'Pop your sprayskirt. And don't forget to get your legs out'

Fed up with the lack of sun, I decided to go on a sea-kayaking adventure and no weather was going to dampen my
enthusiasm, writes GEORGINA O'HALLORAN

WEEKS OF GREY skies and rain have left much of the population cooped up indoors, feeling rather sorry for themselves, me included. So recently I decided there was nothing for it but to embrace the weather, bad or good, and embark on an outdoor adventure.

Four-eight hours later I am wetsuited, life-vest in hand, listening intently to sea-kayaking instructor Danny O’Morchoe as he imparts a vital piece of information: how to escape from a kayak if you find yourself upside-down in the water.

“Pop your sprayskirt. And don’t forget to get your legs out. Some people forget,” says O’Morchoe. (A sprayskirt is a piece of gear that goes around your waist and attaches the kayaker to the kayak – it prevents you from getting soaked while out on the sea.) Ten minutes later I am sitting in a 13-foot kayak, mentally preparing myself for a half-day’s kayaking around Sandycove Island, near Kinsale, Co Cork (please arms, don’t give up on me), and trying to banish all feelings of apprehension about ending up upside-down in the sea.

We set off after 10.30am and begin by paddling around Sandycove Creek, getting used to the kayaks, then move on to explore the caves on the island. Our arrival at the first cave disturbs a couple of pigeons who have made a home there. They make their annoyance felt in a noisy departure.

I am the last of the group to make my way into the dark, dank cave. Claustrophobia grips me in the second chamber, and I slowly reverse out into the daylight, bumping into rocks along the way.

After the caves, we kayak to the more exposed side of the island to test our skills against the driving wind and rain. Despite the choppy waters, at no stage do I have to “pop the sprayskirt”. O’Morchoe, who has worked at G Town Adventures for six summers, explains that it’s usually nervous people who get unbalanced and topple over, but that it doesn’t happen very often.

After gawping at a herd of goats and a colony of seagulls who have made their home on the island, and sampling some sea-lace (a type of seaweed), it’s time to make our way back to terra firma, exhausted, but exhilarated.

Howard Mickelson accompanied our group for a while on his stand-up paddle board, but he remained in sheltered waters when we entered the heavier sea. Back on shore, Mickelson describes his morning of paddle-boarding as “superb . . . The beauty of it is, it’s weather-defeating,” says Howard, who is on a two-month holiday in Ireland with his Cork born wife, Anne-Marie. “The scenery is gorgeous. You are breathing in the salt, briny air . . . you can never have a bad day when you have done what we have done. Stand-up is accessible to anybody here. This location is completely protected from the wind and it’s great exercise.”

O’Morchoe says that during the recent bad weather, his company was not getting the tourists who decide at the last minute to go sea-kayaking on a sunny day, but that otherwise, they are busy with group outings, summer camps and hen and stag parties.

People love the sense of adventure that goes with sea-kayaking, he says. “It’s the tranquillity of being on the water . . . it is quite relaxing and at the same time you get intensity with the weather conditions.”

gtownadventures.com, h2oseakayaking.com

Sea kayaking for beginners

Choose a trainer well:There are many organisations offering sea-kayak training around Ireland, but choose carefully, as not all standards are the same.

Prepare to make new friends:While the sport can help you reach lots of lonely corners of Ireland, to get there safely you'll need to be part of a team.

Enjoy burning calories:Sea kayaking is an all-body workout. Although people presume you just need to have strong arms, much of the work comes from your legs and torso.

Ask yourself, am I too old?One provider has brought a 90-year-old to sea. The only real restriction is your own mobility.

Learn to love the wind: It's not just about paddling. As your training advances, you will learn about tides and winds. You will also learn to read forecasts and maps.

Leave no trace:You are your only power source so, apart from the manufacturing process that built your boat, your impact on the environment is close to zero. Most kayakers adhere to the leave-no-trace creed.

Invest in some thermals:You will fall in to the water and it will be cold. Invest in warm underclothes – and a spare set in case you fall in.

Some sea-kayak providers

Cork: atlanticseakayaking.comDublin : deepblueseakayaking.com, shearwaterseakayaking.ieDonegal:

northwestseakayaking.ie; Gartan Outdoor Education Centre, gartan.com

Galway: kayakmor.com

Mayo: irelandwestseakayaking.com

Waterford: seapaddling.com