Beware of Paddle Boats!
Over my sporting history I have had many scares. Three summers ago I dislocated my shoulder in a mountain bike obstacle course after falling 'shoulder first' into the ground. I used my bike frame to give me leverage and popped it back in (insert disgusted screams here!!!). Eight summers ago I flew over the handlebars of my motorcycle, leaving me gasping for air as I tried to get my helmet off in order to breathe properly before I passed out due to the constrictive neck strap. Lastly, when I was playing goal for my high school soccer team, I was hit square in the face by an indoor soccer ball shot from a mere five feet away by a defender who now plays professionally for D.C. United. I blacked out as a result for about five seconds.
All of the above events were painful and somewhat fear invoking, yet perhaps the most dreadful feeling I have had while being involved in physical activity was when I went paddle boating this summer in the Dominican Republic.
You're probably reading this and thinking I'm just a tad ridiculous. So here's my story…
My wife and I were looking for something to do in the afternoon so a leisurely paddle boat ride seemed like the perfect fit. We peddled off the sun drenched beach into relatively calm waters, heading for the fake island that was not too far off in the distance (the resort constructed an unusable island just for looks!).
We approached the island and I thought it would be fun to go around it. We had plenty of time before we returned the paddleboat. I did notice the waves were a little stronger beyond the island but saw them crashing into the rocks so figured at the very worst we would just be forced to crash land on the fake island (which we weren't supposed to go on, but that would make it all the more fun!)
We seemed to be circling the island perfectly okay…in fact, we were probably 75% across when I noticed we weren't making any progress. To add to this, the weather all of the sudden looked like it was taking a turn for the worse with dark grey clouds hovering in the distance. The intensity of the waves which were now going away from the island picked up, making peddling futile.
As someone who is a confident recreational cyclist I tried putting the 'pedal to the plastic' and attempted to spin as furiously as I could. No luck. I tried going back the way we came, and this worked a little bit…until we spun around. I gave it one more try of furious peddaling and confirmed we were stuck and possibly about to head out into the vast Caribbean Ocean.
A few potential solutions crossed my mind:
1. My wife and I both jump out and try to swim to the island, ditching the paddle boat. Pros: We potentially get to go on the forebidden island if able to climb around the jagged rocks that surround it. Cons: We could get smashed by waves into the rocks; we can't swim against the waves in our life jackets and get carried out to sea; we lose the paddle boat and owe the resort big time. Next option…
2. I get out of my life jacket, swim underneath the waves to the island and frantically swim back in the more sheltered bay and scream for a motorboat or jet ski. I tell my wife to peddle as much as she possibly can until I get back and try to stay as near the shore as possible. Pros: As a strong swimmer I could likely make it to the island; I would get a significant amount of exercise. Cons: The potential of being swept out to sea without a life jacket is significantly worse; my wife could be far gone by the time I am able to summon help; I am not too crazy about the taste of salt water; I would be the laughing stock of the resort if I screamed for help because I got lost at sea in a paddle boat. Next option…
3. Scream at the people taking catamaran lessons for "HELP"!!! Pros: We did this and survived; the paddle boat was returned safe and sound. Cons: The waves were so strong it took trained professionals about an hour and a half to bring us in; we ruined someone's catamaran ride; option #2 might have actually been faster!
There are a few lessons to learn from this blog:
1. Any sport or activity can have an element of danger so be cautious and follow all safety instructions even if they seem a little lame.
2. Be safe around water this summer! It is one of the most dangerous elements around us and we seldom realize it.
3. When doing any sport with another person try to consider their abilities. In this case I took our paddle boat too far out into the sea and while I am fairly certain I could have battled the waves, I am almost as sure my wife wouldn't have been able to swim to shore.
4. The weather can change quickly, especially in the Dominican. Consulting a weather forecast is never a bad idea.
To end on an interesting note, I'm curious to know if anyone could think of any other solutions to our predicament. If you have any possible solutions or just wanted to comment, please post below. We did not have a cell phone with us, or even any rope…so you're gonna have to get creative!
13 thoughts on “Beware of Paddle Boats!”
For lack of any better ideas, take out the portable genie lamp you carry around with you everywhere, and wish for a magical giant cat that you and your wife can hop on and fly off to shore. Don’t worry, the cat will fly back and retrieve the boats promptly
Wow…that must have been terrifying.
It definitely was, and to make the situation worse I am a Type 1 diabetic. Being stranded for even hours in the ocean might have been very problematic!
lol! This would have been convenient. Next time I will bring a cell phone for sure. It can’t quite summon a giant cat, but assuming I could get service I would be able to get help at least.
I don’t think I would use a paddle boat. Rely on a motorized boat with gas of course. Although I have to say I have never had the pleasure yet of going down south. That does sound like a scary adventure.
From now on I will certainly not venture out into a decent size lake (or sea, ocean, etc.) on something that has such poor power like a canoe, paddle boat or one of those wind sailing things…too scared of getting stuck again!
Getting stuck like that must have been horrible. If it was me, I will probably cry, scream and row in circles until someone saves me.
While I was reading your blog, what I kept thinking about was a movie I previously watched. The words circling around in my head were… Caribbean, ocean, and sharks! I agree with Captain Awesome and Jane, that must have been a terrifying experience. However now, looking back on this situation, it could be a memory that will be remembered as being extreme.
The strange thing is that I don’t know how I will remember and reflect on this adventure in time. Extreme adventure? Possibly. Dumb Mistake? Maybe. Instance of great luck? Probably. A little bit of all of the above? Definitely!
Good advice!
I loved reading this story! It really made me think what I would do in this situation. It would make a great novel hehe
Thanks Masha! I’m glad you enjoyed reading the blog. If we continued into the Caribbean, I certainly might have been able to write a novel instead of a blog…that is if I lived to tell the rest of the story lol
Beware… of the paddleboats! 😮