[LEAKYSEALS951]

I noticed this comment in the Tidybouy thread about him keeping his wits as he was stuck in the attic.

It got me thinking about "Keeping my wits" stories.

Mine was based over 20 years ago. One fall day, a friend of mine (an avid whitewater kayaker) was at the river as I rode by on my bike. He had a spare kayak, and invited me to go along.

In still water, he taught me the eskimo roll in short order. It was a brilliant last day of fall, with colors and foliage exploding, and I was king of rolling kayaks in smooth water. As the last day of fall ended, we parked his boats, and went on our separate ways.

Then winter hit. Then Spring.

One early spring day, I saw him again at the river. He invited me to go with him. "Let's practice some eskimo rolls again" he proclaimed. Eager to roll, I did so, but after a season of no practice, missed the roll back up, and was submerged upside down. The cold spring water shocked the air from my lungs.

I tried the roll again, and with so much force, I came upright, and continued to roll over again, not really gaining a breath, and was now upside down underwater again- this time running low on holding my breath.

Upside down with no air left in my lungs, it occurred to me we had never gotten to my "wet exit" lesson. To add to the confusion, his boat was a size too small for me, I was jammed into it, crammed upside down underwater. There would be no sliding out. No easy exit.

I could feel his boat ramming mine, in an effort to give me something to grab onto, but I was disoriented, and could not grab his bow to leverage against.

I could also reach my hand upward into the air, and feel safety, yet, I was trapped beneath the water.


At this point it hit me, "If I do not remain calm, I WILL die." I had no air left. I pulled the skirt off the boat and tried to loosen my way back. It didn't work. I tried more- slowing down to make it work. The boat tried to hold me in, but I needed to survive, and I kept straining to remove my legs from the boat.

Somehow I got loose, but remaining underwater, still couldn't figure up from down. As I came to the surface, I inhaled a big gulp of water and choked, but broke free to air at the last minute.

Not a fun ordeal at all.

I tried to act like it was no big deal, but it was. We then went down the river in white water. After that episode, the white water experience was miserable. I just wanted out.
After that, I prefer white water canoeing over kayaking btw.... I can at least get out!

What are your stories?