On our way over the ridge we saw lots of pelicans on the water, so were excited to get out there. We only saw one motorboat on the lake, and the lake is big enough that we only saw it once.
We drove right up to the boat ramp and unloaded our boats. We brought our new boats and figured we would try them out since it was such a mild day. Jarett paddled the gray kayak, a Necky Looksha IV, and I paddled the red one, a Current Designs Sirocco.
The red boat is a lot more slender than Penelope, my 15-foot Perception, so it felt more “tippy” to me.
Since we were new to the boats, we decided to hug the shoreline around the lake. We saw some pelicans off in the distance and we decided to see how close we could get to them. We got about 20 feet away before the birds got up and flew away.
We also saw some blue herons, egrets, some least terns and several jumping fish.
After the birds flew away we decided to turn around and head for the starting spot. We thought we might head south and explore that side of the lake a bit once we got back to our put-in.
On the trip back, I started feeling more comfortable in the new boat and started drifting away from the shoreline. I was really impressed by how much faster the boat seemed. With less effort than I use with, Penelope, I was able to go faster.
I guess that is when I got a little over-confident. I went to take a big scoop in the water to move my boat faster and leaned over a little further than I should have leaned. I tried to lean the other way to get balanced again, but it was too late, I knew I was going into the water, and there wasn’t anything I could do about it!
I’ve never been able to roll my kayak, let alone this brand new (to me) one, so I had to do a wet exit. Plus we were not wearing skirts, so boom, I was in the water.
It was so cold I felt all the air rush out of my lungs. When my head came above water it was hard to breathe, the ice-cold water tightened my whole body. It felt like a million needles and pins stinging me. I’m very thankful that Jarett and I are fanatics about always wearing life vests. I remembered to stay calm, and I did not let go of my boat or my paddle. So everything would be fine, except I was a good 60 yards from shore in 40-degree water.
Jarett quickly came to my rescue but unfortunately at that point, there wasn’t much he could do.
He offered to help me with an assisted rescue but since I had never done that in this new boat, I didn’t know if I could or if it would just be a waste of energy. I didn’t think I would be able to do it because my body hurt so bad from the cold water. I started swimming back to shore and the swimming was kind of slow as I was trying to push my overturned boat and drag my paddle. Jarett had me put my arms on his boat while he tried to paddle all of us back but that was pretty slow moving too and I just wanted OUT of that water! I felt like a sopping wet kitty, I was not happy, but I was OK!
Somehow Jarett was able to take my paddle and tow my boat back to shore without falling out of his. I really appreciated this as it made a much faster swim to shore. I don’t know what I would have done without him.
When we got to shore, unfortunately we were on the opposite side of the campground from our car, so I got to do a wet walk of shame through the campground.
I learned the lesson (the hard way) that this new red boat is a lot different then my lovely yellow Penelope. In her, I got used to putting my whole body into my stroke to make it go fast. In the red boat, that was defiantly a mistake.
Oh well, we made it home safely and the little swim definitely made the trip memorable. It’s a good reminder: ALWAYS PACK DRY BAGS WITH CLOTHES. And remember to go slow and close-to-shore as you develop familiarity with a new watercraft.
Laura
But hey, the pelicans sure were pretty!
1 comment:
Glad it all turned out well. But, aren't those fast boats fun? My Tempest 170 is pretty similar in all dimensions. Becasue of the "tippy" feel I didn't use it when we went out during the winter months.
I have never gone out in a kayak without my life jacket and hope that I never really need it. One thing to keep in mind - dress for the water temperature, not the air temperature. When I wear my paddle jacket I often feel too warm, but would rather be a little warm than to be too cold if I do end up in the water.
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