Tricked out kayaks Hitting the water - Wavelength Paddling Magazine

Rainforest Chronicles
WE HAD BEEN sea kayaking
in Clayoquot Sound for a week.
The weather forecast had
been warning daily of the potential for
thunderstorms, but none had materialized.
The final morning while packing to
head home it began to rain quite hard – our
group was stunned by the sheer volume of
water falling from the sky. The intensity of
the rain was picking up rapidly, and in less
than five minutes the water running on the
beach was already an inch deep.
As we paddled away from shore I was
nervous. The forecast had again warned of
possible thundershowers, and you could
feel it in the air. We were about to round a
point and paddle down a rocky outer coast
exposed to ocean swell, with few options
for landing.
We were passing the last sand beach
when the forebodingly dark cloudscape over
Foam Reef suddenly erupted in brilliant
light. A streak of lightning issued forth,
bridging the gap between sky and earth. I
began to count seconds but got no further
than one before the clap of thunder hit me.
The lightning had struck a fifth of a mile
away.
In times of crisis it is important for a
leader to remain calm. I was of course quite
shaken, and personally would have bolted
for the beach. But I could not precipitate a
panic – must maintain equanimity!
I calmly edged my boat and swung it
around toward shore with sweep strokes, at
a rate I figured the students could match.
My plan was to announce that we were
to proceed at once to shore in an orderly
fashion.
Way too late. Bonny, paddling at the rear
of the group, said later “when that lightning
struck, it was instantly everyone for
A drab tarp can become
a lifesaver when lightning
suddenly turns an outing
into a panicked scramble
for shoreline and safety
themselves.” She had never seen a group so
quickly turn their boats or sprint for shore.
Once on the beach, we didn’t feel a
whole lot safer. The sand beach was open,
making us the tallest standing structures.
Not good. But along the edge of the forest
there were lots of trees, and we felt it best
to stay away from the trees in lightning.
To make matters worse, people were
cooling off quickly in the windy deluge
(ah! summer on the coast) and if we didn’t
take action soon, we could easily become
hypothermic despite our wetsuits and
drysuits.
There is a trick for such situations. I
pulled out a drab nine-foot x 12-foot guide’s
tarp. We fetched some bags of snacks, and
set them on the ground. Standing around
the tarp holding the edges, we centered it
over the snacks. Then everyone took one
step forward, and ducked under the tarp,
pulling it over and behind themselves, and
sitting down on its edge.
Now at this point we were all squished
into a tight space with the tarp down on our
heads. It took a bit of jostling accompanied
by much giggling to get settled in, but we
were soon scarfing back handfuls of trail
mix to provide the rich fuel needed to
prevent hypothermia.
In such a confined space the heat of ten
people accumulates in no time, and soon
we were quite comfy while the storm raged
overhead. There was nothing we could do
to escape the wrath of Zeus, but it felt good
to hide from the sight of the Storm God
and regroup.
Half an hour passed, and it seemed the
downpour had abated somewhat. Coming
out from under the tarp, our first instinct
was to dive right back under – it was cold
out there!
After a period of careful observation
it seemed the worst was over and we
proceeded cautiously toward Tofino, making
it home without further incident.
Should you ever find yourself close to a
lightning storm, you are in extreme danger
and need to take steps to ensure your safety.
If there is no way to get to shore, stay 15-20
feet away from other boats, lean forward
to reduce your profile, don’t touch metal
objects and make sure you don’t have ropes
trailing in the water.
If you can make it to shore, avoid
isolated tall trees, high ground or open
spaces. Maintain a low crouching position
with your feet together and hands over
ears to minimize acoustic shock from the
thunder.
If someone is struck by lightning,
they are safe to handle. Treat with CPR if
needed and get medical help as they may
have internal injuries. Eighty percent of
lightning victims survive the shock.
In thirty years of kayaking the coast
this was only the second time I’ve had
such a close and thus deeply humbling
encounter with lightning. It’s not something
we typically encounter, but it is good to be
prepared.
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Dan Lewis operates Rainforest Kayak
Adventures in Clayoquot Sound.
WINTER 2010 WAVELENGTH MAGAZINE 45