Page 10 - RADC Bulletin 2022

K2F – Kayaking Foundation Course
LCpl Monica Cacho
27th Sept to 1st Oct 2021 Savage Wilderness – Kenya
I was lucky enough to attend the K2F foundation course organized by BATUK in Nanyuki, Kenya.
Day 1
This was all about the fundamentals of kayaking covering basic paddling technique, steering and manoeuvring the kayak, lessons on safety, including capsizing and rescuing yourself and your boat, learning how to read the water, tides and atmosphere. It was a busy day being sized up and issued our PPE and equipment.
Day 2
This was focused on launching the kayak from a height and just building confidence in the water. We had lessons in the morning about weather conditions and paddling.
We played kayak basketball and some of
us capsized. It wasn’t the best feeling in
the world. This is when we started our next lesson on capsizing drills.
Day 3
The next day we focused on capsizing and packing and securing our kayaks on the vehicle. We got to our destination, and we carried our kayaks to our launching point. The tide was higher due to the rain from the mountains. The current was also strong, and we could easily capsize the kayak
if launched incorrectly. Luckily, I did not capsize.
Day 4
Today was about trying a different water sport – the two-person inflatable canoe. This was a lot more stable in the water compared to the kayaks. Less opportunity to fall in. However, everything is all about the experience so we had to intentionally capsize the canoe and retrieve ourselves back in. For excitement, we were challenged to go against all teams and be the quickest
amongst the group. The winner got to escape from intentionally capsizing again. This was a lot more enjoyable because unlike the kayak, if you fall in the water you just naturally float to the surface.
Day 5
A taste of white-water rafting! This was the event for the whole morning before we had to pack up and go home. We were split into 5 teams of 6 people plus the instructor to help us navigate and control the raft. We had a crash lesson on manoeuvres and actions on when the commands were called out.
We had to work hard to paddle through a waterfall and paddle out without sinking too much. It was intense and my adrenaline was running wild!
Overall, kayaking is a great water sport, full of challenges and adrenaline and at the same time, very therapeutic. To top it all
off, I passed my K2F course and I am now looking forward to bidding to be a kayaking instructor.
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8 RADC BULLETIN 2022
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