Words: Simon Hammond Photos: Keiran Hammond – www. rakker. co. uk
PADDLER 43
Words: Simon Hammond Photos: Keiran Hammond – www. rakker. co. uk
In our world of paddlesports, there are plenty of challenges to overcome before the real fun begins. But it’ s a long journey from beginner to expert; the trick is to have the maximum amount of fun along the way.
Kayakers are particularly up against it. From the original Inuit-designed boats to the majority of their modern-day variations, we have managed to sustain the anxiety of squeezing into and then needing to escape from an enclosed cockpit. Inducing, from day one, a fear of entrapment! OK, I know things are much better than when I first started in 1st Bude Scouts with our home-built fibreglass boats. These cockpits were so tight that getting into your kayak was about as tricky as Olivia Newton-John getting into those famous skin-tight leggings! And getting out was even more challenging! But you get the point: cockpits and the exit from them still create fear.
I don’ t want to put you off kayaking, but things don’ t improve even after you have plucked up the courage to get into your craft! Capsizing is part of the game, but it’ s not really the fun part. That is unless you’ re the sort of person who loves a bit of a physical slog! From the moment you have an upturned boat, the work begins. It starts with getting everything: you, your craft and your paddles to shore. Finally, arriving in the shallows like the proverbial drowned rat.
PADDLER 43