I love kayaking.... BUT....

[Grant Lamontagne]

While I greatly enjoy kayaking I'm not sure I would have been up to this:

http://paddle2sable.ca/

Basically these two guys paddled 175kms (about 110 miles) straight out into the ocean to reach this small sandbar inhabited only by wild horses.  Since there's no land between the mainland and Sable Island there was no place to stop or rest, so they did it straight, in about 29 hours with a small support boat following them.

They did this to raise money to send kids to camp, so that kids will learn the value of having some kind of adventures in life, which I think is an excellent goal, and what better way to inspire and help them than to do the thing you are trying to help them get?

If you've never paddled a kayak, it is a lot of fun, but long trips can be grueling, and 29 hours straight of anything can wear on you in ways you never thought possible.  I have been hit pretty hard by trips lasting 6-7 hours with welts on my back where the seat rubbed up against me, blisters, cramps and so on. 

This looks like an amazing trip, but in a lot of ways I'm really glad I didn't go with them!

Def

[Whoey]

crazy...

[derekmac]

Oh yeah, I heard about that.  I think they might be a little on the loopy side

I'd love to visit Sable Island (but not by kayak).  My Grandfather use to man the lighthouse there.

[Grant Lamontagne]

With a support boat following along I think I'd be willing to give it a try.  It's a long trip for sure, but I sure as heck wouldn't want to do it completely unsupported- that would be suicidal.

That having been said, they had a nice boat for the trip, and they had the sense to do it in a tandem rather than singles.  I have paddled in tandems and I know what kind of benefits there are, such as continuing to make progress while one paddler is at rest.  It would give you an opportunity to zone out for a few minutes or attend to blisters or other problems while still moving forward.  Additionally, with both paddlers paddling you can move along at quite a decent clip.

That boat was an excellent choice as it's meant for ocean traveling and is very streamlined.  It is basically the two person version of my big fiberglass boat, and I can move that thing relatively effortlessly by myself- if it was a tandem it would go like it's arse was on fire.

Not that this should take anything away from the trip itself, I'm just suggesting that these guys were smart enough to put some thought and planning into this.  Apparently they have been planning and training for this for three years.

Def

[stealth007s]

I kayak all day sometimes but I can't imagine doing 29 hours straight.

[Nhoj]

I've done full day kayaks on the Erie Canal, so I can only imagine how tired they must get on an incredibly difficult and long trip like that! Makes me feel like a wimp.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Yes, well you also have to remember they are doing it in the ocean, where the swells can be bigger than your boat on a calm day.   

Plus in salt water your boat sits higher than it does in fresh, meaning your center of gravity is higher.

Def