My brother called me up last Friday to suggest that we rent a couple of Kayaks and head out for a paddle. It had been almost 10 years since I had been in a kayak and my brother and his wife had never been. We booked a 3 hour tour with Freewheeling Adventures in Hubbards Nova Scotia.
The best way to summarize it is - WOW. What a great experience. The morning that we picked couldn't have been better. Sunny and flat calm with warm water - well, warm for Nova Scotia.
Our guide, Veronica, was excellent. She started out with some basic instructions on how to get into the kayak and then got us out on the water. After a few minutes of showing us some basic strokes we were off. Periodically throughout the morning she would stop and show us some more strokes and techniques.
Halfway through we stopped and the guide showed us how to self rescue in case we tipped. I was more then ready for a little swim by that point in time.
By the end of our tour I felt confident in the skills that I had learned. I would highly recommend that anyone thinking about trying a kayak should find an outfitter such as Freewheeling adventures and get some instruction. Knowing the proper techniques for paddling and what to do in case of capsize will give the confidence to make future trips that much more enjoyable.
If you are in the Maritime Provinces check out FreeWheeling Adventures.