adventures in kayaking

I went kayaking yesterday morning. The lake was gorgeous and totally calm.

Im not big on 6am but I will admit that it is the best time to enjoy the wildlife and the quiet of the lake. Since I don't own my own kayak and only get to enjoy this experience one week out of every year it is an especially special time to me. This year I didn't have my trusty side-kid-kick with me which did give the event a different feel. Hmm maybe a sneak preview of what life holds in the next 5-10yrs.

I have decided that when kayaking it is a good idea to make sure that you really know what you are doing. It is not enough to have a kayak that is basically tip-proof, or sink-proof or to have a lifejacket on, and having a certified lifeguard with you is a bonus. No, you must also know where in the kayak to attach your seat. This is crucial. It not only helps with steering but it also eliminates taking on excess water. How do I know this, you might ask. Well it is reallly quite simple. I copied where another camper had put her seat and then when we all got started I was having a bit of trouble steering straight and seemed to also have a little bit of water in the bottom of my boat. Not a big deal really. But our certified, happy-go-lucky, counselor mentioned that this all might be because my seat was in the wrong place and so was College-girl's. Hmmm. Might you have wanted to say something before we were 30feet from shore? Cause I think it is a little late to do anything about it now.

"Naw, we can fix it". So with College-girl on one side of me and happy-go-lucky on the other side, each holding onto the sides of my kayak, I was asked to lift my weight off of my seat so that they could move it back to where it belonged. MmmHmm they were serious. Happy-go-lucky said not to worry that if I went in the water he would get in the water too. It was his job as our certified lifeguard (this was supposed to instill confidence?The ater is only 60degrees) but since he really didn't want to get in the water he wasn't gonna let me tip over. (ok that made me feel better)

I was able to shift my weight to the front end of the boat, all the time praying that the back end was now not 6feet out of the water with the displacement of weight. Meanwhile they shifted my seat and got it re-attached. Then Happy-go-lucky moved to the other side of College-girl and we repeated this process all over again. Miracles of miracles nobody ended up in the water.

Lesson learned. Put seat in the right place before going out into the water. Meanwhile it was a bonding experience for the morning between Happy-go-lucky, College-girl, and myself. Many laughs were shared and I'm pretty sure neither of us will put our seats in the wrong place again.