Kayak Spill

 

It's kayaking season! I've been out on the water many times in an attempt to locate the motherlode of invasive naiad growth in our lake, but without success thus far. It's tricky holding the kayak still when you're trying to discern details on thin leaves beneath the surface. It's also hard to get yourself to stop and anchor in time too, without overshooting the suspect. 

Last week I leaned over to one side to feel the texture of some leaves down below, but felt myself losing control in a sideways roll. I quickly grabbed onto the nearest tree stump, but it wasn't stable and lurched beneath the water with my weight .... so, I completely lost my balance, and unintentionally rolled over (capsized, actually). Seeing as there was no one around to capture my oversight and incident, I decided to illustrate it in my naïve way, without regard for perspective nor dimension.

Everything, including me, got dumped out ... and I had my phone with me - again. Hah! This time I had sealed it in my waterproof dive bag, but still I panicked, and reached for it before anything else. Had I closed it fully? Did water leak into it - I mean, how watertight is it? I hadn't tested it before ... I also had to hold my reading glasses onto my face, find my sunglasses, Ziploc bags of plant samples, and my plastic sample floating tray, which I used to bail out most of the water. 

I'd been submersed just enough to have the water flow into my ears, and then get stuck. Ugh, I hate that feeling. Soaking wet, I walked my kayak back to shore and tipped it over. I hadn't realized that I'd scraped my leg against the pointy root structures of the floating stump, but it didn't even hurt. A few hours later I went back and retrieved the towel I'd had in my kayak with me, weighed down in silt.

My phone is still working. It stayed dry. But for now, I'm a little phone-shy about taking it with me. Perhaps it's time to retire the kayak I have affectionately named "Tippy," and opt for one of our more stable, flat-bottomed offerings ...