It's an idyllic picture. The kayak slips softly over the swells. The water, beating a gentle rhythm against the rocky shoreline, is a shimmering sea of blue and silver.
I am in the kayak -- stuck upside down. In other words, crab bait.
This claustrophobic vision is why I still don't own a kayak, despite berating myself for being a weak-willed, chicken-hearted wimp every time a car goes by carrying a couple of boats off to some amazing destination. I think how great it would be, then my intestines twist into a snarl of granny knots.
Enter the Iron Matron, who simply has to be made of sterner stuff. I set out to wash away my fears.
The first place I went for some ocean-going experience was to the Gorge Rowing and Paddling Centre, where they have row upon row of watery craft, from racks of kayaks to a convoy of dragon boats. For variety, manager Marty Pearce set me up with a lesson in a single outrigger canoe, with instructor James Hill. No danger of getting stuck there. I tried not to think of my overhanging body parts, perched on top of the little rig, which was a mere 15 inches wide. About 30 pounds and 21 feet long, it came with a foot-operated rudder and a outrigger arm called an ama for stability.
"It's just fun," James said about paddling an OC1. A letter reader and writer for the Ministry of Transport, James hears about every pothole in B.C. That's likely why he spends his spare time on the water. James uses the OC1, which is apparently at its best surfing white water off destinations like Hawaii, Tahiti, or Ogden Point, as training for competitive dragon boating.
That day our white water -- the wake left by a Harbour Ferry -- was foamy enough for me. I learned the straight-armed, torso-twisting stroke that propels the super quick boat, while judiciously leaning toward the comfortable security of the ama.
After the fun of the OC1, I went on a two-hour kayak tour with instructor Nici Baughman, who started a sea kayaking club in Lacombe, Alta., before moving to Victoria. Baughman has toured all around Vancouver Island. Hugging the shore, we paddled past the bustling industrial area and dockside eateries and under the clattering Johnson Street Bridge, sharing the water with seaplanes, powerboats and the Victoria Clipper.
Baughman and I did talk about dealing with my rollover hang-up, but without a wetsuit, the water looked grey and frigid. I thought I might try the flipping thing later, on my own. There was a double kayak I could borrow on Becher Bay, and my nearest and dearest would stand by me, I had no doubt.
In fact, my husband said he would brave the 48 degree Fahrenheit water if I was in "real, real, real, real, real, real trouble," or hadn't resurfaced by a count of 10. He then revised the count to 20. My son, all six-foot-three and 220 pounds of him, said no problem. He would gladly stand on shore and throw me a rope.
What a couple of puffballs.
Finally, after much procrastination, I stopped in at Rush Adventures, a kayaking institute on Sooke Road. Their website, www.rush-adventures.com had attracted me (sort of) with courses offering rescues and rollovers (hopefully at the same time). I showed up, wetsuit in hand, and joined Shelagh Haynes, who was also on hand to survive a rollover. An ICU nurse at Vic General, she was prepping for Ucluelet, and a four-day tour of the Broken Islands. Haynes didn't give her age -- "49-plus, just like you hon," she said -- but was tiny and fit, and, unlike me, a swimmer who "came with gills."
Rush owner Scot Taylor gave us a pep talk, using analogies like having the cool nerves of 007 and swimming like Superman. It was a good comparison -- in a wetsuit I looked like I belonged in a comic book.
Taylor was extremely thorough, focusing on preparation and safety while assuring us we would be surprised at how easy it is to pop out of an overturned kayak. He and Shawn Nelson, another instructor, demonstrated a rollover and rescue, then it was my turn.
Taylor explained for the umpteenth time about taking my 007-like time underwater (sure thing), feeling around the edge of the cockpit to find the grab loop, pulling the loop forward to release it, then pushing out of the boat. He was right alongside, ready to do the Hand of God rescue, in case I froze.
As I waffled, Haynes called out: "Square breathing, square breathing." Since I was holding my breath just thinking about being under water, breathing at all was a good thing. But I couldn't just sit there all day, so over I went. Unfortunately, I kept right on breathing through my nose, inhaling quite a sampling of Cooper's Cove as I went. Sure enough, though, I rose to the surface to hear Scot's praise, along with "get your boat," which was floating away.
Once out of the boat, there is the matter of getting back in. That was where the Superman "butt up in the air and legs up kicking" came in, and I struggled to hoist myself aboard. Scott did the T-rescue -- he lifted one end of the kayak to drain the water, righted and stabilized the boat -- while I flailed. I still can't believe I made it.
Haynes, with the ease of a seal, went next, and I did the rescue, following Taylor's step-by-step instructions. Then it was roll over and learn to save yourself. Marginally relaxed, I sucked in only a shot glass worth of salt water that time. The kayak was really easy to flip upright, and using a paddle float (an inflatable bag that attaches to end of the paddle as an outrigger) I actually got back in on my own, only pulling a few shoulder muscles in the process.
The next day, I was so stiff it hurt to lift my coffee cup, but the experience was worth every twinge. I don't know about being James Bond or Superman, but those darn crabs are going to have to find their next meal somewhere else.
This is the latest in a series of Monday morning columns that will track what happens when a 58-year-old grandmother takes on participaction.
Each of the sports Sharie takes on is something that is possible for a novice without previous experience or a wad of cash.
Watch for future columns as Sharie dives into the world of rowing, in-line skating, kayaking, orienteering, rock climbing and scuba diving.
For more on Sharie's adventures and to interact with her, go to www.timescolonist.com, where you will find her blog
STAY ATOP YOUR KAYAK:
- If there's a sniff of water in the air, there's a place to rent a kayak, but don't rely on rental outlets to save you if you get in trouble. While double kayaks are quite stable for touring in calm water, anybody using a single should get some kind of instruction first.
- When looking for lessons -- beginners, rollover, rescue, strokes, etc. -- check the credentials of instructors, making sure they are certified through organizations such as the Canadian Recreational Canoeing Association (now known as Paddle Canada at www.paddlingcanada.com), and the Recreational Canoeing Association of B.C. (www. bccanoe.com). Scot Taylor went through the British Canoe Union in the U.K.
- For all those neat tours, a list of certified guides can be found through the Sea Kayak Guides Alliance of B.C. (www.skgabc. com), and the Association of Canadian Sea Kayak Guides (www.acskg.ca) is based in Victoria.
- The Sea Kayak Association of British Columbia (www.skabc.org) has links to everything from clubs and carving paddles to magazines and weather reports.
- As the adage goes, never turn your back on the ocean. The Pacific can go from glass to gruesome in minutes, and kayakers need to be aware of tides, currents and weather patterns up ahead. Taylor, of Rush Adventures, says those ignoring Mother Nature will soon hear her say: "I'm coming to get you." Experience should dictate your challenge.
- Always file a float plan with somebody who cares. Taylor tells his mother, rather than a buddy, where he's going and when he's expected back, but doesn't take chances. The Coast Guard would rather find you stranded on an Island, than floating face down.
- Take proper safety equipment, especially a life jacket, and know where you're going and what's around the next corner. If the wind blows up unexpectedly, it's best not to be surrounded by cliffs. Don't go out alone.
- Before buying a kayak, rent several different models to see which one suits you. Tastes and comfort levels change with experience.
- When it comes to staying upright, think tall. Taylor said, "I guarantee you, if you're thinking about going into the water, you will." And those of us at 49-plus have to watch our salt intake.
