I went kayaking on Sunday and, while my muscles are still sore and my memory still fresh, write down the experience here.
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這篇文章的中文版在這裡。
I went kayaking on the north coast last Sunday; it’s been almost a year since I last went out to sea. Though I felt the improvement, it is probably from Lv. -5 to Lv. -3. I will keep working and hope to achieve the average beginner level one day ...
My first kayaking trip took place back in 2017 on the Big Island of Hawaii. There is a well-known snorkeling spot on the Big Island, Captain Cook Monument, which can only be reached by boat or hiking. As kayaking seemed cooler than taking a boat, I signed up for a kayaking and snorkeling trip.
We sailed out early in the morning, kayaking on the calm waters of the Kealakekua bay. When we reached the destination, there were only we and then another kayaking group; the 20 of us snorkeled quietly. Later, several larger boats came, and a group of people plunged into the sea like dumplings; it became so very lively all of a sudden. Fortunately, we were also ready to leave.
The snorkeling spot was gorgeous: clear waters, spectacular coral reefs, and countless bright tropical fish swimming around. Yet already exhausted by kayaking, I was worrying about the return trip all the time I was snorkeling. Fortunately, the ocean current was to our favor on the return trip, which saved us a lot of strength. In our group, there were a mom and a dad with their two kids, occupying two different kayaks. Even though the kids were tired and not rowing, one adult still beat the two of us... So shocked, I made up my mind that I had to improve my rowing skills one day.
Last year in the Shimen Reservoir (石門水庫), I noticed a small group of people rowing on the lake. I thought it would be great if I learned how to row, and then I could go to the Shimen Reservoir to enjoy a kayaking trip now and then.1 After searching on the Internet, I found that the group I saw was probably the Taiwan Kayak Association, so I persuaded Kuang-wei and invited a friend to sign up for the Association’s beginner course in May.
It was a 2-day course, and all my muscles were screaming at me at the end of the first day. I really doubted if I would be able to get up on the second day, but the learning and adaptation of muscles was faster than expected. On the second day, I actually felt better even though we practiced more — I was in fact glad that the course was 2 days; had it been a 1-day course, I might have given up kayayking altogether with all the soreness of muscles. I thought I progressed from knowing nothing to knowing a bit. But wherever the destination was, I was always far behind everyone else... By then I realized that my level probably started from the minus side.
After we finished the course in early May 2021, in 2 weeks’ time, there was suddenly an outbreak of the epidemic followed by the level 3 alert, so we could not go kayaking again until the epidemic eased in September. This time we went practicing by ourselves, and on the return trip, there were only Kuang-wei and I — at which time I found I could barely row, did not have the strength to carry the boat, and even injured my little finger because my right arm was completely strengthless. The harsh reality prompted me to start weight training in the past six months, with the purpose to be strong enough to carry the boat. The result came out last Sunday: I failed the test, and was ashamed to have dragged down my teammates.
A few veterans took us newbies on a kayaking trip last Sunday: we started from the Shen’ao Bay (深澳灣), passing through the Elephant Trunk Rock (象鼻岩), and heading for the Chaojing Park (潮境公園). The one-way journey was about 1 km plus 2 km, but the course I took was far from a straight line. “Push with the upper hand, pull with the lower hand, rotate the body and row with the strength of the core muscles; your right hand is too high...” Under the instruction and encouragement of our team leader, I finally paddled some decent forward strokes and caught up with others waiting at the Elephant Trunk Rock.
However, on the way to the Chaojing Park, I being already exhausted and the current being too strong, I could not row back to the proper course, and the team leader had to pull me through the last section. At the park, seeing everyone else jumping into the water for snorkeling, I thought it would be wiser to stay ashore to recover my strength. Fortunately, the return trip was easier as the current was mostly to our favor, and I plucked up all my strength to finish the trip — being about half a bay behind everyone else though. It was almost a parallel to my first kayaking trip in Hawaii in 2017.
The toil aside, it was amusing to see the land from the sea. Sailing on the sea level, I could see that the Elephant Trunk Rock was indeed an elephant, and the meandering and mountainous coastline of northern Taiwan stood in a unique posture. Rowing forward at sea, I felt myself to be inconsequential, while the wind and the ocean current were all powerful, all encompassing. I hope I will grow stronger to steer the direction better.
Kuang-wei commented that he admired my spirit of always having the courage to challenge new things... “but you have already challenged three times.” Well, this is probably a tragedy where interest and ability do not align. Anyway, I will work on my push-ups until the next kayaking trip, and struggle from the minus side to Lv. 1.
Things are always better in imagination. Though Taiwan is surrounded by sea and boasts its mountains, the mountains and waters have been under control for many years. The opening/democratization of mountains and waters has begun only recently and are still underway. The Shimen Reservoir currently allows the operatation powered boats, but non-powered kayaks require a group application in advance. Hopefully it will be more and more open in the future (but I am not sure if it is reasonable for the reservoir to allow for powered and non-powered boats?).