kayaking on the harbourfront

Two weekends ago, I attended a beginner’s kayaking course at the Toronto harbourfront.

I’ve been kayaking before, but only once or twice – and never have I had lessons on how to paddle properly. So this course, suggested by my friend, intrigued me. The coolest thing about it was being able to see the city of Toronto from the water – it was like being on the verge between wilderness and city.

The course was fun; it involved two full days of training and paddling on Lake Ontario. Saturday was a windier day, making the waves choppy and rather fun to bob with. We learned the basics that day, and then applied them to a day-trip out to Toronto island on Sunday, when the weather was much calmer. We learned how to get back in the boat when it flips over, and how to help others do the same, on top of paddling techniques such as turning on the spot, moving horizontally, sculling to keep balance and more.

If you feel like trying something new, it’s a safe and fun way to approach kayaking while staying within Toronto. Check out the organization, Paddle Toronto, as they have other levels of courses and also social kayaking meetups on a weekly basis.


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Comments

  1. Sameer Vasta Avatar

    Paddle Toronto? Nice. When I lived out in BC, I was kayaking in the Pacific six days a week. Been suffering from withdrawal now that I’m in Toronto. I’m going to have to check out the group.

  2. Dad Avatar

    Wish I could be there to try it – though the blue sea and warm temps suggest I may be better off trying it here in Thailand.

  3. Kay Avatar
    Kay

    We tried it up at the Lake District. We rented one each for an hour. It was a “sit on top” kayak which was fine for me, Ged wanted the proper style but they had run out as they were giving lessons for a group of boys. I had never been in one (or on) before. It is fun – we paddled (harder than it looks when you’re not used to using those muscles) over to an island in one of lakes near Keswick. It was quite calm with just a gentle “bobbing” from other boat users, but I should like to try a proper lesson one day – not sure about an eskimo roll though as I would need to wearing a nose peg!!

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