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FOUR WOMEN ON KAYAK
Although it
is not a well-known sport in Chile, Kayaking is one of the
most friendly and entertaining activities that any type of
person can practice.
By Miriam Cuevas
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Our challenge
was to learn and to go on kayak. A group of young women with three
months of going to the gym, we had no fear of going on an adventure
that seemed entertaining. It was a different panorama for a Sunday.
We departed from Santiago close to 9:30 in the
morning and after a two-hour drive we arrived to our destination.
A half sized reservoir surrounded by pastureland and trees.
Located on the
route to the central coast.
At first we took down the kayaks from the vehicle.
As in every type of team activity the most important is cooperation
and working eagerly in a group. In the mean while we changed clothes
and put on sun block. We transported our things and prepared
our supplies. After a few minutes we were ready to receive the
first instructions. The
appropriate attire
 One
of the important details in
kayaking is the clothing. In general it is recommended to utilize synthetic
attire that it will keep you warn even when
wet. On the contrary cotton makes humidity remain on
the body; although the kayak is always moving at all times, while
rowing you get wet and without knowing it your body becomes
cold.
First instructions
The
kayaks, be it dividual or double, have seats that may be
regulated that adapt to the size of each person. One of the first
things that you should do before entering the water is regulate
the seats. Therefore the person should sit in the kayak with your
back in an upright position and your legs slightly bent and arched
in a form that they do not get out of the kayak at the same time
not bumping against the sides of the kayak. This is the position
that you should maintain always being that the way you position
your legs, it's the way the kayak maintains its balance allowing
you to row in a secure and stable manner.
Learning
to paddle
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For the
kayak you use paddles with double blades, one on each end. The length of the
shaft and the form of the blades can vary; nevertheless what
counts is how you position the paddles. By taking the shaft in
both hands and put it in front of us, if the right oar is found in
vertical position, then the left should be inclined almost completely
in a horizontal position.
This related with the technique to row. The right
blade should enter vertically in the water, this way there is less
resistance. The blade enters from the front and exits from the
back. At this moment the right wrist rotates back as if you
were accelerating a motorcycle. This make the left blade rotate as
well to a vertical position upon entering the
water. In kayaking the left hand only should allow space so that
the paddle rotates with the right hand movement.
You should never let go of the paddle. Your
wrists should maintain a straight position other wise with time
your back would suffer the consequences.
Who takes the wheel
 The
rudder situated in the posterior part of the kayak, and only drops
when it enters the water. Although some kayaks don't have a rudder
, it is indispensable for long trips and in waters with a lot
of breaking waves. The rudder is controlled with your feet with two-foot paddles. If you step on the right you should let go of
the left foot paddle and thus vice versa.
In the case of a double kayak the person in the back is the one
who operates the rudder, therefore he or she practically takes
control of the vessel.
Without
forgetting your stomach
The kayaks possess two compartments, one in the front and the other
in the rear. They are used to keep food, supplies and some
instruments. It is recommendable to carry enough high energy
food, and a lot of water. Although kayaking looks like a light
activity it gets you very hungry so it is better to go prepared.
To enjoy yourselves safely
Its
hard to imagine being in a slim and seemingly fragil vessel in the middle
of a lake or open sea without feeling a little bit of
the shivers. But in spite of the kayak looking flimsy, it is a very
safe sport. You only need to know how to swim and to take the
basic precautions like a life jacket. You also need to learn what
to do in case the kayak capsize and travel with experienced
people who know how to correctly lead the trip.
Break
into an adventure
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After receiving all the instructions and
recommendations we were ready to go into the water. Although
at the beginning it was the waves that carried us, and little by
little we started to take control of the kayak and moved away from
the shore.
The most entertaining about kayaking is that it
allows you to enjoy| nature without disrupting it, as small crafts
and paddling hardly affects the environment.
Upon
cruising the lagoon that day we learned about different trees,
types of vegetation in a calm and silent way. Listening to birds
singing and the sounds of the chirps of the cicadas.
When it was time for lunch, we stopped at a small
beach were we siezed the occasion and stretched our legs, fed ourselves
and rested in the sun. As well as practicing one of the most
entertaining types of activities in this type of traveling we
talked and got to know the rest of the crew.
Later in the afternoon the ones who were in double kayaks were
paddling in sync meanwhile each person looked for their own
objective like, paddling towards ducks further away, trying to get
to the black necked swans or finding a secret beach.
At the end of the day back at our departure point,
we put every thing in order, took final pictures and bid farewell
to this handsome place.
Other than being tired, in the van we laughed
remembering all the adventures in this incredible day traveling on
kayak.
Article by : Miriam Cuevas
Photos by: Paola Villagra and Jean Pierre Orduña
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