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Sea kayaking is a sport that pays back quickly. With only a little experience you can find yourself in open water and among terrific wildlife, writes GARY QUINN

WHEN I SAW the footage of the humpback whale breaching off Hook Head last month my imagination went into overdrive. All I could think about was getting into my kayak and heading off in search of it. But that whale knows its waters well and is pretty safe from me in this particular stretch of the Irish coastline. I’ve propelled myself over a lot of water since I took to the sea, but I’m not quite ready for the twists and turns that Hook Head can offer. I am, though, a much smarter, fitter and more skilled kayaker – and have earned these traits stroke by stroke along our magnificent coast.