A couple weeks ago I attended the Women on Water Paddling Festival (Part 1 located here) and if you have been following, this is part 2. It was now Sunday and I was continuing with the sessions and paddling fun. Today I was signed up for Kayaking play and self rescues, then a SUP tour in the afternoon.
Sunday
My morning actually started off with a sunrise paddle in the area. It was so nice and warm with the sun shining over us. We paddled up the coast and under a bridge into a little cove. It was neat seeing all the cottages and islands in this area. I was wishing I owned one of these cottages 🙂
As we paddled back to our beach, the smell of breakfast was evident. I was hungry and couldn’t wait. After eating it was time to get suited up again for the morning. It would be another wet day and I was prepared. I had no idea what to expect from this mornings session, with it being kayak play and self rescues. I knew the whole rescue deal, but kayak play? This would be something new.
After getting together with our instructors (today Christina was shadowing and I was in her group, yeah), we got into the boats and headed out to deeper water. Here our instructor started giving us directions. She started with, “take 1 leg out of the kayak and play it in the water on the side”, then “take the other leg out”, next thing you knew we were sitting on the deck of the kayak!
Once on the deck, she instructed us to sit back in the seat, then turn sideways. Then it came time to turn backwards!! We were paddling out kayaks backwards!!!
The next part was even more exciting. We were pushing and shoving ourselves down the kayak and riding it like a cowgirl. Luckily someone on shore look the picture below. I wish I knew who it was!
Once we played on the deck, I had a lot of fun with the next bit. When backwards on the deck of the kayak, we scooted to the end and was challenged with kissing our kayak. Thanks to Christina for getting the photos of me accomplishing this task.
We were then shown how to do self-rescues. There are many different ways to accomplish this task, and I was failing at every single one. I was so tired from all the play on the kayak that I was very weak. I had a hard time getting my body up on the deck of the kayak in order to get my legs over and climb up to the seat.
I had found this task very challenging. I was tired, exhausted, and actually really frustrated with myself. I have no idea how evident it was, but I was holding back my tears of frustration with every attempt to launch myself up onto the kayak. At one point Christina was speaking words of encouragement to me, and I really appreciated but I was just so pooped that I just floated and waited. She left to help someone else, and I wonder if she knew I needed some time alone (with the instructors watching on the side), for me to try again.
It wasn’t until I managed to figure out how to hook my foot on the paddle float somehow, and finally launched myself up and onto this boat. I got my foot in the cockpit and it was only then that I knew I was successful. There was no giving up, and I would have made it somehow! This made me very tired and I was glad we were heading back to shore for lunch. I could feel my battered body going through bursts of pain, but it was muted by my successes of the morning. Plus, the bruises I got would heal in time.
After lunch I headed for my final workshop, which was a SUP tour. Last year my friend Jeanette and I did a four week course on SUP, so I was confident in my skills on the board. This was nice because the few of us that knew how to SUP got a short river tour while the others learned some of the basics.
At this point we then all headed down one of the channels to a little bay for the tour. Here we stopped for a water break, attempted some headstands (yes I tried it again, just didn’t quite get up all the way. I guess I was just too tired from the weekend).
I found the SUP tour a nice relaxing way to end my weekend. It is still a lot of effort to balance on these boards, but I was enjoying myself fully.
On returning to the beach, I captured a picture with Christina helping the afternoon kayaking group in their instructions. I was watching them and thinking, ya, I did that!! I had a very proud feeling already building in my mind.
At the final minutes heading back to shore, I found myself smiling to women I recognized in other boats, and knew that I would return next year. I believe I even convinced a couple of friends to join me as well! This was such a wonderful weekend and kudos to the women who helped organize this event. It was it’s fifth year running and I do hope that it continues for many more years. Huge thanks to Wild Women Expeditions and Ontario Sea Kayaking Center. This weekend was awesome!!!
Special thanks to Christina for helping me get a chance to attend this weekend. I can remember her posts from last year on this event and we both knew I would love this weekend. <3
So happy you were successful after many attempts and glad you persevered. <3
Beauty weekend looks like you had a blast! See you again next year!!!
Looks like a lot of fun! Looks like something I would like to attend. I need to feel more secure/safe on my kayak and learn how to self rescue and I would love to learn some paddle techniques.