Fit over 50: Attacking the Kayak

~guest post by Wynne, Melanie’s mom

I am nearly 59 yrs old and recently went kayaking with my son for the first time in my life. 

I have to say that I went with great apprehension.  I was unsure of myself and didn’t know if I would be able to kayak for a 2 hour period of time.  I also didn’t know if I would like it. Being out on the ocean…just the thought made me feel nervous even though it is a sheltered inlet where we would be paddling.

We went late afternoon on a Friday and had perfect weather – about 78 degrees, sunny with a slight breeze. The water looked calm, which I was grateful for.  It didn’t take long to get our rented kayaks onto to the dock. 

As my son is an experienced kayaker, the man we rented the kayaks from only gave me a brief tutorial on how to sit, where to place my legs and how to adjust the pedals so I could steer with my feet.  I tried to take it all in as I settled into the kayak, but really, I just hoped for the best! The next thing I knew, there was a giant lurch and my kayak flew off the dock and into the water. My stomach flipped from the shock – that was not the sort of  boat launch I was expecting!

But in a few seconds all was calm and once we started paddling it didn’t take long to learn how to navigate my kayak.  My occasional error had my son defending his kayak from mine with a gentle push, and on we went. Soon I started to gain a bit of confidence in my ability.

The most exciting thing to me was going around some log booms in our inlet that were covered with seals.  Being very curious, the seals stretched their necks up to see what was going on as we snapped photos of them. They quickly decided we weren’t much of a threat and relaxed back down to bask in the sun. Once we were around to the other side of the logs, the water was not as calm and boats raced by and bounced us with their wake.  I had a chance to practice flexing my hips as we went over the waves like I had been instructed. 

We paddled around the inlet for an hour and a half, enjoying the views of some beautiful waterfront homes and then made our way back to the dock.  It was quiet on the water and very serene and I was glad I had agreed to try kayaking.

When we got back to the dock, my son got out of his kayak first and lifted it out of the water, then turned to mine.  I don’t know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t that he’d grab the end and haul the kayak – with me still in it - up onto the dock!  For the second time, my stomach flipped – funny, I hadn’t expected the dock to be the place that scared me the most!

I must admit, it was quite difficult to get out of the kayak after sitting in one position for nearly two hours, especially as I have a tempermental back.  One thing I would bring along next time would be a small cushion to sit on, I think that would help. Much to my surprise, I had no sore muscles after my experience.  I will definitely go kayaking again!