Wonder why most of those people parading around with the “no fear” paraphernalia don’t seem to be around anymore. Perhaps its more than coincidence? Hmmm. 
They probably adopted a new personality facade.
Or the No Fear sticker had to give way for other stickers of whatever the latest hotstuff brand is now.
Thank you, but I’m not new to kayaking and I’m not discouraged! I just know Sing surfs fearlessly in cold rough water, and I imagine martial arts requires that kind of fearlessness – which I lack. Anyway I’m still trying to figure out if martial arts is the way to go, and if so which. My main goals are fun, fitness, and challenging myself…. and conditioning that will enhance my kayaking wouldn’t hurt.
There can be something in any new activity that feels like it crosses the line of reasonable personal challenge to feels seriously scary. In my case it turned out to be trying to stay in the boat long enough to execute a roll. I did not know until I was upside down in a boat with a tough skirt to get off that it happened to be one of the isolated situations where my claustrophobia took off.
I knew I had it for stuck elevators, first time that happened to me even for a short bit I was practicing yoga breath. But I had done body surfing when I was younger without any problem. There is always the beat down tumble curled up under the waves if you don’t pull out soon enough. So I had no idea that having my lower body in a boat would create an issue. I got out and realized that I needed to be cautious about tight skirts, at least for a while.
It took me unduly long to get my roll because I was simultaneously overcoming that.
A similar moment of freezing up in a situation paddling alone in unexpected conditions - like a squall that comes out of nowhere - is a real safety problem. As much as we all try to plan well, I would be surprised if anyone on this board with a lot of paddling time does not have a story where they got caught by unexpectedly bad conditions. It appears that as human beings we need to learn some of our lessons by getting slapped.
You can bull thru the difficult moment at hand, or work to gain confidence in another venue which involves managing anxiety. As a sheerly practical matter, you live in the northern part of the country and winter is coming. Martial arts may be your best use of the next few months.
Yes, you’re right, Celia, winter is exactly why I want a new physical activity. Apparently “getting slapped,” as you put it, is what leads to the most intense learning. Makes sense!
I’ve been in a few paddling situations that scared me and that I felt unprepared for; yet in the same situations, my spouse felt no fear and was confident we could handle it. Afterwards I realized that his perception was more accurate than mine, and I was fine in those situations.
People are different in their perceptions of danger, and I’d like for my fear-o-meter to be turned down a notch or two. Of course I don’t want to be cocky or foolhardy, but I’m thinking there’s little chance of that, unless I undergo a radical personality change.
Oops, so I was wronmg about your paddling solo. Sorry to have missed that part.
But - there is still the shot that someone you are paddling with could get into trouble themselves. I learned to roll before Jim as much because he would not for a long time as for my own well being. For whatever reason he would not take it on until a coach told him to go get a roll. Of course turns out he had no claustrophobia going on so it came to him faster than it had me even though he had less understanding of the motion.
Talk about fristrating!
You can do adrenaline based training by paddling incrementally more challenging conditions in a safer venue, with easy bailout, and/or going with more experience paddling partners to mentor and provide backup. One of my suggestions for that is start learning/practicing WW kayaking in class II. While relatively safe, class II white water will still shoot up the adrenaline when you are new to it. The next step (as advised to me) is to make “class III” moves (which involves capsizing when badly performed) in class II features.
PS. I still do a bit of solo class II white water near my camp in ME. Technically, it’s not particularly challenging for me (except trying to make class III moves). And, everytime I do it, I get a bit of the butterflies to start off with. This is the residual impact (justified fear) from almost drowning in a strainer on a class IV run that I took on with more advanced ww paddlers.
sing
I found that capsizing in class 2 WW came without extra effort on my part. 
Oh, so now we’re going to need whitewater kayaks too??? 
Maybe in the future but for now I’m looking for a winter sport.
Class II and lower III WW is one of the faster ways to learn to manage anxiety. The boats are dirt cheap used and if you are near an easy resource like a controlled release river it is excellent for big water skills. I personally think most long boaters would profit from some exposure.
But yes, except for the hard core folks in the southern states it is less of a thing in winter…
Interesting, thanks. It does look fun!
There have been a number of stories here of how studying martial arts can potentially help your kayaking technique. I certainly agree, especially learning how to generate and focus power using your whole body in unison.
One of the first things I learned about kayak paddling was that it was it was not only done with the arms, but that a good stroke came from a strong torso gathering the power from the legs. Another approach to body unison I might suggest is to try some social dancing, swing or waltz etc. It is difficult to dance if the arms are not working with the legs through a strong core. It can also help with fine tuning balance and fluid body coordination. Having a coed partner is a bonus.
If you live in the right environment for it: cross-country skiing on all kinds of terrain, including steep hills and tight twisties.
It’s about the best fitness training you can do, and you’re outdoors.
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I used to XC ski a lot every winter and just loved it – used to teach it, lead trips and even winter backpack on skiis in my younger days. I’m a Luddite who still uses vintage waxable woodies, though I have persistently upgraded to the newer boots and bindings as they come out – I have no sentimental feelings about the old 75mm 3 pins.
But we have had such danged little snow cover in Western PA in the past 10 years that I sold off or gave away all but two pairs and have only used either of those a couple of times a year.
It is great conditioning. I’ve read that sports physiologists consider Olympic Nordic racers to have the best overall fitness of any sport. The sport also has very low injury incidence and is low impact.
And avid XC skiers do it well into their elder years – I think the famous “Jack Rabbit” Johannsen (who invented everybody’s favorite non-goopy wet snow klister wax) continued to Nordic ski until his death at 105.
I like Xcountry skiing but it’s unreliable, as Willowleaf says.
Part of the reason SUPs got so popular is that they are much closer to an all body workout than Kayaking.
I was the first person to use an SUP at the Shark Bite Challenge in Dunedin. Six others wanted to try it and the next year there were eight SUPs in the lineup.
Many surfski racers, at the time, began to use it as a cross training technique, as I was doing. My knees got too old for it so I take Pilates and bought a weight machine instead.
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Rex Kwon Do
Google it. You’re going to need to buy the pants, though.
No question. Take the new discipline. I am over 70. I took years of ballet starting at the age of 29. Most martial arts and ballet are not two cents different. They are old pursuits, winnowed down to body mechanics by decades and centuries of practice. Ballet has translated into even today, me climbing my own stairs with dinner occupying both hands, set your ribs and center your balance.
I used ballet on job sites, walking rafters, joists, trusses, and wall tops. Standing at a table saw hour after hour, AND paddling my canoe through white water. I can stand in a canoe to view the rapid coming. Skiing? World class because of years of ballet study. Your urge to study something new, martial arts is entirely appropriate to kayaking. One winter season will not make a huge difference, but if the bug bites, at some point, months or years of study, Oh, you’ll know it. Your rolls will be fun and faultless. And long study will stay with you the rest of your life, your posture standing in line at the bank or ease of sitting in your seat belt and driving your car. Do it.
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I’m seeing Castoff in a leotard. Gag!
Laughing right with you.