Kayaking Memory the Sharp Sting

Kayaking Memory

The sharp sting of the water and the harsh whipping of the wind made our skin raw as we pushed the oars through the water. The dark sky makes the shore look like a tiny spec on the horizon. With each stroke, my daughters' energy drains out of them as if it were as liquid as the water that flows beneath us. Our black lab, tired of the harsh wind, has given up and is swimming to shore. And still, I continue to paddle back to shore with only my strength; our family friend pilots the other boat. The girls rest in the boats as we wrestle the wind. Finally pushing the boat onto the sand, we lay there, resting and enjoying the solid feel of the land, oblivious to the cold.

My first experience kayaking did not turn out the way that my family and I imagined. We envisioned a peaceful experience: enjoying ourselves on the open water, connecting with nature, and trying our hand at a new sport. What we got was a chance to experience being lost at sea. Because of this, my memory of our first time kayaking is fresh in my mind. I can recall my fear and exhaustion as if I were still lying on that beach. Still, this experience taught me a lesson.

Of course, the circumstances that surround my first experience kayaking are far less incredible. I was stationed in Bremerton, Washington, and my daughters and I decided that kayaking would be the perfect sport to try while enjoying the Western climate and scenery. Although we wouldn't realize just how important it was until later, we decided to put safety first. We started our kayaking adventure by taking a safety class. In this course, which took a weekend to complete, we learned almost everything that a person could learn about the sport of kayaking. First, we learned how kayaks work, as well as general safety. Next, we got to the fun part, actually getting in the water. Of course, this time we were just in a pool. In the relatively warm climate of the pool, without the wind and the current, I didn't realize just how different this experience would be than our adventure on the lake. Still, our pool training was fun, as we were able to paddle up and down the pool in all directions. Our next part of training, though, was the most frightening. Our instructor told us to flip our boat over, get out, and get back in without the help of our boat mates. As our kayak flipped over, and my shoulder touched the water, I had a brief moment of panic. Looking back, I realize that the feeling of fear that swept over me at that second was the feeling that our instructor wanted all of us to feel. He wanted us to know how to refrain from panicking. When we concluded our kayak experience with our lake adventure at the end of the weekend, I was glad that I knew what flipping over felt like, and how to get out from under a tipped boat safely. Another topic that our safety class covered was how to manage the boat with a dog in tow. Once again, this topic proved important, as our black lab joined us in this adventure.