Category: Sea Kayaking

The Widow Badass Goes to School

On By Widow BadassIn Adventures in Retirement, Retirement, Sea Kayaking51 Comments

Kayak school, that is! Last Saturday I partook in Basic Kayak Skills – a Paddle Canada course taught by the talented and friendly instructor Caroline Ross of Crosscurrents Kayak. Although I’ve been using a kayak for almost a decade, I’ve never had formal instruction in how to use one properly. In my former life in Ontario kayaking only in the flat waters of lakes and the Speed River, I could get away with this. But now, with so much ocean coastline to explore (and a brand new sea kayak), I decided it was time to get serious about improving my skills assuming I actually have any and my safety.

We started the day with on-shore instruction about the kayak itself and then it was time to head into our boats to learn and practice basic kayak strokes.

Practicing my reverse stroke. This and all subsequent photos taken by Caroline.
Working on a pivot turn. Notice the laser focus 😁

After lunch came instruction on how to make a controlled wet exit. Caroline led us through each of the actions we’d have to perform upside down and under water in order to let our companions know we were fine and going to free ourselves from our boats using the controlled wet exit process. I declined the profferred goggles and nose plugs, figuring if I capsized one day I wouldn’t be wearing them at the time so best to experience what that would be like.

Practicing the steps I will need to complete underwater in order to exit my boat.
Over I go!

And wouldn’t you know it – I got water up my nose and came up sputtering and coughing, but hey! I came UP!

The next item on the day’s agenda was to learn and practice the Assisted T Rescue. Something strange happened to me while Caroline was teaching this part – I began to panic. All I could see in my mind was a flashback to the Broken Islands Lodge: watching 2 young staff struggling (and failing) to get back into their kayaks from deep water while they practiced. Never mind that they weren’t doing what we were going to attempt – my mind was racing with thoughts like: I’ll never be able to get back in the boat; if those young people couldn’t do it, how could I possible do it?; I’m going to hold up the whole class; how do I get out of this?!?!?! Those of you who know me know I don’t panic easily, if at all. I was free-falling (in my mind) and I didn’t know how to get out of this spiral of negative thinking.

Thankfully, both Caroline and my rescue partner were so supportive and encouraging that I didn’t head back to shore in defeat retreat like I desperately wanted to, and instead successfully completed both parts of the rescue TWICE!

Playing the part of the “swimmer”. Hanging onto Jane’s boat in koala pose, while she empties the water out of my boat.
Attempting (successfully I might add 😊) my first heel hook re-entry, while Jane braces my kayak. This was the part I was most freaked out worried about.
All the way in and getting ready to turn around and re-seat myself.
Putting the spray skirt back on. Jane continues to brace until I am ready to accept my paddle back. What a feeling of relief and empowerment! Woohoo, I DID IT!!!
My turn to rescue Byron. I approach his boat.
I ask Byron if he is OK and let him know I have his boat and can accept his paddle (after which he can flip the boat over for me).
Byron is in koala pose on my boat and I can now empty his boat by raising it over mine and turning it upside down.
In the process of emptying his boat.
Bracing his boat as Byron is using the heel hook to re-enter.

I’m so happy that I was able to successfully complete this course and can’t thank my instructor Caroline and the rest of the participants enough. The instruction and support I received made all the difference and helped me to get past my sudden-onset bout of panic.

Now I’m excited to go for my Paddle Canada Level 1 Certification in 2024!

Have you ever been overcome with panicked thoughts, like I was? What did you do to get past it?

Rock on,

The WB

Kayaking/Glamping with Blogging Friends – Part 2

On By Widow BadassIn Adventures in Retirement, Badassery, Good Times, Retirement, Sea Kayaking, See the Beauty, The Great Outdoors, Travel Badassery47 Comments

As mentioned previously, Joanne and I were invited to partake in a 3 day/2 night ocean kayaking trip by Jude. This happened the first weekend in August and we had a blast! Other than us 3 (who knew each other through blogging and are now fast friends), there were 5 others on the trip – all friends of Jude, who knew her from her academic life. Those folks, and our two fabulous guides made a contingent of 10 kayakers on this adventure.

Our two amazing guides from Majestic Ocean Kayaking: Jeff and the aptly named Marina! Learned so much from them. 💕

Captain Gary dropped us, the kayaks and all of our gear off at Moon Snail Beach on Dodd Island.

Moon snail on its namesake beach.
We each received a laminated map of the area, to carry with us while kayaking. X marks the spot we were dropped off (and later picked up) at Moon Snail Beach on Dodds Island. In the upper right (under Crawford Lake) is the location of the Broken Islands Lodge. Broken line indicates Captain Gary picking us up at the lodge and depositing us on Moon Snail Beach for our last day of kayaking.
Joanne and I in all of our kayaking gear (including spray skirt). I think Jude took this picture of us.
One of our first stops, at the tiniest of the Tiny Islands. That’s Marina (L) and Joanne (R) in the shot.
Joanne in her trusty boat (with Jude in the background).
Eventually we made it to our cozy, comfy lodge for the next 2 nights. Where we were amply fed and watered. Our boats in the foreground, awaiting tomorrow’s adventure.
Apres kayak. View from my Muskoka chair.
A young black bear came to forage at the lodge’s beach every morning.
Our mornings started out calm and foggy.
But soon enough, the fog lifted to reveal stunning views.
We took many breaks, allowing us to explore different islands and their beaches.
Jude and Joanne (and one of Jude’s friends) relaxing during one of our lunch breaks on yet another island.
Guide Jeff made sure we made it to Willis Island, to experience a giant cedar tree growing there. Jude in front of it.
I used panorama mode to try to capture the whole tree (and Joanne) in this shot.
I think I took this shot just before we headed into the roughest waters experienced yet, on this trip. On the last day. Some of our group were quite shook up by this experience (especially the newbies). Guide Jeff had said it was nothing we couldn’t handle, so I felt quite safe and enjoyed being tossed on the waves. Was I too stupid to be scared?
I used my happy-birthday-to-me new GoPro camera to take some video and GoPro made me a short highlight reel. Yay!!!
The clouds and fog started rolling in on the afternoon of the last day, and it was perfect timing to load the kayaks (and ourselves) back on the boat and head “home”: to Majestic’s headquarters in Ucluelet.

And I wasn’t home too many days before this happened. Many thanks to our guide Jeff for giving me great advice on what type of sea kayak to look into.

Meet “Libelle” (lee bell uh). Dutch word for dragonfly.

I hope you enjoyed coming along for the ride on this fabulous adventure of mine (and Joanne’s and Jude’s). It was challenging and thrilling and contemplative and awe-inspiring and, and, and….it was a wonderful experience that I feel so grateful and privileged to have been a part of.

Rock on,

The WB