First-timer takes the plunge at MacArthur State Park
By GERRY BARKER
North Palm Beach Life/[email protected]
Photos by Pam Barker/NBPL
There's a first time for everything, and today was my first time to kayak. No reason to worry, right? According to Wikipedia, people have been using kayaks for 4,000 years, so it's not exactly unproven technology.
Fortunately, I had good teachers -- North Palm residents Marge and Dave Ihrig -- who guided me through the whole process at John D. MacArthur Beach State Park, an amazing natural resource located on 438 acres in the area of Singer Island. Since there were three of us, we rented one double kayak, and one single. Dave and I took the double. My wife Pam was there to document the historic occasion.
Life jackets on (check); onboard items secured (check); kayak in launch position (check); wife asking if life jacket is really on good (double check) -- and we're off!
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh -- your arms and the paddle work in perfect unison. In theory, at least. It would take a little more practice for me to attain that skill. We were moving all right, thanks mostly to Dave. But one thing I did master: How to splash water on my clothes.
Regardless, it was a picture perfect morning. Early sun shining brilliantly across the water, a light breeze, the quiet only disturbed by an occasional fish or bird (not counting my grunting, of course). And despite my IR (irregular paddling), we managed to go a respectable distance. Meanwhile, Marge returned to base, where I am sure she reported what a "natural" I was to Pam.
Soon it was time for us to get back as well. Safely back on shore, I congratulated Dave on his helmsmanship and eagerly awaited the "Kayak Medal" that I certain Pam would reward me with. Wrong. She decided watching a movie on turtles at the marine center was more interesting than watching me try to paddle a kayak.
I can't really blame her.
North Palm Beach Life/[email protected]
Photos by Pam Barker/NBPL
There's a first time for everything, and today was my first time to kayak. No reason to worry, right? According to Wikipedia, people have been using kayaks for 4,000 years, so it's not exactly unproven technology.
Fortunately, I had good teachers -- North Palm residents Marge and Dave Ihrig -- who guided me through the whole process at John D. MacArthur Beach State Park, an amazing natural resource located on 438 acres in the area of Singer Island. Since there were three of us, we rented one double kayak, and one single. Dave and I took the double. My wife Pam was there to document the historic occasion.
Life jackets on (check); onboard items secured (check); kayak in launch position (check); wife asking if life jacket is really on good (double check) -- and we're off!
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh -- your arms and the paddle work in perfect unison. In theory, at least. It would take a little more practice for me to attain that skill. We were moving all right, thanks mostly to Dave. But one thing I did master: How to splash water on my clothes.
Regardless, it was a picture perfect morning. Early sun shining brilliantly across the water, a light breeze, the quiet only disturbed by an occasional fish or bird (not counting my grunting, of course). And despite my IR (irregular paddling), we managed to go a respectable distance. Meanwhile, Marge returned to base, where I am sure she reported what a "natural" I was to Pam.
Soon it was time for us to get back as well. Safely back on shore, I congratulated Dave on his helmsmanship and eagerly awaited the "Kayak Medal" that I certain Pam would reward me with. Wrong. She decided watching a movie on turtles at the marine center was more interesting than watching me try to paddle a kayak.
I can't really blame her.
