Assignment 10 – Seakayak 22.05. – 25.05.
In the end of May we went on our second paddling trip but this time with focus on seakayaks instead of canoes. The first two days we stayed local and went on shorter trips on the river Otra and around the island Odderoya to practice basic techniques. The river had fairly calm water and offered adequate conditions for beginners. We met at the Rowclub which has a small pier and enough space to prepare equipment and get on the water with several kayaks. Again, the weather was great, 20+ degrees and sun with slight wind providing an easy environment for basic paddling skills. On the last two days we went on an overnight trip leading us to the archipelago in the area of Sogne. There we paddled through a lot of small islands giving the possibility of both staying in more sheltered waters as well as paddling on the slightly rougher sea. So, the areas gave varied opportunities to support the learning process and improve basic techniques.
On the first day we met at the Row Club with Len and Even, who was the instructor for the week. In the beginning we talked about the equipment, including the main things as boats, paddles, life jackets and spraydecks as well as personal gear being important for a daytrip on the water (first aid kit, sunscreen, water, dry clothes, food etc.). Moreover, we learned how to click the paddle blades together and tried some basic strokes on the shore. Then we practiced how to get into the kayak using the paddle as a support laying in a 90 degree angle behind the back on both the boat and pier. We started paddling upwards the river stopping every few hundred metres to introduce new elements of forward paddling. That gave us the chance to focus first separately on different parts of the movement and connect them later building up the techniques on the way. The main parts are: catch – power – recover, vertical paddle, trunk rotation, feet push. Besides, we learned the draw stroke which is used to move the kayak sideways. Another stroke we learned was the High Brace, to prevent the boat from tipping. In the end, everyone had to capsize and we practiced a T-rescue, where two other boats help to empty the boat, flip it back and get the person back inside.
The next day we expanded our boundaries and went on a day trip around Odderoya. As the day before we stopped in between to learn some further techniques. We practiced the sweepstroke and tipping the kayak to learn turning more efficiently. Leaving the calm water of the river we experienced kayaking on the sea, even so we were staying in close distance to the island.
In the end of the week we went on an overnight trip starting in Paradisbukta and going to Ny Hellesund, an Island in the area of Sogne southwest of Kristiansand. The area was characterized by a lot of small Islands with summerhouses, some with trees and others with less vegetation and shelter where also sheep lived on. The island where we camped had few trees and no public freshwater supply so that we had to think about shelter and enough water reserve for two days. This is an important aspect in general on a seakayaking trip: although you are surrounded by water you have to bring enough fresh water (at least 3 liters for two days) as the salt water is not drinkable. As the weather was dry we decided to bivy on a grass area next to a small beach. In case of changing weather we brought some tarps we could have used for building a shelter. Moreover, there was a compost toilet and picknick tables making camplife fairly comfortable. Due to the dry period we were not allowed to make a fire, so we brought storm kitchens and cooked some noodles with spicy soup and vegetables together in a small group. Breakfast was covered by oats with nuts, although it could have been smart to prepare them at home already to save some drinking water as packing light was not as important as on trips where we had to carry everything. On the way to and from the Island we practiced Navigation and led the groups over short legs in pairs of two. Moreover, we had a rolling session in the evening, where Evan taught us the main elements first on the shore and then on the water, which was a great achievement for me personally.
Learning outcomes and challenges
The main learning outcomes included kayak techniques and organisation of a kayak trip in salt water. Although I already had paddled before, I learned a lot of new technical aspects, different strokes and capsizing procedures. The equipment check was not really new to me but it was useful to revise the necessary items and get to know what kind of gear Evan takes as the leader of a kayak trip.
General equipment: Boat, Paddle, Spraydeck, lifejacket
Personal equipment: dry clothes, water/food, map+compass, sunscreen, first aid kit, sunglasses, phone in drybag, rope, knife
As we had maps this time in contrast to the canoe trip we could actually practice our navigational skills as well as leading a group on the water. This was at the same time the most challenging part of the trip as you have various things to consider. First it was harder than expected to transfer the features of the map onto the real environment as e.g. islands ‘melt’ together and it was not easy to recognize the shape and decide whether land is part of the main land or not. Moreover, it takes some time to get an idea of how to estimate distances on the water. A good trick for assessing the length of a leg along shore on the map is to take a piece of threat, follow the coastline and measure the used threat afterwards. Also, it is important to be aware of dangers as rocks underneath the surface and other boats.
Other challenges we experienced in the coastal environment were weather conditions and group behaviour. Although we had great weather, wind and waves can make paddling more difficult and affect the communication on the water immensely. In addition, the weather can change really quickly and it is important to recognize signs and stay as safe as possible (e.g. close to shore/in protected areas). When leading the group, we found out, that communication and keeping the group together is challenging due to wind and varied abilities. It requires a lot of experience to find a good position in the group and consider various conditions.
In general, the week was really informative and offered time for a lot of practical experience. As the time frame was not to tight there was room for suggestions and inclusion from our site giving the possibility of gaining skills of personal interest. Splitting the week in both day trips and an overnighter gave us the chance to kayak in empty and loaded boats. The fully loaded kayak was a bit harder to maneuver and the weight has an impact on rescue processes. It is therefore important to load the kayak equally and put important items in the front. I had some problems to get my big sleepingbag in one of the boxes. Therefore, I learned that although packing light is not as important as on a backpack trip, considering size, amount and weight of the personal gear is really essential as space is limited and the load has an influence on the paddling itself.
All together the basic kayak trip was a good access to basic techniques and aspects which have to be considered for a trip in a coastal area. I made some experiences concerning loading I would do different next time. Moreover, I figured out that navigating on the water is not as easy as I thought and requires some more practice. Personally, I got a lot of new useful tips regarding my paddling techniques and even got inspired to maybe do my paddling instructor license, as I really enjoy kayaking.