Activity

When I moved to New Brunswick in the summer of 2017, I noticed many people driving with a strange kind of boat strapped to the roof of their cars. My Canadian friends told me it was kayak and that kayaking is an extremely popular outdoor Canadian sport.

Last April, my settlement instructor, Ronda, showed us (her students) some beautiful pictures of her kayaking adventures. She also told us about some of her most interesting kayaking experiences. I was intrigued by this wonderful activity right away. Two months later, a friend of mine invited my husband, son and me to have a picnic with him at Rock Wood Park. It was a gorgeous sunny day. Some people were sunbathing beside the lake. Some people were swimming with their children in the lake. Some people were paddling kayaks on the lake. To my surprise, my friend had a kayak. He asked me if I wanted to try. I told him I would love to try it immediately!

The first time I sat in the kayak, I felt a little off balance, so my friend showed me how to sit properly, with my feet at the correct distance. It took a while for me to get used to gripping the double-bladed paddle correctly, but before I knew it, I was paddling around the lake with ease.

The scenery was magnificent. I felt totally connected with nature with the wind and water right next to me. I really enjoyed my time kayaking!

I searched for information about kayaks online. I discovered that kayaks were originally developed by the Inuit, Yup’ik and Aleut. They used the boats to hunt on inland lakes, rivers and coastal water of the oceans. These first kayaks were constructed from stitched seal or other animal skins stretched over a wood or whalebone-skeleton frame. Modern kayaks differ greatly from native kayaks in every aspect, including conception, form, design, manufacturing and usage.

There are many reasons why people love kayaking. First, kayaking is a great outdoor exercise, which requires a lot of upper body strength and a lot of balance. It makes you feel strong and lively. You get to see gorgeous scenes from different perspectives, which makes you feel like you are on an adventure. You can enjoy being alone without any annoyances or unpleasant sounds. This allows you to feel at peace and to recharge your batteries. 

Now, spring is here, so summer must be close. I can’t wait to go kayaking again.