Rocking with Rockhopper Sea Kayaks
Sea Kayaking. That is certainly one for the highly skilled adventurer. Or so I have always thought. With a serious aversion to getting water up my nose, I believed that this was just another waterbourne adventure that I would have to let others get on with - I might manage the required manoeuvres to get the boat to move across the water, but I could never deliberately roll the boat, which I thought was a pre-requisite skill for going on the water. So, up until now, it has been ruled out.
But when Ben Dodman of Rockhopper Sea Kayaking turned up wearing wee red wellies just like my trusted favourites from way back in my childhood - you kind of think he might just be a trusted favourite too.
Calm order, laid back friendliness - it didn't look as scary as my churning gut had been suggesting.
Ben and partner 'Hoodie' have been running their business for 11 seasons, and the knowledge and experience of those years, added to what they already brought to the venture at the start, soothed away my immediate concerns.
There's plenty of coastline to explore.
We were driving out to Glenuig to start - skirting round the nooks and crannies, the headland, and into the next southern inlet.
We met Ben's client Graham out there, who sea kayaks regularly, but was looking for the guiding, and the peace of mind of knowledge and back-up.
The Girl Next Door was with us, and although she had never Kayaked before, is such a natural waterbaby that I didn't really feel we were in the same league. You are on your own effectively, as there's no one else in your boat, but with such a gentle bay to start on, and an initial wee wobble, we were off. Endlessly deep water scares me, but the chit-chat of the company distracted me and it wasn't long before wonderment took over.
This is truly what it looked like on the way out - texture of velvet and an indescribable colour - perhaps of titanium jewelry?
Who cared how deep it was, I have never experienced anything like the feeling of floating on top of such softness.
There are lot's of watery alleyways to meander through and as Ben guided us into a bay, we were suddenly surrounded by Seals.
We sat in silence, transfixed, hardly breathing it seemed, as they splish- splashed around us.
We didn't move or speak for ages. (last 5 images from TGND)
But there was morning coffee to fit in.
I just knew those wellies contained someone trustworthy.
No footsteps on the beach before ours.
The personality profile of a sea kayaker would seem to me to be fun, but quiet and contemplative. Do they start like this? Or do they become this? If you work on the Stock Market in London, with a heart beating on triple time, and then paddle around the coastline, would everything slow down?
(photo by TGND)
By lunch time, on another empty beach, my footsteps were getting slower - not that they were moving too fast to begin with.
(photo by TGND on lunch break)
The easy company, and the softness of floating in on the tide, were therapeutic. Ben had said the tide would be in our favour on the way back, but the wind had risen, and so had the waves.
More of an effort was required, but confidence had built over the morning and even though we were crossing the bay with the waves coming onside of us, Ben's smiling reassurance that you just moved your hips with the rhythm of the waves, and no matter what size they were, they would just slip under the boat allowing you to continue on your way, was enough to convince me that this was true - the alternative was to go rigid, panic, cry, whimper, throw myself in the water. So it was best just to listen and apply. Which worked very well. The blister on the side of my thumb was from over-gripping, he said, so I looked at his relaxed hold on the paddle and emulated it as best I could. That worked too. It is one thing to receive technical advice on how to ride your bike over a rocky outcrop - that's easy. I can put the bike down and walk away. In the kayak, I just did as I was told.
The waves got bigger as they broke around rocks, but the extra swell here and there became fun, and it was easy enough to guide the boat past the rocks.
I'm not saying the waves were crashing around us - just that in comparison to the morning start, they were slightly more challenging.
So, is this for me?
Rockhopper Sea Kayaks rock. Look them up - book them up. They do overnight camping trips as well. I'm up for that. Thankyou for an amazing day, Ben.
http://www.rockhopperscotland.co.uk/