Kayaking in Doubtful Sound

Technically I’ve kayaked in the sea before, but it was in the Galapagos and we just stayed within a protected bay.  We also used “sit on” kayaks (not sure of the technical name).  So, when I heard I’d be sea kayaking in Doubtful Sound I wasn’t sure what to expect and to be honest I was a little nervous.

My nerves were not put to rest by the obscene amount of gear that they passed out the night before…thermals, fleece, waterproof pull-over, neoprene kayak skirt, and a life jacket.  The instructions were to come to breakfast in our gear.  I chose to leave a couple of layers off until right before we left.

My nerves were also not put to rest when it started pouring rain that night.

The guides started knocking on doors at 6am, I promptly ate breakfast, and headed to the water.  Immediately I was in awe of the water.  It was like glass.  The nerves started to settle, but increased when one of the young guys decided I should pair up with him and that we should go with the more “advanced” group.

Once we got moving, I realized it wasn’t nearly as hard as I thought it was going to be.  I’m sure the calmness of the water made a HUGE difference.  It wasn’t long before my young partner and I got into a rhythm.  I loved that we spent most of the day in front of our group because it was calm and peaceful…and, allowed me to capture some amazing photos.

After using a proper sea kayak, I now can’t decide what type of kayak I’d like to buy.  Yep…I had that much fun.  I’ll definitely be doing it again.  And yes, I do realize that we had a perfect day.  I’m sure my next sea kayaking trip will be more difficult, but I’m glad to have started out easier.

.Note:  All of these photos were taken with my underwater camera, a Nikon Coolpix AW110.  For a point and shoot camera it doesn’t quite well.