The Tao of Sea Kayaking

Summer 2009

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.

To download a pdf copy of the magazine click here: DOWNLOAD

By Eric Soares

Sunset at a Medocino, CA, rock garden. photo by Michael Powers.

We’ve all heard of the Tao, Chinese for the Way. In the great Tao, the great Way, one embarks on a lifelong sinuous path which begins with an understanding of one’s self and nature and leads to unity with the cosmos. For those not ready to flow with the universe, there is also the little tao, a way of doing things in an efficient, playful and natural manner. In the little tao, one seeks spontaneous, authentic ways to do things, while being centered, balanced, aware and skilled. Of interest to us is the tao of sea kayaking. Here are a few suggestions to help us unite with the cosmos of the sea.

Understand water

Some kayakers are good at checking the internet for information on tides, water temperature, swell size, wind direction and speed, and the weather forecast. They ensure that their GPS is working, so they will know where they are when on the water. This is an important aspect of sea kayaking, but its focus is on the water, not in the water. Unlike yachting, an on-water activity, kayaking is in-water. You can literally touch the water at will. And when you paddle in the sea, the water can touch you at any time. It’s essential to understand the sea by standing under the sea, so to speak. This means let the sea envelope you and teach you its secrets. This is the tao of sea kayaking.

Water is a key concept in Taoism. Water always takes the path of least resistance and flows around obstacles rather than directly opposes them. It constantly changes, slipping downhill like a stream, or surging in and out like the tides. Since our bodies are mostly water, it is natural for humans to understand water. Yet some people have acquired an aversion to being in water. Here are some exercises to help you be one with water and get more out of sea kayaking with less effort.

Sit and watch the river flow

The first exercise is relaxed observation. Simply go to your nearest natural body of water, be it Walden’s pond, a babbling brook, a river, or the sea, and stay by it for a day, just observing it in a casual way. As a sea kayaker, you’ll want to spend a day by the seashore, whether it be the rocky coast of Maine or a sandy beach in the Sea of Cortez. First thing, take in the vastness of the sea. Smell the salt in the air and listen to the crying of the sea birds. Watch a swell from a mile away slowly make its way to your beach and break, then slip back to the sea in the rip current. Contemplate the tide as it completes the massive yin and yang of its cycle. See yourself surfing around a sea stack to hide from the wind.

Test the waters

The second activity is child’s play. To really understand water, stand under the waterfall and feast on the negative ion barrage. Or go to a beach with breaking waves, walk barefoot up and down the beach with your feet barely in the water. You may at first be too conservative and end up out of the water. Then you get closer to the water, find that you are too slow and a wave hits you. The next thing you know, you are running and skipping and leaping up and down the beach, frolicking in the magic foam. Doesn’t the foam feel good as it twinkles your toes? Before you know it, you’ve gotten hot and need to dive into the water to cool off. Ahh! You experienced the rhythms of the surf first-hand and had a really good time. The tao is so easy. If you can’t do this, have a child show you.

In the midst of the cosmic swirl. photo by Michael Powers

Remain calm in the midst of chaos.. photo by Jim Kakuk

Tune into the water, tune in to the tao. photo by Nancy Soares

Follow the way, enter new dimensions. photo by Glenn Gilchrist

Swim like an otter

Since you are swimming, why not take the opportunity to body surf? If you feel eager, here’s what you do. From the shore, wade through the waves, turning sideways as each one hits you. When the wave is big enough that you might get knocked backward, dive under it and let its force pass over you. Walk out until it’s difficult to touch bottom and swim around a bit to acclimate. Pay attention to the incoming surf. When a big wave comes and is just ready to break, swim as hard as you can down wave until you feel it engulf you. Then stiffen your body so it resembles a surf board or a dolphin, and effortlessly glide down the wave as long as you can. When the wave spends itself, dive down to the bottom and swim out to sea. Then set up for the next wave. At this stage, you fully understand the sea. You and the sea are one.

It’s time for caveats. If you can’t swim well, don’t go out in any body of water until you become proficient. Also, don’t swim alone, in case something happens. If the water is really cold, wear a wetsuit. Should body surfing appear too much for you, start by swimming in lakes, snorkeling in lagoons in the ocean or take a swim in the municipal pool. There is no need to push yourself.

Surf like there’s no tomorrow

You already have paddling skills, so now take the lessons learned from body surfing and apply them to surf kayaking. Upon arrival at the beach, repeat the first three exercises. Observe the water, waves and wind. Do you like what you see? If not, don’t go out that day. If you do, put on your wetsuit, run along the beach to get your blood moving and test the waters. Do you still feel like getting in? If yes, then swim around a little. Feel good? If affirmative, body surf a couple of waves. Still feel confident? If you are, get in your boat and go surf kayaking. You and the water are synched. Without reservation, go for it 100 per cent. This is the tao of surf kayaking.

Know your mind

The untrained mind plays tricks on us. Does your mind go blank while paddling? You suddenly realize you have paddled 450 meters without knowing it. This may seem like a good thing if you must paddle 25 miles, but spacing out in zombie mind is not the tao.

How often have you had a conversation in your mind while paddling? If you are in the middle of a long crossing, it seems like a worthwhile way to stave off boredom. But mental chatter is monkey mind and not the tao.

Zombie mind and monkey mind can occur while sea kayaking: “I was paddling along, thinking about stuff, doo-de-doo, when a wave appeared out of nowhere and wham.” To avoid zombie and monkey thinking, instruct yourself to be alert for it. When it occurs, identify it, dispel it and instead tell your mind to relax, stay perceptive, and concentrate on what is around you and what you are doing. In short, be mindful. To help your mind stay alert, on your next paddle in the ocean, skirt along the coast just outside the surf a few feet. You will learn to be mindful or wham. When staying mindful becomes natural in the water, you are on the path.

Train your body

Have you ever gotten exhausted while kayaking? Has your back hurt? Have your wrists or shoulders given you problems? Do you gasp for breath after going through the surf? If any of these things occur, you may need a workout regimen to help your body relax and excel in the ocean.

We’re not talking about Iron Man training, just having your body do what you want it to do so you don’t get hurt and you move efficiently. The Taoist art of tai chi is a series of gentle martial exercises that increase chi (energy) flow, improve flexibility and balance, regulate breathing, correct posture and help you move your body in a natural, flowing motion. If you do tai chi regularly, your health will improve, and your body will function at a high level.

Temper your spirit

Why do you kayak? For most of us, there are many reasons, some of which we are not aware. Some people want to show off, others need to prove something. For some paddlers it’s a notch on their bucket list. The Taoist goes out in a kayak for the pure enjoyment of messin’ around in a boat.

When your spirit is engaged fully in the activity of sea kayaking, you experience a unique satori (enlightenment). Because you observe water and experience it in many ways, you understand its nature. When everything comes together, your spirit soars through the aquasphere. This is the tao of sea kayaking as I have lived it. But don’t take my word for it; experience it yourself. Your path will differ from mine; that is natural. From what you have read here, take what is useful and leave the rest.

Eric Soares lives in Ashland, Oregon, and paddles the western Pacific coastline with his Tsunami Ranger friends.