Evolution of a Guide
Trip Start
May 08, 2011
1
5
Trip End
Aug 01, 2012
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Monday, May 9, 2011
I was 18 when I first sat in a kayak. It felt like a good fit. It was a red plastic surf boat which I had just purchased, used, online. I dragged it down to the lake. Three days later I dragged it home; my body was aching, my sinuses were flushed, and I had a weak one-sided roll now part of my skill set.
I now had the tools, skills, and knowledge to get myself in trouble so I dragged the boat to Tofino. My first sessions on the surf were characterized by sinus flushings, unsuccessful roll attempts, epic swims, and occasionally a ride on a wave. I was hooked. Although kayaking was new for me, I fell in love with the exhilaration that comes with such a connection to the ocean. The obsession grew. I bought a river kayak, met some local paddlers, and tried my hand at river running. My first experiences on the river very much resembled my first surf kayaking experiences. The swims were a little bumpier.
Up until this point kayaking was something I snuck away to do on weekends, a small aspect of my life that I hoped to make bigger. Working as a lifeguard at the time, my thoughts constantly drifted to kayaking. I was always scheming to get back on the water.
My opportunity came with a chance introduction to a friend of a friend. Peter was looking to hire young enthusiastic paddlers to work as guides for his Vancouver Island-based sea kayaking operation. I managed to convince Peter that I was the guy for the job. I took an 80 hour first aid course, and Peter taught me the basics of sea kayaking (navigation, rescues, weather, etc.).
I worked for Peter for a couple of summers, learning from the more experienced guides, learning from the guests, and learning from my own mistakes. I managed to keep everyone out of trouble. I was overwhelmed by the opportunity to see the many world-class destinations that Vancouver Island has to offer to sea kayakers. My urge to kayak was placated by over 80 days on the water each summer. But something was missing.
I was able to entertain guests, keep them safe, deal with problems as they arose, and discuss native history. But something larger loomed. I could see that if I didn't do something, this summer job would remain simply that, a seasonal interlude.
I was accepted into the Adventure Guide Diploma in 2004. I felt confident as a paddler, but not so hot on skis, and certainly not a climber. While enjoying the challenges that the other sports posed, I maintained my focus on paddling. During our first pool session I learned how to roll properly, on both sides. It was only the beginning.
It’s the hard skill classes that everyone gets excited about: climbing in Skaha, skiing at Rogers Pass, rafting in Idaho; but it is the soft skills that teach you the roles and responsibilities of a leader. It is these soft skills that teach you what it means to be a guide. This increased awareness is fortified by the inspiring examples set by the instructors. Here is a group of people for whom guiding is a career and a passion. Since graduation in 2006, I’ve held these lessons with me.
The friends and connections I made during my two years at TRU have lasted and grown.
I recently connected with Glenn Coltman, former classmate and current owner-operator of the Dover Tours aspect of Novashores Adventures, located 30km outside of Halifax. We went for a paddle in his playground of granite and surf. Glenn knows the area like his own backyard, and paddles all year long.
It was my first time on the East Coast and my first session since last summer. As we headed out to unprotected water he called back to me, advising me to follow his line through a cluster of boulders. I did as I was told. The ocean heaved, a boomer revealed itself just off Glenn’s bow, and a wave slammed into a rock over my left shoulder. Glenn looked at me and grinned. I instinctively planted a couple of deep back-strokes and grinned back. The intimacy of the ocean, the raw power of a wave, the heavy salt air; suddenly I was reminded of what brought me here in the first place.
