Isn't it great when two loves in your life finally come together? I've only been kayaking "seriously" since July 2009 and during that time I know that I must've been driving my poor wife, Cheryl, nuts with my fanaticism. (Anybody who paddles knows that it can be all-consuming.)
My wife had expressed an interest in paddling but we never got around to doing anything about it - until I got it in my head to buy her a drysuit for Mother's Day. I decided not to surprise her so we went to the Outfitters, a local shop that sells kayaks and associated gear, so that she could try one on. We left without a suit as she was unsure if she would use it enough to justify the cost. As luck would have it, there was a local paddler who had the exact same suit that we were looking at and was willing to let Cheryl loan it with an option to buy!!! What luck!
Today, May 30th, was our first "long paddle" together. We left Bay Bulls and did a 7 km trek. While not too long, we did run into a brisk head wind on the way back - go figure. We had a great time and I think that Cheryl is hooked!!! She said "We should paddle every Saturday". I'm up for that!!!
The only downside of the day was that when I went to take off my drysuit I found that I have a tooth out of alignment which causes the zipper to jam. Fawk that!!! It's a Palm Stikine - a very nice suit - and I'm hoping that the Outfitters will help me out (hint hint). I can still use the suit I just need to use a needlenose pliers, i.e., multi-tool, to realign the tooth so that the zipper can open!!!
Here's a few shots from the day:
The put-in
Headin' out the bay
Lunch and a smile. What it's all about. Who can't help but smile while enjoying a day on the water?
Thanks Cheryl for a great day together and looking forward to many more!!
Welcome to the wonderful world of spousal paddling. It makes it a lot more interesting when you have someone to argue with the whole way :-) Just kidding. My wife and I started paddling back in 2005, and its been fantastic to have another thing to share. Enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteThanks Brian. I certainly agree with the idea of having something else to share. I don't think my spouse fully understood the "hook" of paddling until she tried it herself. Now she has a better idea and can appreciate better my fascination with the whole thing!!
ReplyDeleteI think I may be "hooked" after just one major paddle for me. I thought I was going to be stiff and sore the next day but I wasn't. I was drained because of my MS but recovered with a days rest and looking forward to when I can get on the water again. I don't need to wait for a perfectly calm day anymore. I know I can get out in bit of a gale (if I have a strong paddler with me who has a tow rope, right Sean).
ReplyDeleteCheryl posted previous comment but didn't have account set up. oops!
ReplyDeleteFor those who may be confused - that was Cheryl's posting above. Our computer automatically logged her in as me when she made the comment!!
ReplyDeleteNice Shots Sean and Cheryl. Looks like you have the Thursday night lass you guys were all talking about. : ).
ReplyDeleteS.