It’s been four weeks since our kayak misadventure and I’m still struggling with how to characterize it. This was only our second time in a kayak and most likely our last. I’m certainly not a quitter and I have a suspicion that if we could just practice on a very calm, windless waterway (or in a pool) we would have an enjoyable time. I mean I paddle board for goodness sake! I’ve even done yoga on paddle boards! So why have we been thwarted both times we’ve attempted this activity? I think it was wind, and choppy water and wind. So much wind.
About ten years ago we vacationed in La Jolla, staying at La Valencia, aka the “Pink Princess”. Such a wonderful experience- super hotel, great location, amazing views. I loved walking along the Pacific coast each morning, watching sea lions sunning on the rocks. We met a lovely couple who’d gone on a guided kayak and snorkeling tour in La Jolla Cove. We booked a tour and I was excited to be able to access the famous tidal pools and snorkel with interesting marine life. So to make a verrry long story short (because this post is about the Icelandic kayaking debacle -not the California kayaking debacle) it was too windy and the water in the Cove too choppy for snorkeling…we struggled with the wind for about 45 minutes, never quite being able to sync up our paddling, then our guide herded us back to shore. As we were debarking I lost my footing, an enormous wave knocked us down and the kayak swung around and conked me on the head. Like a really hard conk. Not the high point of our trip. Anyway we probably never should have gone out in those sea conditions…whatever.
Flash forward to 2021 and Endeavors visit to Djupivogur. We woke to a brilliant sun and the absolutely bluest of blue skies.
I call these kind of views heart opening views. I never want to take for granted how lucky we are to wake up on a ship, open the drapes and see this.
Prior to any kayaking excursion, guests are taken to the Mud Room and given a demonstration of donning a dry suit. It was impressed on us the importance of maintaining the waterproof seal.
We repaired back to our cabin and suited up. A bit of an effort, but we helped each other and it only took us about 10 minutes. The greatest challenge was dealing with the very tight fabric at our necks. It was rubber like and super tight.
We were the first of our group back down to the Mud room. In addition to dry suits we were fitted with booties.
We rode to shore on zodiacs. It was a short ride and the scenery was spectacular.
Katie, Matt and other members of the expedition crew set out early in the morning scouting an appropriate landing site and then ferry the kayaks over.
Most of my memories of this day are colored by the crowning event, I do remember thinking that aside from the wind, it was one of the best weather days so far. And we’d been blessed with wonderful weather all trip. The sky was just so blue and the water so clear.
As we set off, Katie remarked that the conditions were “definitely sporty”.
Oh they were “sporty” all right. Spectacularly sporty. Stupendously sporty.
Just when it seemed that we were finally paddling in sync, and adjusting to the sporty conditions, a gust of wind drove us into an outcropping of rocks. One minute we were upright and the next we found ourselves in the 50 degree water. When the kayak overturned I popped right up (this according to one eyewitness) but Timmy was stuck underwater, unable to extricate himself. I cannot describe how I felt when I realized his predicament. Sheer terror. Thank goodness my panic was short lived. Timmy surfaced on the other side of the kayak and we began to swim for the rocks. I do remember thinking “Just when we were going to have the wind at our backs” and “I sure hope these phone cases are truly waterproof”. Weird right? Anyway, someone shouted for Katie, she turned around, headed toward us, and radioed for assistance. Meanwhile, as we approached the very slimy rocks, we discovered we could stand. Albeit with great difficulty. My head, face and hands were freezing. Beyond freezing. Katie paddled over, told me to grab onto her kayak and moved me around to the other side of the rocks. I have never seen anyone paddle so fast. Then she went over and repeated the process with Tim. All the while assessing our wellbeing. All business. Totally professional. We reassured her and she set off to retrieve the kayak. George and his zodiac were dispatched from Endeavor and Katie and George wrestled the kayak onto the zodiac. Timmy and I were standing in waist deep water and I realized that he was shivering. Really shivering. So we tried to climb higher up onto the rocks. After the kayak was secured, we swam out to the zodiac. (There was no way it could land on the rocks). George made several attempts to help me onboard … it just wasn’t happening. Finally I managed to get over the side and we both wrangled Timmy up and over. By now his previously ruddy face was white. The ride back to the ship was endless.
Back in the Mud Room we struggled out of the dry suits and I discovered that Timmy was not dry. He was soaked through and really, really cold. Me: “Timmy you’re so cold” Tim: “I’m fine, just a bit wet”. Remember his shirt collar pulled through the drysuit neck opening? Well that allowed the seawater to get in. If you know Tim, you know he “runs hot”, he’s always warm, which is why I couldn’t wait to get him into a hot shower. We spent about 15 minutes warming up then headed to Waterside for soup and an Irish Coffee.
All’s well that ends well. …or something like that…
