This is a little DID YOU KNOW post! Paddle Experience, along with some of our awesome clients, has paddled the full 110km from Muizenberg to Cape Town! How amazing is that!? Done in legs this challenge has been ongoing since 2022, with folk finishing during this year. It is a huge feat! Taking on surf, swell, and some impressive distances! The challenge had 9 legs in the end, with some as short as 8km, and others as long as 19km! We can truly say that when it comes to kayaking in Cape Town we have paddled it ALL!
The first thing to realise is that there is a big difference
between a lifejacket (think bright orange big floaty thing around your front)
and a PFD (Personal Floatation Device) that kayakers/ surfski paddlers use. The
basic requirement is that a PFD can support a 6kg weight. That is it! I
personally weigh a number of 6kg weights. So don’t expect miracles, but when
you are exhausted it will help keep your head above water.
Recently I had a 250m+ swim in my PFD when had issues with
my surfski. It was my first long swim in my new PFD and it instantly
highlighted a number of issues; good and bad.
1. GOOD. It is bright orange so even on a cloudy grey day
people on shore could keep an eye on me.
2. GOOD. It is new and in good condition so it floated
nicely.
3. NOT GOOD. The PFD very quickly slipped up and covered my
face making it difficult to chat to my fellow paddler.
4. NOT GOOD. I could not swim with my PFD in my face so I
had to hold down the PFD with one hand which only left one hand to swim and
hold the boat.
5. NOT GOOD. My friends PFD has a big buckle in the front
which kept catching on the side of the boat, made getting back in very
difficult to extent that he eventually tried taking off the PFD in order to get
back in the boat. A situation one should never been in.
So how does one choose the right PFD for you.
1. Try and borrow a number of PFD’s before you buy one;
paddle in it to see if it rubs under your arms and swim in it to see if it
rides up and covers your face.
2. Lalizas (XL only) and Baltic PFD’s have a strap that runs
from front to back between the legs to prevent it riding up over your face
which is awesome. Just make sure that you get the bright version of either PFD.
3. Pockets in the front are not your friend. Small pockets
for lip ice / sunscreen are okay but the bigger pockets tend to get caught up
on the boat.
4. A snug fitting PFD is better than a lose fitting one.
5. The brighter the better, Hi viz PFD’s are much easier to
see in low light conditions.
6. If you are intending on racing or entering a Paddlesport sanctioned event the PFD must meet the Paddling South Africa requirements.
With the weather warming up we are looking forward to some awesome times on the water together. Take a look at our tours on offer below, as well as our awesome Kayaking101 course!
We look forward to seeing you on the water. Contact Tracy to Book: 0711743099
UPCOMING TOURS (R375pp): BIRDING TRIPS ZANDVLEI ESTUARY Sat 2 – 9am FULL Fri 15 – 9am Sat 16 – 9am FULL
SIMON’S TOWN Sat 10 – 9am Sun 17 – 9am Sat 23 – 9am Sun 24 – 9am
SPECIAL TRIPS: BUFFELS TO CAPE POINT (R600pp) Sun 3 – 9am MOONLIGHT PADDLE IN SIMON’S TOWN (R375pp) Fri 29 – 6pm
Then do remember our awesome KAYAKING 101 course! A must if you are spending time on the ocean!
We are looking forward to a great time on the water this month! Here are our upcoming tours: SAT 12 – Penguin Tour in Simon’s Town R375pp SUN 13 – Penguin Tour in Simon’s Town R375pp SAT 19 – Zandvlei Estuary, Birding trip R375pp (FULL) SUN 20 – Roman Rock Lighthouse R375pp (only 5 spaces left) SAT 26 – Penguin Tour in Simon’s Town R375pp (FULL) SUN 27 – Long Beach to Muizenberg (and back) R550pp (6 spaces left)
With the weather cooling down, and Cape Town heading to its secret season we look to how to dress so that you can still enjoy the gorgeous paddling days ahead.
An added extra in winter itself is of course neoprene booties too!! Keep those extremities warm!
When we head out in the colder months we always layer up – then you can add and subtract as you need to. Remember the good old quote from Alfred Wainwright — ‘There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.’ Make sure that you are prepared for the worst, and you will have the best possible time on the water.
When you run trips out on the ocean there are a number of conditions that occur that can be cause for caution. One of these, especially when you are paddling on the Atlantic side is FOG.
We arrived for a 9.15 paddle yesterday morning to beautiful sunshine and only a very light breeze. Within the 15 minutes of signing in and setting up the weather had flipped entirely as the fog descended rapidly. We obviously chose to stay on shore and opted to have coffee while we waited for the fog to lift.
IMAGES: Amy Carrington (These images are taken 15 minutes apart!)
But it got me thinking about the times I have got lost in the fog and what I would do if I got lost again.
Naturally if one notices the fog approaching then the best thing to do is get off the water as fast as possible, not being able to see your landing site, or other boats on the water, nor navigate clearly to shore is not a position you want to be in if you can help it – it is easier to go in the wrong direction than you might think – and personally I wouldn’t like to land in the shipping lane, or on Robben Island!! In those times don’t be fussy about getting back to your particular launch site, just find a safe area to get off the water and make for it as fast as possible.
The question remains; what if you do not manage to get off the water in time? The first thing I would do is make sure that everyone in the party is as warmly dressed as possible. Fog is chilly by nature and having paddlers cold and lost can lead to a rapid sense of humor failure. Before setting off again, tie all the boats together – nose to tail with a leader in the front and the appointed leader at the back of the train of kayaks. Nothing is worse than loosing a mate in the fog. The next thing I would do is get one of the paddlers to blow the whistle every 2 minutes or so. Kayakers in the fog have a very real possibility of getting run over by other craft that are lost and without AIS there is no telling where they are and likewise they cannot see you. A whistle also alerts other kayaks in the area that you are near and may help them locate your group and band together.
A lot of paddlers now paddle with their cell phones, and just switching on Google Maps will give you a really good indication of where your group is relative to the shoreline and a safe point of exit. Trust Google Maps over your sense of direction. One of your paddlers may have a Garmin watch and a number of them have a ‘return to home’ function which works exceptionally well.
The NSRI app, Safetrx, also has an Explorer icon on the first screen that will pin point your position within seconds and is great for navigating in the fog. Just remember to switch the map over to SAT view for a realistic view of the coastline. The big advantage of using the Safetrx app is that if anything else goes wrong one can quickly call for help. The golden rule for assistance is Call for help EARLY (if you think things may go wrong call for help) The NSRI needs time to launch their craft before they can come and find you.
Once you have an idea of which direction you need to head start paddling slowly and carefully listening out for other whistles, calls for help and oncoming motor boats!
I always get so excited when I sit and work on the calendar for the upcoming month, we hope that you like what you see! There is just so much to choose from that it is hard to pick…
This month we have added in POP-UP PADDLES on Wednesdays! Chat to us about where you want to go, and we will do our best to make it happen.
Get fit before we head into summer with PADDLE FIT: Join monthly and enjoy this awesome community of paddlers.
We look forward to paddling into Spring with you. BOOKINGS: Tracy 0711743099 or tracy@paddleexperience.co.za
We simply LOVE Tuesday and Thursday afternoons! Watching the kids jump onto the water with such joy and enthusiasm is fabulous. We think it is the best way to introduce kids to paddling!
A Tour – Hout Bay and its seals / the penguins in Simon’s Town / Birding Tour on the Zandvlei Estuary – You can even make a special request, and we will make it happen for you.
A Paddle Fit session
Junior Canoe Polo
Contact Tracy to book or find out more: 0711743099
