Paddling for FUN

I love living in the Cape. Having had a wonderful but painful week with the family in Knysna, it was a joy to return home to my next adventure.

A friend of mine had come up with an idea to generate some funds to sponsor a trip to the international Son Surf conference, of which he is a proud member. Now Son Surf is a Christian surfing organisation, and as a good Baptist Minister, this is a great place for him to be.

His idea involved a simple eight kilometre paddle from Strand Pipe to the Gordon’s Bay harbour. It does not sound too difficult but eight kilometres on a surfboard in an eleven degree Celsius sea and you have a challenge on your hands.

After failing dismally to meet my time targets at the Knysna half, I was a little sceptical about my ability to take on this little paddle. I had no doubt that my allergy to the cold wouldn’t be too much help either, nor the fact that I have hardly been in the sea over the last couple of months.

I donned enough neoprene to resemble a well dressed penguin, grabbed the longest long board at the surf school, and got myself into crazy dude mind set. Just five other surfers were up for the paddle and I sure hoped I would not be the one to slow everyone down.

If an endurance challenge gets really tough, one can just quit. Quitting was not on my mind as I decided to dedicate my paddle to all of those people that I know that are suffering from cancer. People who cannot just decide to quit but have to take the pain that each day offers them. So to Dennis, Jenny, Jan, Taryn, Roy, and others, you are my inspiration.

The paddle was incredibly tough for the first 500 meters as my arms and lower back protested at the unnecessary work load. Then my body settled into a rhythm and the water flew by. We stopped a couple of times for bananas, peanut butter chocolate bars, cheese rolls, and litres of Coke. The kilometres passed quickly in a haze of conversation and attempt to surf all sorts of waves on the outer reefs.

We paddled in through the Gordon’s Bay harbour mouth just three hours later, probably the first surfers to ever do so! I was disappointed that the paddle had ended so soon as for some reason I had loads of energy. Rather a different scenario to the one I had had just days previously.

Well done to Andy, Shane, Rene, Lawrie, and Bernie. Many thanks must also go to our support crew of Ernie (Magson Marine) and Henrique (our photographer who has allowed me to use his pictures).

I now have a new challenge on my mind; a mere 28 kilometre paddle from Cape Point to Rooi Els, in other words across the mouth of False Bay. Now I just have to find some mad souls to join me and a great cause to risk my life as floating bait in the biggest great white breeding ground in the world!!!