Kayak adventures

Paddling group explores County waters

Every Thursday evening from May through to the end of September— weather permitting—an intrepid band of paddlers take to the waters in or around the County for a little exercise, a little socializing and a lot of fun. These outings are organized by Mac Ross, and is offered by the Picton Recreation Committee, of which Mac is a member. He has been leading these outings for over 12 years and has seen the group grow from just a few participants to now numbering near 60. In previous years, the group would all launch from the same spot, making for a colourful flotilla of kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards. It was not unusual to have over 40 people taking part, and afterwards many of them would gather at a nearby restaurant to continue socializing. This year, however, the pandemic has meant some significant changes. At the beginning of the season, only groups of five or fewer were allowed to gather, so Mac created a rota of launch sites where these smaller groups would meet. Sometimes launch sites had to be shared, so the start times were staggered by 30 minutes to ensure group limits were maintained. As restrictions eased, the groups became nominally larger, and now there are four groups of up to 15 going out each Thursday. In the interest of safety, a leader is appointed for each group and is responsible for everyone under his or her charge, as well as making the decision whether or not to go out in the event of adverse weather. “I do a check of any launch site that we have, and we’ve got a number that it’s quite interesting to go from,” says Mac. “The problem with so many [people] is the parking, rather than just launching.” While Mac says that kayaking is a great way to exercise, the social aspect of it was an important factor too. “We used to all go out for dinner after, and everybody misses it. People are very cautious about not doing it at the moment, but I hope to get something before the end of the year.” Mac also organizes the occasional Saturday morning paddle during the summer, to locations such as the Napanee River or Point Traverse. One other extracurricular is a weekend afternoon session practising a capsize and re-entry. “It’s a safety aspect, as we do go out a fair distance from shore occasionally and it’s handy to be able to know how to get back in a kayak.”

Kerry Ford has been with the group for the past five years, and is an avid paddleboarder. “As soon as I got on the board, I loved it. Paddleboarding is a great water sport. It’s not only physically getting outdoors and getting some exercise, but mentally you can clear your head of the day’s problem and just enjoy the moment,” she says. She has obtained certification as a Stand-up Paddleboard Basic Skills Instructor, and offers lessons on how to be safe and have a great experience on the water, and can be reached via Stand Up Paddleboard PEC on Facebook.

Personal trainer Wendy Chapman joined the group last year and says that kayaking is an excellent form of exercise. “It’s a great upper body and core workout. There’s a skill to kayaking, as with any paddling. You want to use your core, because that’s where your power is, and not [just] your arms.” She learned her skills by taking a course in white-water kayaking, learning how to read the water and the waves and how to respond by using different kinds of paddle strokes. She says that the social aspect of the group is also very important to her. “It’s a great group of people. Mac does an awesome job of setting up where we’re going and making sure everybody’s safe. I just love being on the water. I love the fact that a kayak feels like you’re in the water, rather than in a boat. You can float up alongside the swans and the geese, and you can get in to narrow little places, and it’s just a different feeling.”

Visit facebook.com/Picton-Recreation-Commitee for contact information.