Last week I posted on this Internet site a report of my paddle to Masonboro Island. A couple days after the trip, I had an insight of what had transpired which has become a watershed experience for me that greatly improved my kayaking situation.
For the first 50 years of my outdoor athletic career, I led small groups of friends and went on solo trips all over the Blue Ridge, Black and Smokey Mountains. Mostly we were backpacking, but we also did camping, hiking, canoeing, canoe camping, cross country skiing, snow camping, and even a couple kayak camping trips in the coastal estuary near Swansboro, NC. I often went to places which were new to me, to scope out routes for future trips. I was always well prepared and traveled carefully. My friends joked that if they were planning a trip, they would invite me, because I would bring the necessary equipment, like the first aid kit, fire starter and spare paddle.
During those times it was never my concern that I would get lost or injured. I always had a map and compass, and I knew what I was doing. If someone got lost or injured, then I was often the one to find or treat them. I did not ever need to be found or treated myself.
When I moved to the coast and lived in New Bern for a few years, and then moved to Wilmington and have lived here for a few years, I took up kayaking as my main sport. For some reason that I do not know why, I became overly cautious. When kayaking, I always went with a group – never solo. I usually followed an experienced paddler as a guide. I had a good GPS, and several smart phone mapping and navigating apps, but I feared getting lost. I was constantly concerned about capsizing and not being able to do a self-rescue.
After this Masonboro trip last week, I amazed myself by realizing that during the entire paddle, I had not once been concerned about being solo. I did not think about not having a guide. I traveled to several places new to me, using my GPS, and I was always well aware of where I had been, where I am, and where I am going. The potential of capsizing and needing a self-rescue never entered my mind. This personal growth was not something that I was planning or working on specifically. It just kind of happened naturally.
I still prefer to paddle with partners, and I will welcome a guide. But the new found freedom I feel from not being tied to always searching for partners and guides is refreshing. The ability to navigate to new places with just my GPS is encouraging. Of course, I will not go crazy. When I have the opportunity to do a longer, more exposed paddle, like from Beaufort to Shackleford Banks, or from Harkers Island to Cape Lookout, I will only go with experienced partners and guides.
