w h i t e w a t e r • r i V e r • s e a • m u l t i s p o r t ... - Canoe & Kayak

Holding your breath
by Merl Ward
Russell, the instructor said: “You will need to hold your breath
as long as you can, and remember the signal to instruct your
buddy to bring you up for air”………………………………………
What was the signal? Hold your breath…1 second, 2
second,……. 15 seconds, 16 seconds, (seems like the best
part of a minute). What’s the signal? My lungs are bursting,
I can hear the water in my ears. What’s the signal?………tap
3 times………tap, tap, tap. Oh, the relief as I burst through
the surface. It was part of a lesson teaching me to think
logically under water, whilst trusting my buddy to bring me
up for air.
Friends, when circumstances, somebody, or something deals you that
final blow, when all that’s left seems
meaningless, …..it’s you, and only you,
who can re-invest in your life, turn
the tables so to speak. At nearly three
score years and ten, that is just what I
have achieved.
Now it was my buddy’s turn, she seems
to be taking a long time, 16 seconds,
17 seconds, 18 seconds, (better lungs
than I have) tap, tap, tap, and then the
s t r a i n as I turn her over so she can
breathe again.
That night in the pool, with the
help of Angela (my buddy) and the
encouragement of Larraine, I extended
my boundaries, way out, from there, to
here, way out there, and back to here
again, and, to my great pride I reached
each of those boundaries.
When I got home that night, I was
exhausted, I was bruised in places
you wouldn’t believe, but I was on an
adrenalin rush. I could have flown
around the ceiling. I felt sooo good!
I had learnt to get into a kayak on the
shore, and if tipped out, from the water. I learned to think logically and sense
direction under water whilst holding my breath. I learned to trust my buddy
to bring me up for air. (I’d only met her ten minutes before!)
I had rescued myself from an upturned kayak, and I had rescued my buddy
and that was only part one of a three part Sea Kayaking Stage One Skills
Package.
Part two was a morning on Lake Pupuke, where we learnt paddle strokes,
side paddling, stopping, sweep etc. and a two-man rescue including how to
flip and empty the kayak whilst still on the water. This session was followed
by reading weather, safety, planning, and packing.
Day three was planning for a trip, what to take, wind and weather warnings,
group control, packing, checking safety gear, water bottles, and paddling from
St Heliers Bay to Browns Island. We dined as the sun set over the magnificent
Auckland city and paddled back in the moonlight whilst watching Comet
McNaught in the clear evening sky.
The most exhausting paddle I have taken part in was from Narrow Neck
to Rangitoto, walking (or gasping) to
the summit, gulping down tea and
walking back to the beach to paddle
back to Narrow Neck. It was a fabulous
evening. A group of 22 kayaks left
at 6pm and landed back at Narrow
Neck again at 1.05am. 7 full hours of
exercise.
One of my highlights was learning to
surf in a sit on top kayak. Whoopee!
The exhilaration. Believe me, it leaves
a permanent smile on your face!
And all because my doctor said,
“cholesterol too high”, “blood sugar
– too high, you have become a type
2 diabetic”. I asked if I could try
correcting those readings with diet and
exercise. “Sure”, he said, “but make
sure you choose an exercise that you
really enjoy.”
Ladies and gentlemen, life isn’t all bad,
at least not whilst you’re kayaking.
And I’ve lost another two kilos since
December, cholesterol normal, blood
sugar normal, waistline appearing,
feeling great, what more could a girl
want?
Three score years plus twenty?
Designers & Constructors of Multisport
& Adventure Racing Kayaks
Phone 06 875 0043 Fax 06 875 0983
E-mail:- info@ruahinekayaks.co.nz
P O Box 11142, Hastings
Website:-www.ruahinekayaks.com
This fast, stable kayak is designed
for the larger paddler looking for
a longer, stable boat.
Gladiator
ISSUE FORTYone • 2007 21