This was going to be my first sea kayaking experience so I was
a little apprehensive about it given I am not a strong swimmer and that the
kayaks are not that stable. Nevertheless this was something I had to accomplish
if I was going to do this in Antarctica. I knew that this was going to be the
first of many trips to get my ability to a level where I would be confident and
capable of safely doing this in the big icy sea.
 |
| Getting ready |
The sea kayak experience started with learning the basic
strokes, such as paddling forward in an efficient manner, stopping, turning,
going backwards, going sideways and support strokes to prevent capsizing. I
didn’t realise there were so many different types of strokes, and this was just
the basics. After learning this, it was onto practising rolling under water and
getting out of the skirt whilst upside down. This was something I wasn’t
looking forward to and my heart was beating fast. If I was on dry land I would
also have felt my sweaty palms. I could feel a certain level of anxiety but
knew that this was part of the experience and that it would past.
 |
| Support stroke to prevent capsizing |
 |
| Getting back in assisted |
As part of learning to get out of the kayak whilst
underwater, we also learnt how to get back in assisted and unassisted. Doing it
unassisted is extremely difficult requiring lots of balance and patience,
something I haven’t yet learnt. I had seen on Youtube about eskimo rolls where
you would right your kayak up whilst still inside unassisted. The instructor
said this would normally take about 2 years to learn, time that I didn’t have. By
the end of the day I was tired and somewhat seasick but feeling exhilarated and
a lot less anxious. It’s amazing how having classes and practice makes such a
huge difference.
After learning all the basics, our first open water paddle
was going to be out to Half Moon Bay to where the Cerberus is situated. The
Cerberus is a British warship which was scuttled in 1926 to form a breakwater.
On the day we did this, we had around half a metre swells and 10 knot winds,
equivalent to 18.5km per hour.
This was a paddle where I got to lead the group, even though
I had no idea where the sunken ship and various hidden reefs were. I had no idea why they choose me to do this given I have no experience whatever in this - I was hoping that this wouldn't turn out to be a big mistake on their behalf. The planning
and leading aspects were very similar to hike trips, where you had to be
prepared, such as; making sure you leave details about your trip intentions
with others before setting off, checking the weather, ensuring you have the
right emergency equipment, determine an appropriate route, look out for various
landmarks along the way, check on your companions and be aware of what’s in front
of you.
 |
| Towing |
