Activities:

Instead of the original plan to do an overnight kayak trip, we did a long daytrip on the sea because there simply wasn’t enough time left in the semester for another overnight. We met at Paradisbukta close to where we stayed for a week with college students at Donevannet. After the kayaks had been unloaded and everybody had grabbed a spray deck and a correctly set paddle, Len gave out waterproof maps and showed us where we would be going that day.

The swells were heavier than the time we were practicing kayaking on the river in Kristiansand which made the kayak feel much more unstable in the open sea. Luckily the initial insecurity passed soon. As always we changed the lead for the different subsections of the trip. Now and then when we came across landmarks that could be found on the map, Len explained to us what the representation of powerlines over and under the water look like, how to use lighthouses for navigating, where to look for anchoring spots with a bigger ship and engine powered boats usually have to avoid man or wind powered vehicles on the water. However, ships that are recognisable as ferries, fisher boats or other professional ships on duty always have right of way. When in doubt simply give way.

Once we had reached the destination for our lunch break on a beautiful island’s beach, everybody ate and relaxed for the time we were there. Except for Adrian and Chris who seemingly had lots of energy to spare. When we left the island Saedis capsized in still water just about 50 meters away from the shore but almost made it back to the upright position without having to leave her kayak but people seemed too much caught by surprise and nobody acted fast enough to turn her back around.

After she got changed we headed back to Paradisbukta by crossing a bit of rougher sea as the wind had started to pick up by now. Unfortunately we didn’t feel comfortable enough in the kayaks yet to think about staying together, so the group was basically falling apart as everybody simply tried to secure their own safety without thinking about staying close together as a whole group to be able to help each other in case of emergency. Except for that bit though, I guess the trip was quite alright for our first time kayaking out on the open sea. I’m pretty sure everybody learned the lesson of staying closer when in rough water to ensure each other’s safety.

On the last stretch back to the bay we came from, Len told us to try surfing through some of the waves with the kayaks which was fun. Also we got so close to seeing Chris fall into the water while trying to do a handstand on two of the kayaks but sadly enough his sense of balance prevented that from happening, so the entertainment program for the day was called off.

In a nutshell, I really enjoyed this trip as I gained a whole lot more confidence in manoeuvring a kayak and dealing with higher waves as well.

Takk for turen!

Testing of equipment:

Kayaks and kayak paddles were used to steer with all the different strokes we learned whn back in Kristiansand. I found it especially helpful to correct for minor deviations from the course by leaning the kayak slightly to one side or the other.

Lessons:

Always bring an extra pair of dry clothes.

Stay together when the sea is rough. Try to keep a maximum distance of 50 meters from the first to the last person.