, 2 min, 380 words
Tags: kayak-adventures
Today I led my first solo morning trip, and it was lovely. Wildlife was really out in force, including two humpback whale flukes plus lots of sea lions. On this trip, we had two launches and two landings. Most of those went well, but one went off the rails a bit. In the end it was fine, but it really drove home one point: rudders and communication need to go hand in hand.
Here's what happened: as usual, I gave my safety talk on the beach. Then I launched one double kayak, then the second double, and finally myself. But after launching that first boat, with instructions to stay close to shore and wait for me, I saw the two clients continue to paddle away from shore. That also meant they were paddling away from me, which can be dangerous if something goes wrong. What I should have done was this: "(name 1 and name 2), stop paddling! (name 1), push hard on your right foot peg!" Instead, what I said was "(name 1), turn right! Hard right please!" And since neither person in this boat had much paddling experience, that just didn't translate into followable instructions. So I launched the second boat, got out there myself, and helped the first boat figure out how to turn themselves.
In the end this launch worked out, but it clearly showed me that rudders and communication have to go together. First, I should talk more about rudders and steering on the beach. For example, when I talk about wind and waves, I could ask clients "if a wave is approaching from your left side and you want to turn into it, which foot peg are you going to press?" That will force them to use the information we've already discussed. Hopefully it will also help them remember how to use their rudders out on the water. Second, when communicating with clients, direct instructions are best! Say "paddle on your left, and push on your right foot peg" rather than "turn right." It'll make more sense and help people get the most out of paddling.
On the whole, I continue to learn every time I get out on the water. Thanks to all of my colleagues for encouraging reflection and continuous improvement.