100 miles and paddlin'.

My Bending Branches Angler Ace paddle was very broken-in and pretty worn out but I was going to push it to its limit.  9 months of mini adventures and it was about to get even more adventurous. But first, it needed a little prep work. I pulled out my orbital sander and knocked down the damage the concrete had done to the edges over the year. Countless steps at the boat ramp from the truck to the kayak and back were enough to mushroom the blades, just a bit.

 

So I was now ready for my 100 mile paddle adventure with my almost brand new blades. The plan was to split the 100 miles between the Florida Everglades and the Indian River Lagoon. Both trips would be approximately 6-7 days and my wheelchair would be of no use while embarked. It’s a simple idea; leave the wheelchair at home in order to push myself harder by walking with my paddle. Friend Wade Hollowell calls it the “half paddle rehab technique”. I simply call it, adapting to life.

 

On November 30^th John Kumiski and I set out for the Everglades. Packing wisely I brought my previous legs, the Bending Branches Angler Classic, with me just to have a spare because you should never go on a trip without an extra paddle. John quickly took a liking to it and it became his primary paddle while his extra became our backup. John’s legs work fine so he strictly used the paddle to propel his kayak.
 

Aside from propelling kayaks and helping me walk, a good paddle will help you feel secure. Like a kid hiding under the sheets from the boogie man, a paddle sitting on your lap makes you feel like you’re safe from any large beast that may come up from the depths or out from the bushes. It’s going to eat the paddle first, right? However, when you do hit something under those dark waters that doesn’t feel like sand, it’ll sure wake you up. Similar to the 12’ crocodile I hit with my boat and paddle at the end of Day 1. Makes me wonder if the boogie man ever knew I was under the sheets.

 

I’m frequently asked how I first came up with the idea of using the paddle as crutches. Unfortunately I never have a true answer for anyone. It was something that I absent mindedly adapted to and ran with, kind of. It’s been about four years now and I continue to do things I’m not fully aware of. Last year I picked up the habit of putting both ends of the paddle into one hand in order to balance as I pulled my kayak up on shore with the other hand. Inch by inch, foot by foot, I’d get it on the beach. In 2010 I would leave my wheelchair very close to the launch area or have someone bring it to me. It was never far away. Today it’s not unheard of for me to leave it at home.
 

People often have a dream of trying to run fast but for whatever reason, you just can get out of slow motion. After my accident in 2003, I had to get used to living a life in slow motion. Things were going to take more time for me to accomplish and this would effect how I live from day to day. That bad dream is where I found reality at midnight on Day 3. Something crawling on my back woke me up and after I tried to brush it off, I was stung. Running far from my tent was on my priority list but this was reality, not my dreams. After getting stung a second time trying to get out of the mess I was in, I grabbed my paddle and walked away. I’m laughing hysterically from the outside looking in as I watch a helpless guy in slow motion get stung in his tent. I know, that’s mean. Our gear was packed and I wasn’t going back into the tent until it was cleaned out in the daylight. We made a glassy 11 mile paddle on Florida Bay under the night’s sky that night. If nightmares become beautiful dreams to remember, this night would have been one.
 

The sting totally makes up for the lack of size.

Exploring the beaches of Cape Sable can be pretty cool. It’s not like there is a beach access for tourist and locals to go sunbathing at. The beach is the southern most point of the mainland of Florida and very isolated. You can watch the sun rise and set with zero obstructions. To walk this entire beach would be a pretty cool thing to do but for now I only venture within 100 yards of my tent. My legs will give out long before my paddle does and crawling is something I do but try to avoid. Upon my 100 yard exploration I found some cool shells but most of them we all occupied. Including this little guy. I truly do like long walks on the beach but they tend to be short.  
 

The Florida Everglades are a true gem and that was the first of many camping/kayak fishing adventures to be made. It just doesn’t get any better than campfires at the end of the United States while being off the grid. We spend too many hours logged on these days.
 

I got back to Melbourne in order to squeeze in a week of work and get back to the water by the following weekend for the last leg of the IRL Paddle Adventure (www.irl-paddle-adventure.com). The IRLPA is an event where people paddle the entire 156 miles of the Indian River Lagoon for any amount of days or miles. It raises awareness for the lagoon as well as marine stewardship and funds for educational programs on the IRL. Last year I did the entire trip but this year I only planned to do the last 50 miles.

 

One of the many stops along the way is River Palm Cottages and Fish Camp in Jensen Beach. At this location we would stay for two nights, giving the paddlers a full day of R&R. This was great for the people that had been on the water for a while but I was only two days in. Boredom found me pretty quick but it’s my fault because I’m an organizer of the IRLPA. The walks from the shore to the cottage would later become the reason for my aches and pains. 200+ steps it would take for one trip and by the end of the two night stay, I had made 8 trips. These trips would not include the eagerly challenging walk to the end of the dock and back that called out my name. After all, I had all day to get out there and back.
 

Rules #1 when walking on a dock using your paddle:

Always face the paddle blades in the opposite directions of the grooves between the dock planks.

It was a Monday and the place was quiet. I sat at the end of the dock with a pelican and read a book by good friend Capt Rodney Smith. I did the reading while the pelican watched. The distance I had traveled on this day alone would be huge. Not only did I make it out here but I would have to make it back to the beach, to the cottage, to the vehicle that would take us to dinner, into the restaurant and back to the cottage when it was all over. Each mission was an adventure of its own. I knew I would get to each place one step at a time.

 

One of the major obstacles I face by walking with my paddle or even crutches is a slick floor. There is zero grip on a slick floor and I found this out a long time ago but was reminded of it while walking into the restaurant this night as the paddle slipped out and I fell on the sidewalk. Falls are nothing new to me considering I grew up skateboarding. Many broken bones, stitches and concussions have molded me into a sidewalk warrior. However, my heart goes out to those who see a handicap person fall because it’s instant panic. “I’m ok I’m ok, I’m a pro”.
 

We ate like Kings and Queens at Mulligan’s Bar and Grill. Before we left I couldn’t help but notice a large amount of white stuff under my chair. It was dark so I poked it with my paddle and after deciding it was safe to touch, I found out it was a pile of sand. While I was enjoying my day at the River Palm beach I must have filled the open ends of my paddle with sand and accidently dumped it on the floor of the restaurant. Good thing it was the Holiday season because the waitress got an extra big tip.
 

After leaving there the next day we caught up with a couple media representatives at which time I informed them I would prefer to do interviews by the water because I was a paraplegic and didn’t like to walk very far. It never gets old seeing the face on some people while I sit in my kayak and explain my condition. The kayak is like my invis-disability cloak. “You’re what? Where is your wheelchair?” Less talk about my mobility and more talk about the IRL Paddle Adventure.
 

We pushed on and finished the trip on December 18^th, raising close to $4,500 for educational programs on the Indian River Lagoon. It was a great time and I’m looking forward to a bigger and better event next year. In the end I paddled over 100 miles, collected a bunch of lures, caught tons of fish, met new people, hung with old friends and made some memories I will forever keep with me. Beside me every step of the way was my trusty Bending Branches paddle that never gives up on me.
 

A paddle can be an object that is a tool for your boat or it can be something totally different. My paddle has taken me to places that were once told never possible. It goes without saying that I depend on and put confidence in a product. In 2003 I was told I’d never walk again. In 2014 I stood up in my Ocean Kayak while on the water for the very first time.

Thank you, Bending Branches.