By Ms Lim Jiayin
My friends and I jumped at the opportunity to take part in the 4-Star kayaking course at Teluk Ramunia as we had heard a lot about it from our seniors at Water-Venture Changi. Also, the videos of previous 4-Star courses shown to us only served to further whet our appetites. Teluk Ramunia, a quiet seaside village, with its long stretches of pristine beaches, and waves that measure up to two metres in height, seemed like every kayaker’s dream come true. Hence, it was with enormous anticipation that we embarked on this journey.
My friends and I jumped at the opportunity to take part in the 4-Star kayaking course at Teluk Ramunia as we had heard a lot about it from our seniors at Water-Venture Changi. Also, the videos of previous 4-Star courses shown to us only served to further whet our appetites. Teluk Ramunia, a quiet seaside village, with its long stretches of pristine beaches, and waves that measure up to two metres in height, seemed like every kayaker’s dream come true. Hence, it was with enormous anticipation that we embarked on this journey.
Although we were all outwardly excited about the trip, deep down, there was also a tiny measure of fear and anxiety. Paddling in strong winds and big waves was going to be a new experience for most of us. We had heard that capsizing was the norm in Ramunia, and what was scariest was the infamous quote, “you bail, you fail”. We understood the importance of being proficient in rolling and trained hard before leaving for Malaysia.
When we arrived in Ramunia, we were disappointed to find that the waves were not as huge as we expected them to be. We learned that the sea had calmed down considerably in the days before our arrival. However, the elements were kind to us and the waves built up as our course progressed.
One of the most enjoyable components of the course was learning how to surf. However, it was also in this component that we experienced the most challenges. Being able to catch an appropriate wave to surf back on was no mean feat. And even if we managed to catch a wave, there was a high likelihood of us going into bracing position and bongo sliding back instead of surfing back smoothly. If we capsized, we had to quickly tuck ourselves in and recover using an Eskimo roll. Failure to do so may result in having to eat sand as the waves pushed us back to shallow waters very quickly.
Another component of the course was paddling in and conducting our rescue drills in the choppy waters. It felt like we were on board the Viking ship ride in amusement parks. At least two of us had the honour of seeing our breakfasts fly in the wind after puking due to seasickness. However, there was a sense of achievement and we all felt like we had a good workout after completing the expedition.
Four days came to an end all too soon and it was time to go home. As it is, I am already missing the sun, the sea, and the surf and I cannot wait to go for the refresher next year. See you at Ramunia ’10! Surf’s up!
Jiayin is currently a student at NTU and a L1 coach with Water-venture (Changi)
