Slickrock Adventure’s tiny private island eco-resort on Long Caye 34 miles off the coast of Belize is the perfect place to learn anything having to do with kayaking. Given the 80 degree water and pristine sheltered conditions, it would almost have to be. But along with a bevy of other water sports, sea kayaking is central to a week on Adventure Island so having a staff of expert guides and loads of the latest-model equipment make Slickrock ideal.
The reason so much emphasis is placed on sea kayaking at Adventure Island (http://www.slickrock.com/
A Slickrock sea kayak guide explains the basics of the “T-rescue” technique on land before the group heads out into the lagoon.
(Caption: A Slickrock sea kayak guide explains the basics of the “T-rescue” technique on land before the group heads out into the lagoon.)
For beginners, our orientation class covers all the basics: how to do a safety check of the equipment, how to hold your paddle, entering and exiting the boat, the use of the spray skirt, etc.
Even expert sea kayakers attend the orientation. At Glover’s Reef we snorkel right out of our kayaks. That means learning how to safely exit and re-enter a sea kayak while in deep water.
Because our guests are generally from the US or Canada, where water temperatures are colder, few sea kayakers ever think about purposefully getting out of their sea kayak. At Glover’s Reef, the water is 80 degrees so we slip out and back into our kayaks all day long.
A second reason even expert kayakers are asked to take orientation is that we teach our guests something called the “T – rescue”, and then practice it right after the demo (at right). This technique is a safe and easy way for one kayaker to assist their partner in righting an overturned kayak in deep water and steadying their boat so they can climb back in.
Once both these skills have been learned, our guests are free to explore the reef far and wide, even without a guide, as long as they have a buddy.
Franklin Seal
Slickrock Adventures