I have blogged in the past about going canoeing/kayaking with friends. I have had a great time, every time.
I had the opportunity this weekend, this
ENTIRE weekend to take a flat water training course. So, I did.
First day, get up at 6:30 AM, leave the house at 7:15 AM and drive around lost for 45 minutes. I did get there at 8:03AM, and we were suppose to be there a little before 8, so, yes I was late......but, I tried.
We watched some video's on basic water safety, etc, then we had to haul 4 canoes off the trailer and "portage" them to a swimming pool, which is a fancy word for CARRY ! I will tell you, I think they are heavy, even if others don't.
We then left the canoes beside the pool and had to take a swim test, which consisted of swimming 4 laps (I can not remember the last time I swam ONE lap, not less FOUR !), and then we had to tread water while an instructor wanted to "chat" a few seconds (seemed like hours to me!), and then we had to float for one minute (this was the easy part, I float well!), and then they threw our life jacket to us, and we had to put it on while treading water. There is some sort of fancy way to flip over it, and go underwater and come out in it, but, I just tread water until I got it on...
Now, being that I am
SO out of shape, I am now exhausted, but it is only 10AM....we now have to put the canoes in the pool and do the following:
1. Learn out to get in a tandem (another fancy name for two people canoe) canoe without out tipping over.
2. Learn how to jump out of the canoe without making it tip over, and come crashing on your head. (I was not looking forward to intentionally getting wet this way)
3. Learn how to get back into a canoe while treading water.
(I should add here, that the idea of having to do this, of having to haul my overweight, out of shape, body, that has absolutely
NO upper body strength into
anything, not less a canoe on the water, almost made to chicken out!
4. Learn how to fall out of the canoe when your partner attempts to get into the canoe. (This was actually not a
required skill, but, the lesson was learned)
5. Re-learn how to enter a canoe while treading water.
6. Learn how to get into your canoe when it is full of water. ****note***canoes will not completely submerge (fancy way of saying sink)....they have some flotation stuff built in the walls, but it does fill up all the way!******
7. Learn how to holler out "hey, do you need help, it looks like your canoe is full of water?" This made me laugh and want to say"duh, you made me fill it with water", but, I refrained! Then you have to, while sitting in your canoe, and not falling out, flip the other canoe over, to get the water out, drag it across your canoe, to make sure every drop is out, and then flip it back over, and put it back in the water....did I say you have to do this and not fall out of your own canoe.....hmmm. well, yes, you do, and my partner and I actually did!
The above actions took until noon.......no one drown, but here is a photo of just one of my bruises..........
This is just one.............I have several matching pairs..........canoes are made of really hard material! I will write more about this later, right now, I need some more aspirin, and ice packs!