ThePaddler 146
we had kayaked in
Britain and Canada, but our Hong Kong introductory course was a little different. It was in Sai Kung, a gorgeous country park in north eastern Hong Kong and on one its best surf beaches. Surf kayaking became a new favourite sport, but I have to admit is one that can strain a relationship if you are in a double kayak. The split second choice you have to make as a particularly impressive wave drives you towards a rock is not conducive to the usual marital discussion! For all of those occasions we settled for capsizing before hitting the rocks and a good compromise.
The day-long kayaking trips in Sai Kung are beautiful. Many of the beaches around the park are only accessible by boat or a hike of a few hours and therefore deserted. The SKA set up a second base soon after we began, in a different area of the northeast of Hong Kong. Still off the
Again it is not something that people associate Hong Kong with, but it does have a rich underwater life with many species of coral. Unfortunately though, overfishing and pollution, particularly from the Chinese mainland, threaten the health of the seas around Hong Kong. The SKA has responded to this and has a link with several environmental organisations such as ‘Plastic Free Seas’ in order to contribute to beach clean-ups and the monitoring of pollution. The first academy session I was involved in leading with my increased skills, was an activity in which our kayakers each took a child in a double sit-on-top for an exploration of a local bay. The event was a partnership with a local charity and all the children were recovering from or undergoing treatment for cancer. We had a great time, augmented oddly enough by the fact
Departing Pak Lap
beaten track, but easier to get to in a small traditional community with a floating fishing village in the bay in front of it. My favourite trip from this base takes maybe 2-3 hours and leads to a marine park. Take your mask and snorkel on the kayak and you can head under water and see some of Hong Kong’s coral reefs.
that we cut the session short due to an incoming storm, which we literally raced in, getting back to the beach just as the heavens opened. It gave all the children that sense of closeness to real nature in the raw and a sense of camaraderie with our kayakers that were more than we could have hoped for.