Caryn Rawlinson balances atop an inflatable stand-up paddle board (SUP for short) in Pilot Bay. The Tauranga mum-of-three is part of a weekly Wednesday morning group that joins an instructor from East Coast Paddler, a Mount Maunganui business providing gear and lessons. Ms Rawlinson said it's her sixth time on a SUP.
"I'm right into it. I love it," she said. She also enjoys the security of a group. "I like to learn about the sea and know what it's doing. You can never let your guard down. We look after each other and we're having fun."
I join Rawlinson and instructor Suzy Cumming for a 40-minute paddle on my new board.
I've clocked about eight hours on the water so far, including two lessons. Already, I've committed rookie sins during a single holiday trip: not carrying a communication device and not checking wind speed before venturing into Whitianga's Harbour. Assisted by a tail wind for 30 minutes, I turned around to discover no matter how hard I paddled, I couldn't get back. I reversed course, pulled into a boat launch and borrowed a stranger's cell phone to let my husband know I'd be late.
Instructor Cumming said another paddle boarder recently made the same mistake in Pilot Bay. "She paddled with the wind, but couldn't get back in. I had to get her." Besides telling SUP'ers to always wear a life jacket, Cumming also reminds them to wear an ankle leash.
"If you're tied to your board, it's like having an extra flotation device if you come off."
Our group waits for two waves of children paddling mini sea kayaks before we head to shore. We've already navigated waves from a jet ski and avoided swimmers. It's easy to focus on staying upright instead of scanning the water ahead. Miss Cumming said, "You have to be aware of what's going on around you."
Know before you go
- Metservice.com
- port-tauranga.co.nz
- www.marineweather.co.nz
- www.maritimenz.govt.nz
That advice applies to kayakers and canoeists, too. Estelle Leyshon, who owns Canoe and Kayak Bay of Plenty, said paddlers must practise tipping their vessels, even kayakers with sit-on-top models. "A lot of adults find it quite difficult to get back on. I've been sea kayaking and have come across people sitting on top of their kayak around Motiti Island and near hypothermia. I've had to take them back to the beach." Ms Leyshon recommends new kayakers and canoeists take a basic skills course, where they'll learn how to recover after capsizing. She said kayak fishermen need training, too. "They spend two-and-a-half grand on a kayak, but are least likely to take a course."
Ms Leyshon and other instructors also recommend checking the forecast, including wind, waves and tides before setting out; bringing two forms of communication in a waterproof bag, such as a cell phone and personal locator beacon; dressing for the sea in neoprene and wind-resistant clothing (not cotton board shorts); and letting someone know where you're going and for how long.
Kayak instructor Robbie Banks of Connect 2 Kayaking BOP said she has kayaked for more than 30 years and has rescued many people who were under-educated and under-prepared for the sea. Mrs Banks recommends beginning kayakers limit activity to winds under 15 knots. "The biggest thing that catches people is an offshore wind - you can get blown quite a distance."
Tidal movement changes every hour. Slack tides are the most settled time. It's scary how many people go out there and don't know that stuff.
Mrs Banks said she recently took part in looking after two kayakers who'd been tossed off their boats, drifting from Rabbit Island, near Mount Main Beach, 3km to Omanu Surf Club.
"It's a classic situation where people get the equipment but don't have knowledge of the danger they could be in with an offshore wind."
The Bay of Plenty Times reported another incident on Christmas Eve in which three young Papamoa boys helped save a kayaker and his daughter who were pulled out to sea by a rip after their kayak flipped.
Mrs Banks said it's important to know the location of channels and strong currents. "Tidal movement changes every hour. Slack tides are the most settled time. It's scary how many people go out there and don't know that stuff."
Kids need proper training and equipment, too. Omanu Surf Lifesaving club director Dennis Mundy said too many parents send their kids into the water with a new boogie board - and nothing else. "If they put on a pair of fins with a boogie board, they can do infinitely more. A small child's feet are rarely in the water enough to provide forward kick propulsion."
As for this novice - I plan to invest in a waterproof phone case and check the forecast before my next adventure.
Water safety advice
- Maritime New Zealand research shows big growth last year in the number of Kiwis owning small vessels, which are more likely to be involved in boating incidents. The most popular vessels under 6m are kayaks and canoes (320,000).
- MNZ and the Safer Boating Forum recommend four key safety messages: wear lifejackets at all times; take two ways of communicating that work when wet; check the weather forecast; avoid alcohol
- NZ law requires boats, including craft under 6m, to carry life jackets. Maritime NZ says this includes paddle boards but not surf boards, which are considered non-navigable craft that use wave action. Many experts recommend wearing already-buoyant life vests rather than using a belt pouch or inflatable jacket. They say lifejackets are difficult to put on in water, even with practice.
Paddling clubs and gear
Bay of Plenty Kayak Club - www.yakityyak.co.nz
Canoe & Kayak - www.canoeandkayak.co.nz
Kiwi Association of Sea Kayakers (has a link to the Bay club) - www.kask.org.nz
East Coast Paddler - www.ecpsurf.co.nz
Liquid Stixx - www.liquidstixx.co.nz
Windsurfing NZ - www.windsurfing.nz.org
