in the spring. Something to look forward to. :)
kayaking is not exactly as daring as sitting naked in the forest. ; )
Yeah, there are no raccoons to laugh at you when you're kayaking. :)
Yeah, there are no raccoons to laugh at you when you're kayaking. :)
Actually, it's ironic you would mention raccoons. Greg, the kayak tour guide, did happen to mention that some racoons got caught on the beach one day when the tide came in ... they were in an area where it's a long way up to land. so they had to wait [more like hide and cling] in the rocks for the tide to go back out so they could walk down the beach and head back to higher ground. But there was no mention of laughter coming from their vicinity. So, I'm sure you're still safe there! : )
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