Wetry the classic summer watersport
Heading into the holiday season, Stephen Heard hit the water for a leisurely paddle.
It wasn’t until paddling within 10 metres that the massive gulls decided to launch an attack. The carefree kayaking adventure soon turned into a life or peck situation.
Sibling of the canoe and arch nemesis of the stand-up paddle board, kayaking comes from the ice-cool waters of the northern Arctic. More recently, it’s become a quintessential summer watersport. The process is simple enough: you use a double-bladed paddle to propel the floating vessel across water. The speed and destination are your choice. As well as being used for carefree sightseeing, kayaks can be kitted out for more extreme purposes, such as fishing, diving and whitewater thrill-seeking. It’s Christmas, so I’m doing the easy one. For this expedition I took to the sea at Auckland’s Okahu Bay, a pleasant yacht-filled enclosure with views back to the city, across to Mt Victoria and Rangitoto. The vessel was a sit-on-top (or selfbailing) kayak. The rules were simple: stay within the giant wooden logs that signalled the beginning of the shipping lane. The instructor also gave some advice about paddle grip.
Getting in and out of the kayak is always an interesting part of the adventure, and this would be no different – the entry zone happened to be at the bottom of a jagged shell-covered boat ramp. From there, it was an extremely relaxing journey travelling between boats and to the channel perimeter. Several pitstops were enjoyed along the way to give my upper-body some relief. I sat back, dipping my feet into the water and drifting with the current. Bliss.
An extremely weathered yacht named Breakaway called for a closer look. Covered in a rainbow of slime and countless barnacles on its hull, the boat clearly hadn’t been touched for a while and remained inhabited by a family of rabid Labrador-sized gulls. It wasn’t until paddling within 10 metres that the massive gulls decided to launch an attack.
The carefree kayaking adventure soon turned into a life or peck situation. If only I’d been prepared for the hot chip predators. Using my paddle as a deterrent I managed to come away with both eyes and completely dry.
The journey continued incident free and I enjoyed navigating several more bird-less vessels. An hour later I floated back to the mainland. Given their small size, kayaks are easy to manoeuvre on the water and encourage the exploration of often lesser-travelled marine areas. Extended sessions can be great for upper-body strength and endurance and cardiovascular fitness. You’ll also be treated to the benefits that come with being in the great outdoors. Apart from obvious risks like maniac gulls, the number one danger with kayaking is the thing that you’re floating on top of: water. Life jackets should always be worn, no matter your swimming ability. Sit-on-top STEPHEN HEARD kayaks are virtually unsinkable but that doesn’t mean you should be testing them out in the surf. Cockpit-style kayaks require more technique to disembark should you capsize – professional advice should be sought in this instance. Exposure to the sun is another one to be careful of and sunscreen should be worn accordingly. Common sense is key. Kayaking can be experienced in several destinations around the country.