Megan Wise Goes Outside: Winter Kayak Lessons

This week, Outdoor Chattanooga, along with some cold, cold weather sent the Megan Wise Goes Outside series inside.

I would be learning the basics of kayaking here at Southern Adventist University by taking part in an educational program put on by Outdoor Chattanooga themselves.

Megan:"This makes me nervous."

When I say basics, I do mean the basics. It turned out, I didn’t even know how to sit in a kayak until they showed me the correct position.

If you don’t know what you’re doing, kayaking can be a risky hobby, so safety practices and precautions are a huge part of the learning process here.

The gear for kayaking is a bit.. unique, but nonetheless practical. Along with the kayak, all the gear you need for this program is conveniently provided by Outdoor Chattanooga.

Terry: "find it, pull, bring you knees together and push out of the kayak. Tada."

I know I must look like a professional, but I swear this is my first time in a kayak.

"Feel your edges. Lean, and lean, and eventually you’re gonna lean far enough that you’re going to flip over"
First, I just became acquainted with the water by flipping over.

Next, I put my wet exit practice to use.
Terry: "she did 3 seconds"
Now, was time to learn to paddle, which was not my strongest point.

Megan: "excuse me, forward stroke"

For the grand finale of my kayaking training, I would try to flip my capsized kayak over on my own.

I was happy with doing half of that, but I seemed to be the only one.

Megan: "so what if I do a 90 degree underwater and say I accomplished that?"

Jacob:"No you gotta, You should try to do it all the way."
Megan "No, Jacob."
Jacob: "We need a finish for this thing"
Megan: "We did have a finish, I go underwater."
Jacob: "You’ve already been underwater."
Terry: "Ready set go, do it hip snap, tada! You pretty much did a roll just about. I just held that paddle for one second"

Megan: "I have a new respect for kayakers that I see going down the river, down the Ocoee. They certainly are very athletic and it’s certainly takes a lot of practice you know. You can’t just do it one time and pick it up it takes a lot of time you learn a lot but I got a lot to learn."

——————————————————————-

You can sign up for Kayaking lessons with Outdoor Chattanooga online.
They cost $75 per person or $125 for a family.