This morning we met at the YWCA again for class at 8:30. On the way, I noticed huge piles of lobster traps and pink buoys piled in a yard. Kind of cool...
We had our compasses and waterproof charts of Maine so we dove right in to navigation. It's a little tricky but after a couple of hours, I had the hang of it. Here's our homework assignment, to find the location of our launch site using longitude/latitude and then to figure out the bearings to get to each of the next spots on a route, finally adding up all the distances for a total. I've got this. We used a lot of tools that I hadn't seen since 9th grade geometry.
Then we went over a kayak accident scenario from 2016 and discussed what went wrong and why and how it led to two deaths, a guide and one of his guests. Scary part is, there was only a 50% chance of thunderstorms and most tour companies won't cancel a trip if the sun's out. Food for thought as a guide.
https://bangordailynews.com/2016/06/24/news/kayakers-families-recount-fatal-excursion-off-corea/
After a lunch break, we headed a few blocks away to the YMCA (men's) since they have a huge Olympic size pool. Our kayaks were trailered over from the shop and we had to wash them down and get all the ocean debris out so they wouldn't muck up the pool. A new instructor joined us, Ty. I liked him a lot, as well as his demeanor and teaching style. We had three hours to learn and practice rescues and wet escapes. It was a little scary. The wet escape involves tipping yourself over to upside down, pulling the cord to release your spray skirt from the cockpit rim, and then pushing yourself above the water, while wearing a life jacket, which helps! I did it a few times and it got easier. Then we practiced assisted rescues using a paddle float. You inflate it by mouth after tipping over, attach it to the blade of your paddle and use it to stabilize your kayak so you can get back in after turning it over.
We also learned how to get a capsized guest back into their kayak after pulling the bow of their kayak onto ours and then tipping it over to empty water out before stabilizing their kayak and guiding them back in with their outer leg first. We practiced as a rescuer and rescuee with a partner. Imagine a pool with 11 kayaks in it!
Finally as we thought we were wrapping up, Mike and Ty said we'd have to learn the "hand of God" rescue, used on an unconscious guest still fastened into a capsized kayak. I'm not going to lie. This one was scary as sh*t, even in a pool. I cant imagine having to do it in waves and 50 degree water, but somehow I managed to do it! One partner tips themselves upside down in their kayak and remains still while holding their breath and waiting for their partner to reach over and turn their kayak back over and grab the life jacket to pull the "unconscious" guest upright. My upper body strength sucks, and I was terrified I wouldn't be able to pull the overturned kayak towards me and back over...leaving my male partner to drown! Somehow I managed it. Don't ask me how. Here's a video of the maneuver, minus the life jacket grab at the end.
https://paddling.com/learn/the-hand-of-god-rescue
Finally, after 3 hours, we hauled our kayaks and gear out to the trailer and had a debriefing with Mike. He ruined our day by telling us that we would actually have to perform these maneuvers, minus the "hand of God".... out IN the bay in cold 50 degree water! WHAT? This wasn't in the job posting either! Oh well. I'd say this is the first job with an actual risk of dying but... the 2-3x/week horse back riding at the dude ranch in 2016 left me pretty scared sometimes. We galloped across fields with chisler holes where a horse could twist their ankle and throw you, and we crossed rivers and climbed steep narrow mountain trails where a horse could slip. There were bears and a mountain lion on the property at times, and even moose that could get pretty dangerous if provoked. And then I remembered the last day of RAGBRAI in 2017 when topping one of the final 4 steep climbs and discovering the long steep downhill on the other side, letting loose with reckless abandon to coast down at top speed. If I had hit a pot hole or gravel, I'd be dead. Guess I like living on the edge.... I'm still not sure if I'll even finish this guide class or pass the State licensing exam but I'm giving it all I've got. Every day is a new challenge.
After stowing my gear back at the shop, I ventured into the awesome Hannaford grocery store 2 blocks away. Great prices, and when I signed up for their rewards card, they sent me a $10 gift card. I was tired and HUNGRY, so I eagerly used it to buy some sushi and... lobster bisque! I earned it, and I'm sure I'll work off the calories! ;)
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