A Sea Kayak Training on Cote d'Azure - And why I failed meeting my own expectations.

Our first real sea kayaking trip this year was a training week in southern France. A great chance to re-connect with my classmates from the Moryak Seakayak online classes, we took during the Covid Lockdown.
All of us want to become seakayak leaders and therefore prepare for the BCU Seakayak Leader Assessment, which means:
Training, training, training.
The aim of that week was practicing all the basics, getting more routine with rock hopping, rolling and rescues. So we have spent actually more time in the water than in our kayaks.
Unfortunately, the week didn't start too good for me and I had quite a struggle with not meeting my own expectations towards myself.
How do you handle situations of failure? Do you have a strategy to cope with that?
Leave a comment!
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Cheers,
Tom
Tom Vetterl Adventure Film Making: tomvetterl.com
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[@Dfl87165]

Good work! Honest self assessment is key. To become a confident leader, paddling skills are essential. I know BCU leaders (formerly 4*) who have great interpersonal, camping, navigational skills, etc. but who just aren’t very firm on personal paddling skills. You can practice these on your little neighborhood lake. Rolling needs to be very firm with whatever paddle you use. Keep that head down! I have done countless combat rolls but every now and then I miss one. Back under water, I remind myself to keep that head down. It works essentially always - so far. Practice this by doing a crappy roll with panicked head up to suck in air, then collect yourself and try again with head leaving the water last and conscious hip snap. Practice skulling out of a capsize. If I just can’t get my roll twice, I skull, calm down, breath and then usually recover out of the skulling position. Use your torso to skull, not just your arms. Lastly, stop being an arm-paddler 😁

[@TomVetterl]

Hey there! Yeah that's exactly the lesson I got here... I have lots of paddling and expeditioning experience, but never took the time to really establish the techniques in terms of paddling or rolling. And that's what I have experienced on that week... All what I thought I know, was gone for a few days. I guess the good news is to recognise that and work on it. The other good news is, I have some padding homework to do... And that's what it is all about, right? :D Thank you for your constructive comment! Really appreciate it! And yes, I look like an arm paddler here 🙈🤷🏻‍♂️😂🤦🏻‍♂️

[@kayasper6081]

I guess we all know the dissapointment in ourselves and the frustration involved if skills you KNOW you have, for some mysterious reason suddenly fail. It is right that moment what counts; if you fight yourself through it you will really progress. Patience, analysing, asking others and above, never give up. You are very welcome to visite us here in Sancti Petri, Cádiz, Spain to gain fun and practise in all kind of circumstances. Nicely made video, beautiful images!

[@TomVetterl]

Hey there! Yeah probably most kayakers have been to that point once or twice, and if not, they will one day :) Thanks for your kind words! Hope you're doing well! Unfortunately I've never been to Spain :/ Hope I'll make it as soon as this nightmare of pandemic is over...

[@draw1951]

I turned 70 this year and now living on an island, am getting into kayaking. I’ve always been athletic but age (and some wisdom) and your video (!!) have reminded me that learning curves will always be there but to stick with it and not give up. Thank you for that reminder.

[@TomVetterl]

Hey thanks for your comment Chris! So cool that you started kayaking! I guess important is to just keep going, though there might be obstacles on the way… Just don’t forget to have fun doing it :)

[@stewthebassman]

Hey Tom, another really enjoyable video! Kayaking is such a wonderful sport - you never lose that sense of balance in the water and those reflexes when a wave or a gust of wind hits you suddenly. But the skills? How easy to forget without regular practice! How humbling it can be when that roll isn't working or you flip over the other side as you're twisting back into the boat doing a self rescue! But if we don't practice we don't improve. It looks like you have a great team to practice with in some wonderful locations! Glad the sea sickness passed and that your week was productive! Paddle on!

[@TomVetterl]

Hey Stuart, thanks for your comment! Yeah absolutely right... It's super intersting to experience, that the learning curve actually is not just going upwards all the time... And that week was one of the first times I realized, that it actually takes more than a few weeks of kayaking per year. So I guess this is a fantatstic excuse to finally buy an own boat :D

[@stewthebassman]

Tom Vetterl that's what I like to call a "shopportunity" 😀

[@bjornjansen5266]

Great video, look forward to your upcoming work!

[@TomVetterl]

Bjorn Jansen thank you Bjorn :) There’s a lot coming up! We’ve just started filming a new project this weekend 🙌🏻

[@paulthomassen]

Thanks for sharing.

[@TomVetterl]

Thanks for watching :)

[@KayakinFlight]

Those transitions...absolutely beautiful. Well done vid 👐🏻✨🌬️🌊

[@TomVetterl]

Thank you Ann! :)

[@KayakinFlight]

:)

[@christopping5876]

Great video!

[@TomVetterl]

Thanks Chris! :)

[@PaddlinDutchman]

Man, what a journey and again an awesome film!! I get that feeling though. Sometimes I feel I am making so much progress and learning so much new stuff every time. I hardly have the time to get what I learn truly dialed and “automatic”. if you know what I mean. I wouldn’t be so hard on yourself though, it looked like you held your own! It's all up hill from here, keep rocking, keep training and keep learning 💪💪 And so stoked you're rocking the Paddle On shirt! I’m truly honored!

[@TomVetterl]

Thank you man! I feel absolutely the same... There's just so much stuff to learn, that sometime I feel there is no time to get actual routine. But, last week we've been to Bretagne and there I had just that... Learned nothing new, but practiced all I know in more dynamic waters and stronger winds. That was so fantastic and gave me so much confidence back! Like you say, just paddlin' on :) Btw: The shirt is amazing, I wear it literally every day in home office 🙈😂🤷🏻‍♂️ (don't tell my boss)

[@outdooradventurenorway]

Hi Tom. Schönes video 👍 Ich lass mal ein abo da. Schöne grüsse aus Norwegen 👋🇳🇴 Micha

[@TomVetterl]

Danke Micha! Das freut mich :)

[@MarekJakubowicz]

Nice story and good music selection. Inspiring.

[@TomVetterl]

Marek Jakubowicz Thank you Marek! Glad you like it :)

[@MarekJakubowicz]

​@@TomVetterl I can really feel it. When you talked about rolling and I saw few try.... I almost couldn' breath. It works:)

[@TomVetterl]

Haha :) 👍🏻🙌🏻

[@legolaslaslego5675]

👍👏😍

[@TomVetterl]

Thx Mom ;)

[@patxilebrancon5393]

Regarding on failing the skimo: maybe you are lifting your head too soon. Keep laying back all the way until your kayak stabilizes. Hope this helps

[@TomVetterl]

Hey there! Yeah, that's a really good point... Sometimes I absolutely tend to do that... Thanks for the hint!

[@christopping5876]

Hi, where abouts on the Cote d' Azure where you? I want to do Montpellier to Menton when the travel situation improves.

[@TomVetterl]

Hey Chris! We were around the Cap d'Hyères and the island Porquerolles :)