At a time in life when it feels like some of the pleasures (I won’t say follies) of youth are catching up and restricting you, it is all the more exhilarating to pick up a new activity. Just when things are shutting down, like hillwalking due to bum knees (Alan), running due to gammy hip (me), something opens up and makes you feel like you’re 20 again – mentally at least. It’s like setting back the mileometer on life a little.
I speak of our latest foray into the world of sea kayaking. Sea kayaking is not an activity that you can simply dabble with, it really does require a certain level of commitment because of the safety factor which can’t be trivialised. The parallels with hillwalking are many: exploring wilderness and nature, physical exertion, navigation and weather awareness etc, but one big difference is the immediacy of danger from the sea versus the hills. Hence, there are a lot more new skills to learn right from the start. For example: capsize recovery and rescue – from the easier assisted rescue, to the difficult self-rescue in choppy waters; kayak rolling (for when you’d really prefer to avoid capsizing); paddling technique; and seamanship (awareness of navigation, tides, weather, safety equipment and procedures etc). With the exception of rolling perhaps, you really need to have a grounding in all of these things before you can even go out for a short paddle in the sea. A bit of wind in the hills has no major impact to a hillwalking outing, but it can seriously challenge a beginner’s paddling skills to the extent of placing the paddler in danger. The disturbing prospect of bobbing around helplessly in Scottish waters whilst (if you’re lucky) clinging to an upturned kayak brings the need for safety awareness sharply into focus. Read the rest of this entry »