One of the strange questions that I get asked when I take people kayaking is “Will I get wet?” And some will tell you in no uncertain terms that it would be a ‘no-show’ if it drizzle on the day! Out of curiosity I would ask back if they had ever been out in the rain intentionally and liked it. You’ll be surprised at the number of people who’d never entertained this idea and find it absurb, strange and apprehensive to be caught in one; for fear of getting sick!
Despite the rain, about the only time that I do not go out on the waters is if there is a lightning thunderstorm. I’m not that crazy or stupid!
On Saturday I decided to go for a solo paddle as it had been a while since I’d used sea kayak, and I love the glide and control I get in a sit-in kayak. About an hour into the paddle the wind picked up and the sky turned dark quite suddenly. As I turned my kayak around to head back when I heard thunderclaps in the distance; the sky opened up and it rained hard. It had been a dry past 2 weeks and so the rain was a welcomed relief to the hazy conditions. As I paddled back with the rain beating down on my back and face, it felt wonderful and was tempted even to taste the rain!
I find it refreshing to be drenched by the rain; it’s invigorating. Do you?
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Well, I don’t intentionally go and get wet in the rain
but if I do get rained on, i don’t mind, providing I don’t have to go back to work after that and catching the chills thanks to the aircond, but if I do get caught in the rain, I wld prefer it to be a full deluge where I am totally wet, compared to just slightly wet as for being completely wet and then going home and dry off and change of clothes, you will not catch the sniffles.
I am the original “rainman”. When I am in Kuching (it’s too cold to do this in Melbourne), as soon as it rains, I would strip down to my underwear (too much information) and walk out into the garden for a good soakng. The heavier the down pour the better. This normally cools me down just right.
As for the thunder, I agree, you don’t mess with mother nature!
But I did do something rather silly during my recent trip to Kuching:
I met up with my cousin Ah Seng (the really big guy) at the Stutong Park for some chi kung exercise he was going to teach me.
When I arrived at the park, it was raining dog and cats, with thunder and lighning flashes. Ah Seng looked at me and said “since we are men of good will, we have nothing to fear”. I agreed.
So we decided to do our chi kung exercise in the rain. But as we made our way around the park along one of the circuits, the rain got heavier, the thunder got louder and the lighning came closer.
As we completed the circuit and going for the 2nd round, Ah Seng looked at me and said “let’s not tempt fate!”
And I thought to myself: so the “men of good will” immunity only worked for 1 round?
At the MacRitchie Reservoir in Spore, if it rains and looks like there’s lightning, they will sound the siren (as in golf) and the kids have to get out of the water.
qv - certainly not wise to get inside an airconditioned place in wet clothings! wearing wet cotton clothes on the waters on a cool breezy day can also give u a bad chill.
batukawa - i salute d original “rainman”! i didnt know that!
lam chun see - that’s very sensible but unfortunately they don’t do sensible things in bolehland! *sigh*
I like kayaking in thunderstorms. I just wear my tinfoil hat. (just kidding).
I’ve never paddled in the rain. Flown a light plane, sailed a boat, bicycled, yes, but not paddled. No reason not to.
I don’t mind paddling in thunderstorms. I just wear my tinfoil hat! Just kidding.
Actually, I’ve never paddled in the rain. Flown a plane, swam, bicycled, rode a horse, etc. in the rain, but not paddled. No reason not to I suppose.
Except that 100 mega volt lightning thing!
As a seasoned Western Oregonian (it rains 2/3 of the year on average in many places), I don’t mind rain at all. In fact, I often go out in it without an umbrella, which drives my Japanese colleagues nuts.
Nature’s shower. What’s wrong?