The Fine Art of Kayaking

THE FINE ART OF KAYAKING
 June 21 & June 23

I remember the first time I got into a kayak almost a decade ago. It looked so slender and unstable, I wasn’t sure if I would remain upright, and if I didn’t, would gravity kick in and allow me to exit the boat and come to the surface before I drowned? I needn’t have worried. Except for deliberate rollovers during training exercises, I have yet to upset despite having been in rough water that I would not have dared to challenge with a canoe. I have kayaked in Lake Ontario, and have been up the Rideau Canal twice, from Kingston to Ottawa, once with Hurricane Frances on my tail.
Perhaps it’s no coincidence that the popularity of kayaking has surged in this area as people seek out quieter forms of recreation. Although today’s popularity of kayaking is something new, kayaks actually date back several thousand years as a mode of travel and a craft for hunting. So there is a sort of linkage there to something primitive. Lowering yourself into a kayak is like getting into some kind of therapeutic time machine, a transportation back to the past, especially if paddling around a remote deserted island in the middle of Lake Ontario like I was one day several years ago. Just for a brief 15 seconds or so, a sort of inner peace washed over me as I floated in perfectly calm water, totally alone, miles from civilization, with no other boats, no cars, no phones, no people, no Young & the Restless, no worries and no problems. Kayaks can transport you to places like that, if only for a few seconds.
One of the chief glories of kayaking that appeals to nature enthusiasts is you leave nothing behind, except a wake that disappears in a few seconds. Kayakers have a saying, “See it as it is, leave it as it was.”
With kayaking becoming one of the fastest growing water sports in North America, it is desirable that we know how to enjoy the sport safely. There is more to the sport than just getting in and propelling yourself forward. There is a technique involved that allows one to paddle more efficiently, and this is important when taking on long stretches or challenging waters, as some of us found out when we kayaked the 200 kilometre Rideau Canal in 2003 and 2004, especially in 2004 with Hurricane Frances catching up to us in Smith’s Falls.
No stranger to canoeists and kayakers in eastern Ontario, Sheila Ritter is certified as a Flatwater Instructor and Trip Leader, as well as being qualified as a Sea Kayaking Instructor Level 1 with Level 11 skills. She will be on hand July 10^th to conduct a course on kayaking at Sandbanks Provincial Park. The course is being offered as part of a program of canoeing and kayaking courses through her business, Land o’ Lakes Canoeing and Kayaking, formerly out of Hartington, and now North Bay.

The focus on this introduction to kayaking will be on safety, self rescue, paddling techniques and equipment information, including kayak design, construction and outfitting. You will learn the ins and outs of cockpits, how to make your boat behave, and how to do a wet exit, one on one with the instructor. Participants in the course are never alone – Sheila is standing in the water right beside you to lend a helping hand, if necessary, and in a section of Sandbanks that is free of aquatic vegetation. Successful participants will receive a CRCA certification badge and card. The course will take place near the dock at the Dunes Beach Day Use Area at West Lake.
I have had the pleasure of working with Sheila Ritter since 1997 in presenting a number of outdoor events in the past. Despite her move last year to North Bay, she is still offering a number of paddling and hiking events in this area, some of which are scheduled for Frontenac Provincial Park. With wilderness tripping and camping experience in excess of 2,000 km over 30 years, as well as Wilderness First Aid and C.P.R. qualifications, Sheila is an instructor who prefers to work with smaller groups in order to provide that one on one instruction so important in a course like this. One of her attributes which stand out from other instructors is her attention to detail, and her willingness to participate with you in the water. It reminds me of my days when I participated in gymnastics at high school, and the instructor would be right there at the box horse with his outstretched hand as I performed my hand springs over the device. His hand never had occasion to help me in my manoeuver, but it was comforting to know that it was there, should I falter.
The course runs from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. and costs $85.00 per participant. For more information, or to register, please call Sheila Ritter at 705-474-9817 or check out her website at www.landolakescanoekayak.ca for complete registration information. You can also e-mail Sheila at: sheila@landolakescanoekayak.ca .