Kayaking: Any experienced kayakers out there?

[TheProsecutor]

Just wondering if there are any experienced kayakers out there here on island.

What is the longest trip you have done, and did you do it in a single or two person kayak?

I have also noticed that in stores there are two kinds of kayaks. One kind seems to look like it would ride higher out of the water. That is the kind that seems to be open and not enclosing the lower body.

The other type seems to be the kind where the lower part of the body goes into the kayak and is closed off from the outside.

What are the purposes for each kind? I was wondering if one is meant for river/lake kayaking and the other for ocean kayaking.

Please weigh in if you have some info or kayaking trips to share.

[P_chan]

Kayaking is tough stuff. Looks so easy until you actually do it.

[TheProsecutor]

How far in distance and time did you kayak? And was it ocean, river, or lake kayaking?

[P_chan]

I've rafted (not kayaked) down some rapids in a river for about 5 miles. Once it comes to kayaking, I've only done it in the ocean. The waves were kinda bad, and the wind was blowing. I only did about 2 miles and I was dying at the end of it.

[TheProsecutor]

Today, looking out from the roof of a 4th floor building in Urasoe I could clearly see the Kerama islands. The sky was very clear at that time (or the lighting was perfect) and the islands didn't look very far. The sea was very calm. Wind seemed like nothing.

I wonder if it would be possible for a 2 person team to kayak from Naha Port to the Keramas in one day. ??? I wonder if it has been done before. I imagine if someone can swim the English channel or swim from Cuba to Florida, then Kayaking a much smaller distance with two people should be very doable with some risks, but not super high grave risks.

[P_chan]

Today, looking out from the roof of a 4th floor building in Urasoe I could clearly see the Kerama islands. The sky was very clear at that time (or the lighting was perfect) and the islands didn't look very far. The sea was very calm. Wind seemed like nothing.

I wonder if it would be possible for a 2 person team to kayak from Naha Port to the Keramas in one day. ??? I wonder if it has been done before. I imagine if someone can swim the English channel or swim from Cuba to Florida, then Kayaking a much smaller distance with two people should be very doable with some risks, but not super high grave risks.

I think my arms would fall off:w00t: even with two people. I know it's not too far, but it's farther then it looks. I was hunting once with my brother, and we made the mistake of misjudging the distance of some mountains. They looked like they were maybe only an hours hike away and we saw some deer though our scope on the mountain. So we decided to go to the mountain! Bad idea! After hiking for two hours, it looked like it would have taken us another two hours to get there so we turned back and wasted the whole morning hiking back and forth.

[TheProsecutor]

lol.

Good for the deer on those mountains you guys had spied, huh?

[P_chan]

lol yeah I didn't shoot anything that whole trip. It was like one big game of target practice the whole trip! I'm not too big on hunting though. I was always a nature buff and I never really could imagine shooting an animal like a deer, unless it was attacking me, or I was starving.

[TheProsecutor]

Man, I thought there would be more kayakers here on Okinawa. Was hoping for some more feedback on kayaking here.

[TheLastDon]

I would not condsider myself a professional kayaker or anything but I have done it several times. I don't mean to shoot down your plans but once you get out on the open ocean there are ocean currents out there that can carry you pretty far and usually not in the direction you want to go. I think it would rather difficult to overcome this currents. The other issue would be a legal one. I think watercraft of that size are only allowed a certain distance from shore. However, it is an interesting and fun idea. My friend and I had the same idea about going to Ie Island.

[Asshat]

Yes, you can kayak to the Keramas. From Kadena marina, Zamai port is 26 miles away, but Tokashiki is closer. (Crap, now everyone knows who I am)

There have been races recently (past few years) from the Keramas to Naha using sabani with sails and oars. Very grueling. Also, there are some 5 knot tidal currents in the straits.

I would not recommend kayaking any open water here. People have done it. A few years ago, a guy was kayaking around Iheya and lost his paddle. He was stranded on a spit of land for a few days.

The best way to enjoy the splendor that is Okinawa would be to put the kayak on the ferry, go to the Keramas and camp and paddle around. The experienced kayaker is mostly a white water person. Going 30 miles through current and wind is simply grueling and not much else.

[DoctorP]

I would have to agree that kayaking that far out into open water would be quite dangerous. Not that you couldn't do it. I'm more experienced with river and lake kayaking though. I've never gone more than about 9 or 10 miles round trip...hell of a workout though and great way to see the scenery.

[TheProsecutor]

Yes, you can kayak to the Keramas. From Kadena marina, Zamai port is 26 miles away, but Tokashiki is closer. (Crap, now everyone knows who I am)

Umi, how far would you say Tokashiki is? And how long do you think it would take on a calm day for two people to paddle there from here (of course without any sails).

On a calm day would there be a strong enough current to sweep us south or north away from the course to the island?

Also, there are some 5 knot tidal currents in the straits.

All year? How wide are those currents? Are there several of them interspaced, or is it just one?

I would not recommend kayaking any open water here. People have done it. A few years ago, a guy was kayaking around Iheya and lost his paddle. He was stranded on a spit of land for a few days.

I'll take it under advisement, but have you seen this thread (http://www.japanupdate.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1942) of mine?

I'm feeling very restless.

The best way to enjoy the splendor that is Okinawa would be to put the kayak on the ferry, go to the Keramas and camp and paddle around. The experienced kayaker is mostly a white water person. Going 30 miles through current and wind is simply grueling and not much else.

It really isn't about enjoying the splendor of Okinawa -- for me now it is about setting a challenging goal with some inherent level of risk to overcome and accomplish. I'm kinda sick of the mundane warm fuzzy safety life of monotony.

Some people climb Mt. Everest or Killamanjaro or hike/cycle across whole continents for an adventure. Obviously I do not have the time or other recourses for such a thing. But, a kayaking paddle run from Okinawa to Tokashiki looks quite doable and fits the criteria for adventure with risks and short time involved (if not lost at sea).

I mean, damn, it looks so freakin close!

[Asshat]

You can always do a Google Earth check and get some pretty good ideas of distances. If you are a real bad ass, you can probably average five knots. At that rate, it would take you about four hours to get close to Tokashiki.

The currents there are tidal for the most part, and are always present except between the tides. (I wont bore you with their proper names) That window of opportunity is too narrow for you to plan from as far away as Naha-your closest point- if you are traveling by kayak.

I have seen flat days. But not many, and when they are that flat, they are hot, windless days. So can you row continuously for four or five hours in the direct sun?

I would not attempt this without having a lot of time under my belt, and I would not do it with a PX-special plastic kayak. Anytime you are going to go in the open ocean and compete with ships, boats, currents, wind, waves, and heat, you should expect to die. :)

Put the kayak on the Queen Zamami, go out there and paddle straight out the harbor and you will see many smaller islands within easy reach of Zamami port. Get a minshuku at Zamami (easier now I think) or camp out at the park to the north of the port. Sometimes they leave the water on. Has toilets too.

[P_chan]

Anytime you are going to go in the open ocean and compete with ships, boats, currents, wind, waves, and heat, you should expect to die.

Some good words to live by. Kinda laughed once I first read it.:D

[TheProsecutor]

You can always do a Google Earth check and get some pretty good ideas of distances. If you are a real bad ass, you can probably average five knots. At that rate, it would take you about four hours to get close to Tokashiki.

Well, I am no Rambo, so I will give myself 6~7 hours.

The currents there are tidal for the most part, and are always present except between the tides. (I wont bore you with their proper names) That window of opportunity is too narrow for you to plan from as far away as Naha-your closest point- if you are traveling by kayak.

Thanks for that info, Umi. So just to confirm, you don't know of any strong channel currents running north/south that would keep me from going as the crow flies?

I have seen flat days. But not many, and when they are that flat, they are hot, windless days. So can you row continuously for four or five hours in the direct sun?

Hmmm...not sure. But the last few days I have been looking out at the ocean, it has looked rather flat.

Put the kayak on the Queen Zamami, go out there and paddle straight out the harbor and you will see many smaller islands within easy reach of Zamami port. Get a minshuku at Zamami (easier now I think) or camp out at the park to the north of the port. Sometimes they leave the water on. Has toilets too.

That seems like it is taking a lot of the risk out of the picture. I want a certain amount of risk -- creating a kind of question mark unknown. I mean, look. I can see the island clear as day. Looooooks so freakin doable close.

Not scorning your advice, and I will probably keep peppering you with more questions, but I don't want to just view it as a recreational activity. Hell, after I reached the island, I would probably just haul the Kayak onto the port and sell it for ¥100 and jump on the ferry back without any hassle with the kayak. My kayak adventuring would probably be over -- unless the thrill was so great I wanted to plan another one even more riskier.

Btw, Umi, which do you think would be the harder trip, Okinawa to Tokashiki, or from Hedo Point in the North to Yoron? If the latter is the easier one, then probably I would do that as a first trip. I really want the feeling of departing a distinguished place/land mass and arriving at a different one. Taking a ferry to the Keramas and then off loading to kayak around there, which may be good for recreation, won't satisfy my idea of adventure and risk with that.

[Asshat]

Current through the Kerama rhetto is 4-6 knots, north to south, then south to north, twice per day. IIRC it runs south when the tide is going out.

Hedo to Yoron-you are shark bait. I know a guy by the way that kayaked around Okinawa.

[TheProsecutor]

Thanks again for the info, Umi. Much appreciated.

I know a guy by the way that kayaked around Okinawa.

Without once making landfall? How long did it take and did he go clockwise or counterclockwise? Did he always stay within the reef or did he sometimes go outside of it?

Actually, this sounds quite interesting, Umi. Maybe I and my wife will do this together first to give me an idea of the physical demands. I am sure we would not make it a non-stop around due to I would not like to be kayaking at night. Though, it could be a great 3 or 5 night course.

About 13 years ago we road our bicycles around Okinawa from Mabuni to Hedo up and down both sides of the coast. It was a 2 night/3 day trip.

[P_chan]

Wait does he mean kayak around as in a circle, or kayak around as in many different places on okinawa?

[TheProsecutor]

I mean a whole circle around Okinawa. That is what I took Umi to mean, seeing he knows I am not looking for just a hobby, but a challenging journey/adventure of sorts.

[Asshat]

Circle....and he was a bad ass. There are other ways to get your adventure jones taken care of you know.

[TheProsecutor]

Umi, did he go clockwise or counter clockwise around the island? Would one way be more difficult than the other? Inside, or outside the reef?

[Asshat]

I don't recall which way. All of Oki is not covered by reef obviously, and many of the entrance points are rough.

Why don't you just buy a small sail or motor boat and do this? It is still difficult. Maybe get a subani and try it. Here's one for about 4500 in fiberglass.

http://www.geocities.jp/islandboat1/NEC_00641.jpg