Getting out on the water in the future

 I have always lived by the sea.

Except for a six year period in my twenties when I didn't. They were tough times!

As a kid and teenager, a twenty minute walk put on a fantastic surf beach or going west over the rocky cliff headlands, a fantastic bay with sandy beach, pebble storm beach to the rear and the best set of rocky pools and promontories I have ever witnessed.  Fun days crabbing, lobstering, and pulling out trapped shoaling mackerel in a bucket. And yes, that last bit is true.  Those were the days, sadly long gone now. A conservationist even back then, everything went back alive, I was just fascinated to study them for a short time. 

So, I am having to give thought to 'life after Arwen'. And that's hard. Being alongside the water and being OUT on the water are different things, are they not? 

Coastal walking? Absolutely, some of the best coastal walking in the UK. I am very privileged to have it only 10 minutes away by car.  A variety of beaches to walk and rock pool on? Yep, I still love rock pooling with my thirty something daughter when we can get together.

So, can I get out on the water over the next couple of years to keep hold of those experiences we all know and treasure? 

That very early morning start. Lifting the kayak off the car roof just as dawn begins. The sky changing to those peaches and pinks as the sun rises above the horizon. A glassy sheen to the Cotehele stretch of the Tamar. No wind ripples, just the lazy river flow and eddies. Two hours to high tide. The mists swirling wraith like above warmer waters. The chilly air, your breath condensing. The prospect of a gliding graceful kayak up to Morwellham and back. The ducks hiding in the reed beds, the fish catching errant midges, buzzards soaring overhead. 

 

Well, at the moment, I'm looking at kayaking once again; an outdoor activity I relished back in my twenties alongside my mountaineering. Nowhere near as skilled (not sure I ever was on reflection) in this as I was in mountaineering, I could manage it, just. Maybe! I still have reasonable safety awareness, navigation skills; lots that are transferable from my dinghy cruising of course. 

But, am I physically fit enough? Can I relearn basic strokes? Can I effectively self-rescue myself? And this last aspect is vitally important because I know that 'solo kayaking' is rightly not to be recommended for all sorts of reasons. Can I physically hump a Kayak around now; can I get it onto the roof rack?

In fact so many questions......here I go again, overthinking things yet again!

"Why do I want to kayak? Why not open canoe instead?" "Where are my paddling waters? And when, which seasons, what conditions, how often?"

"What storage room do I have?" "How do I move a kayak around across beaches - need a trolley?"

"Key requirements - stability, speed, safety?  "Kayak type - sit on or sit in; length, width, lockers?"

"Paddle choice, clothing choice, safety gear choices?"

 This morning I was very lucky and privileged to spend some hours with a friend from some time ago. After a frankly 'selfish'  out of the blue call from me, he generously gave up his morning to talk me through various issues and to take me up a local kayak shop to discuss options. He didn't have to do that, especially as we'd lost contact over the years, but then that's the kind of special guy he is. 

And he has made me think. As I knew he would. An open canoe? A sit in kayak with a larger cockpit. Discussions about scenarios, kayaking waters and more. 

So where am I now?

I had started with a firm view that a Wilderness systems Tarpon 120 sit on top kayak 12' 3" length, 30" width with a good hull design would suit my desire for some sensible low energy, pleasant kayak journeys around the Tamar and other estuaries,. Good glide ability, good stability etc, suitable for paddling Spring to September in benign conditions.  

 I haven't been able to get my head to open canoes despite all their advantages which I see and understand and which my friend succinctly outlined this morning. 

And the spanner in the works - the larger cockpit style kayaks such as a perception with retractable skeg. So many advantages to the latter but after a scary experience many, many years ago when I capsized in an old plastic tub kayak and couldn't get out because my leg was temporarily trapped between a foam block insert and a footrest - I just can't get those feelings of panic, claustrophobia, loss of control etc out of my head. I see the sense in one of these kayak types but I fear that single past experience will come back to haunt me and I will end up not using it as much as I could or should. So then, whats the point of it? 

Ho hum, so much to ponder over - a good thing; exciting but 'daunting' all the same. My friend from old has really made me thing. I knew he would. Maybe that's why I subconsciously reached out to him. I trust him, I trust what he says, I trusted he would challenge my thinking. He did. He's that kind of special. 

So, next step? Go try some demo kayaks to get a feel of them once more. 

One step at a time. Ho Hum! A new interesting journey starts once more.