Years ago I was paddling solo on the cays off Belize. Out about two miles from my island camp early one morning I was preparing to snorkel what looked like an untouched reef. I removed my clothing (solo, you know), flipped my feet out the cockpit, reached behind the seat to gather my snorkel, mask and fins, and began to put on the fins when I inadvertently swatted a large red ant which had just bit my thigh. I swatted his friends, his cousins and his whole brood until I realized there were too many zillion of them and I needed another strategy. Since I had been bitten a good number of times, I ejected from the kayak and floated in the calm, warm sea to figure out my next step. What worked perfectly well (and took over a half an hour) was to scoop out a hand full onto the water, duck under water because they preferred climbing up on me rather than on the slippery hull of my kayak, and swim with the kayak a few feet forward leaving the biting beasties behind. On and on a hundred times. So I only got in a little snorkeling before returning to camp, breakfast and the other delights and duties of the day. I had stored my kayak upside down overnight under the coconut palms to keep out the rain. Obviously quite a colony set up shop during the night. The next morning I very carefully checked the kayak before heading out (rule two) and found, under the seat, a giant hairy spider (I think s/he wasn't a tarantula) with a zillion little babies on his/her back. Good thing I checked. And what is rule one? Cockpit covers. Don't leave home without them! Joanne -- Joanne Turner Southwind Kayak Center http://www.southwindkayaks.com joanne_at_southwindkayaks.com 17855 Sky Park Cr. #A, Irvine CA 92614 949-261-0200 1-800-SOUTHWIND = 1-800-768-8494 *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Fri Mar 31 2000 - 10:17:22 PST
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