Personal Journey: Learning White Water Kayaking

It was in the year 2019 a good Friday weekend, when I enrolled for the first time in a learn to kayak course offered by team4adventure. I didn’t know how to swim, due to location change long distance cycling had stopped. Wasn’t doing anything even remotely related to fitness. More on that experience here. Due to paralyzing fear, failed to do the basic rescue drill in the rapid.
Came again after some weeks. This time just to be able to execute that drill. I did flip, was able to do wet exit. But, still fear was intense. So, the team put me on inflatable kayak. The run, that others were doing on hardshell kayak, I did on inflatable.

This experience had a deep impact on me. 2 things happened:
1. It gave me a new perspective on Why I should get in shape? This time, the reason wasn’t the usual one i. e to look good, find a partner so on and so forth. The reason was bigger.
2. There are folks who are able to do it without knowing how to swim. They have water comfort. I didn’t have. And, I should learn to swim.

2020, 2021. - Covid years. I was back home. Somewhere towards the end of 2020 it was beginning of Winters. I enrolled for swimming classes. It was more about getting comfortable with water rather than being a pro at swimming. Off season worked as advantage for me. Learning journey here. No kayaking.

2022 - Continued swim practice, got a nutritionist, followed diet. Lost weight, some inches. Walked, walked and walked. It was more for staying mentally sane after father’s demise. Enrolled in yoga classes. As mind wasn’t stable, struggled to stay consistent. I also went back to the river. This time to test how much has swimming helped. For 2 days, did inflatable kayaking. Longer section, bigger rapids. In flat water sections they asked me to jump out and swim a bit. And, once they pre-planned and overturned me. Things were better than before.

2023 - Enrolled in yoga, this time with a commitment to self. That I need to be consistent. For self sanity, as well as for doing better at the river. As, I had heard bit of flexibility helps in kayaking. Did manage to keep at it. (result of impact of some books). The thing with loss is, there is no playbook on how to cope or deal with the loss. When I was at a stage when I no longer wanted to live and was pretty hopeless. Someone I look upto suggested - “Have something in life that you look forward too”. This one line had big impact and it has stayed. Yoga became my anchor.

I did go for Kayaking. In May and June. Did some pool sessions, again did learn to kayak course. The rescue technique i.e T-rescue that started happening. Result of yoga, that it was happening as it should, without any shoulder strain. However, being able to do it in pool or flat water is different than being able to do it in rapid. I had a sleepless night before the run. I capsized right at the entry on day 4 run. Class II rapid. Panicked, wet exit. Crossed 2 rapids hanging onto the rescue kayak. Wanted to quit the run in the middle. And, alas there was no way to exit.

2024 - Wanted to reward myself for being consistent with the practice. Enrolled myself for 2 months January, March Mysore style practice with yogacharya Bhartha Shetty Sir. When the kayaking season began. I got laid off from workplace. The plan to go got cancelled. Online yoga practice continued. Lot of asana’s got unlocked. Consistency can move mountains. My yoga journey gave me a first hand experience of this. A new pool opened in the city 10ft deep. On and off swimming continued. Tried sea kayaking at Gokarna.

2025 - Had heard Kerala has backwater kayaking. Headed to Kerala. Went for backwater kayaking at Kochi, Alleppey. Enrolled for swimming again. This time wanted to give white water kayaking more time. Around 25 days, I was in Rishikesh. Trying white water kayaking. It was one of a kind experience to say the least.

Over the course of couple of years. Have tried a bunch of adventure sport. And, going forward I guess I am going to stick to this one. Each sport has its own learning curve. Given the time at hand, I need to commit to one to make progress. I see it as a bigger opportunity and it is not just a bucket list item.