Beautiful Deep Cove, (Vancouver, BC). The small island in front of the mountains is our turnaround point. Yikes!

Kayaking.

Always wanted to try it, never really got around to it. Part of the reason is just plain apprehension about tipping over!

But when I signed on to participate in the a super-worthy Innovative Fitness Canuck Place Adventure Challenge which raises money to benefit the sick kids and their families that visit Canuck Place, I knew that it involved kayaking.

Canuck Place Children’s Hospice provides specialized pediatric palliative care for children living with a life-threatening illness and support for their families throughout British Columbia. Despite what you might think, Canuck Place is a happy, positive place where you are likely to see – or get inadvertently involved in – a water balloon fight in amongst the medical equipment and nursing staff.  The Adventure Challenge is a major fundraiser for Canuck Place and since 65% of their huge budget comes from donations (only 35% comes from government funding and the support of the Vancouver Canucks NHL team), I am happy to do my small part.

Even if it means that I need to hop in a tipsy kayak and paddle like crazy through the sometimes choppy waters of Deep Cove, avoiding power boats, falling in and the occasional seal. (Yikes!)

Most of our team got together a week ago for a practice paddle, tracing the actual route we’ll be taking on race day.

I was sooooo nervous, but also really looking forward to the chance to get out on the ocean and experience what kayaking is all about.

Tip: Do not hit yourself in the head with the paddle.

We received a few words of wisdom from the kayaking experts (“Don’t hit yourself in the head with the paddle….wear your lifejacket, even if it doesn’t match your outfit….The funny looking cylinder is a pump; use it if there is more water in the kayak than in the ocean;”).  Then we hopped into the kayaks and prepared to launch.

My partner in the double kayak was Dawn and she is a fellow blonde and a fellow kayaking newbie.  We had a sneaking suspicion that team-captain, Esther, carefully planned our partnership for her own heightened entertainment value.

The rest of our team had all kayaked before and looked like experts as they prepared their kayaks.

Dawn and I managed to avoid hitting each other with our paddles when we got in the wobbly little thing.

We were both happy because our kayak was pink.

We were off to a good start.

Our fab team captain Esther, my kayak partner Dawn, me and Allison. See how us newbies already have our lifejackets on. You know, in case we drown up there on the sidewalk.

We got a push, and somehow by dumb luck managed to avoid the huge kayak traffic jam that ensued.

We were floating! Free as fish!  Ocean adventurers!

Then Dawn yelled, “Paddle!”

Oops.

No motor.

I looked at my paddle and tentatively dipped it in the water. To my great relief, no lurking sea monsters seemed hungry enough to nibble on it.

It took us a few minutes to get a rhythm going (well, it took me a lot longer, I kept hitting the kayak with my paddle on the left side, what’s up with that?) but once we did, it was pure pleasure to glide along the water and take in the beauty of Deep Cove from a different perspective: smelling the salty ocean in the tickle of the light breeze, admiring of the beauty of the waterfront homes that had boats bobbing gently at their docks. Warm sun on our backs.

Paradise.

We paddled 2 kilometres (about a mile and a half) and circled little Jug Island (pictured above in the photo) and headed back.

We didn’t tip.

We didn’t paddle in circles (or worse, squares).

We didn’t hit anyone.

Best of all, we didn’t get eaten by any large sea creatures.

When we landed back at the beach I was tired but exhilarated and didn’t really want to get out. I loved it so much, I’m seriously considering buying a couple of double kayaks for our family.  I can’t wait to do it again!

We’d love your support in this great race – you can help keep happy smiles on the face of the children and families that visit Canuck Place. Please click here for more info or to donate. We really appreciate every donation, no matter what the size!

~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!