Page 100 - WishStream Year of 2023

Exercise KERNOW KAYAK
OCdt Roberts
Ex KERNOW KAYAK took place in Cornwall, UK. The aim was to explore the Cornish coast- line whilst putting OCdts into challenging yet
rewarding situations and build on the team aspects of Sandhurst. We were extremely lucky that our weather was initially sun and clear skies across the peninsula, and having made some adjustments to our itinerary due to tides and trailers, we set off for Porthoustock. The beautiful Cornish cove near Coverack would be our initial learning area and was especially good, thanks to the easy conditions and shallow waters. Here, we covered the basics. Firstly, focusing on rowing skills, we also looked at capsize drills. These were necessary to ensure safety and prevent panic if one of us went under. We spent two days here honing skills, before mov- ing on to Marazion and St Michael’s Mount on the opposite side of the Lizard.
St Michael’s was a good step up – here we were introduced to slightly more challenging tides and our instructor, LCpl Liu, talked to us about the fundamental considerations of kayaking, mostly ABCDE – Area, Boat, Communication, Doctor (Med) and Emergency. We also continued our drills for capsizing and T-Rescues. The second day here,
we looked at games to improve our manoeuvring skills, and also touched on self-righting capsizes by rolling. This was very difficult but a good intro- duction for those of us who might go forwards to do more kayaking at unit. That night, the weather began to turn. Although we managed to get out on Friday in Porthleven, a sheltered bay, the risk by early morning had become substantial, a testa- ment to Cornwall’s weather.
The key lesson learnt by those on Ex KERNOW KAYAK was adaptability. Not everything was how it had initially been envisaged, whether that be our vehicles, launch points or having to hire kayaks. Nonetheless, we worked together to make it hap- pen and create a positive outcome which taught us new skills in unfamiliar environments. Building on the ALeRT framework, LCpl Liu introduced skills and methods of teaching to us whilst keep- ing the kayaking interesting against the beautiful backdrop of the South West Coastline.
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