Kure Beach NC | mahanaimadventures.com

The Water

When you think of kayaking what first comes to mind? The kayak, the water or the paddle. Well, many may think of the water or the body of water in which you’re kayaking in such as the Black River, Cape Fear River, or Rice Creek which we all guide on. For some people, water is scary due to the worries of drowning or damage to their phones. We prevent the likelihood of drowning by wearing a PFD (lifejacket) and asking you to stay with your kayak if anything happens. For the kayak is designed with flotation gear built into it so that it will not sink. One of our cheesy sayings is “if you stay with your kayak, you’ll make it back because we need it for the kayak next day.”, which has held true so far.

While the water can be dangerous and unpredictable at times, its filled with many beautiful animals such as dolphins, turtles, alligators, fish and crabs. Which can’t be explored unless on the water. There’s a quote for surfing which applies to kayaking it says,” Surfing neither takes or adds to nature but simply allows you to live in the moment and take it in.” This is exactly the experience you get while paddling with Mahanaim Adventures. One of the best example I can think of is the Three Sisters Swamp trip for it is only accessible by kayak or canoe. The ability to get out on the water and see these beautiful sights and make memories that’ll last a lifetime all while having no negative impact on the area is very rewarding as a guide.

I’m grateful for the opportunities the water has provide me and hope you can enjoy it the same. So, remember go explore and create memories for struggles come and go but the memories you make last forever. Thank you for reading, see you on the water. – Grayson Harris

Risk Management

Risk Management is something that we deal with on a daily basis. This is not to say that we deal with high risk adventures, but we do want to be able to provide a positive and memorable experience. There is a lot that goes into managing for risks for an outdoor adventure. For example we constantly watch the weather before any trip starts. This is to make sure that we don’t have any high winds to deal with and to keep an eye out for scatter thunderstorms too. Here in the Wilmington area scattered thunderstorms happen a lot all throughout the summer season. Another safety concern that we monitor during many of our kayaking trips is boat traffic, and container ships that travel along the Cape Fear River. These ships can create large wakes which become hazardous in shallow water areas. We also carry rescue gear in our guide boats on every trip in case someone does fall out of their boat. This is so that we can safely get someone back inside a boat if they do fall out. Along with our rescue gear, we also bring a large first aid kits on each trip.

This past Thursday I had the opportunity to go to BSA Cape Fear Council’s Camp Bowers with Don to learn about the high ropes course, climbing tower, and zip-line that is part of the C.O.P.E. course there. The risk management that goes into operating these aspects is serious. Risk management starts before the course ever opens by having trained a professional such as Don inspect all the equipment, including different carabiners, ropes, helmets, and harnesses before use to make sure that everything is working properly and efficiently. Once all the gear is inspected and cleared for use then Don can inspect the course for any damage and safety concerns. After he has inspected the course, and everything has checked out, Don then begins to set up the course to be able to have participants safely climb up to the top where they can begin the course and use the zipline. To set up the belay system which makes sure everyone can get up on the course safely, Don uses steel climbing carabiners, it is important to note that he is not using aluminum carabiners because aluminum carabineers would be damaged by the steel cables that are part of the course which the belay is anchored to. Once participants are on top, they then have a self-belaying system with two adjustable ropes with clips that attach to their harness. These tethers are then clipped into the steel cables for safety (called lifelines). These are used as a backup device in case anyone does slip or fall off of one of the obstacles. Even though it may seem as though there are many different risks to manage for, if done properly it makes any adventure operate safely and efficiently.

Don & Diane Harty own Mahanaim Adventures. They specialize in helping families and groups to have “Positive & Memorable” outdoor adventures. Whether these are wildlife view adventure, camping adventure or a simple kayaking adventure. They provide kayaking adventures on Town Creek, Cape Fear River, Fort Fisher Basin, Masonboro Island, Black River, Holly Shelter Creek and Moores Creek. Contact them at www.mahanaimadventures.com for more information about all of their adventures.

This blog was written by Mike Manning. I am Mahanaim Adventures new intern for the summer of 2018. I am a Park and Recreation Management student at East Carolina University, Go Pirates! I love the outdoors and have a strong passion for kayaking. This coming summer I will be writing a blog similar to this every other week to let everyone know about the awesome adventures we will have on the water this summer.

Safety and Awareness

This past Sunday I had the pleasure of helping Don guide a group of people to Sharks Tooth Island on the Cape Fear River where we hunted for prehistoric sharks teeth and fossils. Around mid-morning everyone had found their fair share of sharks teeth and fossilized shells on the island and were ready to get back on the water to do some more paddling. It was at this time that Don and I had noticed a fairly large container ship easing its way up the river towards the port, so we decided to stay on the island and let the ship pass by before returning to our kayaks and continuing the adventure. We chose to stay on the island because these container ships are known for having big wakes, especially while traveling in a river such as the Cape Fear. The areas where this is most prominently noticed are in shallow water. Because just like any wave, the wake from these ships doesn’t start to break until it finds shallow water. This is especially important to know while paddling because when the wake from those ships hit shallow water and start to break, it can provide an authentic whitewater experience here on the coast. And if you find yourself paddling through shallow water when this happens, you will most likely get flipped out of your boat.

So as the ship passed by, we gathered our group on the side of Sharks Tooth Island that faces Kegg Island, watching the wake from the container ship crash into the shallow water around the island. After we had watched the wake stop crashing in the shallow water between the islands we then headed back to our kayaks to continue our adventure. It was at this time, we noticed a fisherman who was fishing on the opposite side of Sharks Tooth Island in a small john boat had been capsized by the wake. From the position we were at, we noticed the man didn’t have a PFD in sight, his boat was completely swamped, and he was having trouble swimming. So, Don and I immediately began our rescue procedures by jumping in our boats and getting to the man as quickly as possible to save him from drowning. Once we were able to get the man safely to shore, we then recovered his gear that was floating away and fortunately we had additional help to recover his boat and paddle as well.

This situation goes to show that if you are out paddling, or on any outdoor adventure, without a trained professional, that being aware of your surroundings can help you better manage for any possible risks and it could possibly save your life. It is also a great example of why you should always wear a life jacket while paddling on the water. Because if you paddle enough, it’s not a matter of “if” but a matter of when you are going to fall out of your boat and go for a swim.

Alligators!

I am amazed at how fearful most people are of alligators that are found here in the Wilmington NC area. This is one of the most common questions I get when I am leading a kayaking adventure. Yes, we should have a healthy respect and view these wonderful creatures from a safe distance. However it amazed how the fear keeps some people from exploring the majesty of God’s Creation just because they may encounter one of these animals. As a boy growing up in gator country of central Florida, you learned to understand the amazing creatures. So, like any good Boy Scout here are some facts about alligators that my help you know more about this magnificent creature, and be prepared on what to expect when you see one.

This alligator was seen at the southern tip of Keg Island in the Cape Fear River.

The American Alligator is the most prevalent of the three species of crocodilians found in the US. The Gator’s range from North Carolina down to Florida and then around the Gulf Coast to Texas.
There are very few American Crocodile and Caiman that can be found in the extreme southern part of Florida mainly in the southern portions of the Everglades.
Gators live in freshwater wetlands and coastal brackish waters. Their diets mainly consist of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. They are more known for their savaging for food than hunting and attacking larger prey.
Mating season beings in May as the spring warms up and the females will lay their eggs in June, with the eggs hatching in last July.
Between 1948 – 2004 there were only 391 injuries and 18 deaths caused by alligators in the US.
Alligators are active both day and night, but mainly feed at night and resting during the day light hours digesting their meal from the night before.
Don’t let your pets swim in known waters where alligators live. The alligators will see the smaller pets at natural prey.

Dispose of fish scraps in garbage cans and throwing fish remains in the water can attract alligators. Also, do not feed alligators.

Before the Adventure Begins

For those of you who grew up in Boy Scouts, you will know that the “Scout Motto” is to “Be Prepared“. This was drilled into me during my days as a scout and I can say, most great scout troops still place a great deal of emphasis on this. To be honest, one of the biggest things that gets to me is watching the vast majority of people take off with their kayaks are woefully unprepared for what they are fixing to do.

This was brought home to me this past weekend when I saw a young couple jump out of their vehicles, toss their kayaks in the water and jump in and go! No PFD, no sunscreen, no WATER, no clue to the weather coming or going, much less of the river currents that will affect their paddle. When I pointed out the oyster beds they were fixing to walk into, they could care less (yes, they had no shoes of any kind on). I could only imagine that they had a less than pleasant time on the water.

It is because of this lack of proper preparedness that I write the next blog. I hope over the next several weeks to add additional blogs that will help you be “Prepared” when you head out on your next adventure.

Here are some very basic things that need to be considered before you take your next kayaking adventure.

Always try to plan for the unexpected “what ifs?” What if I get delayed? Lost? Injured? Am I prepared to cope with that?
Always have a map and compass with you. This means that you know how to orientate the map and use the compass, so make sure you learn basic map reading and compass navigation skills before you head out on the water.
Pick a trip, even a short day paddle and study your intended route on a map at home. Doing this when you’re not stressed allows you time to become more familiar and comfortable with the unique markings of a topographic map and where you will be going.
Additional essential items that can save your life when out kayaking:
- Plenty of water to drink
- Hat
- Sunscreen/bug spray
- Flash light
- Cell phone
- Matches for a fire
- Extra clothing
- Rain gear
- Snacks
- Knife
- Dry bag for all your essentials to be placed
Float Plan. It is critical that you let someone know where you’re going, what route you plan to take and your estimated return time. If you get lost, the sooner a rescue operation begins the better for your searchers and you. If you change your plans before you start a trip, call and update someone, even if you simply leave a voice mail. This also implies that once on the river that you stick with your plan and not deviate.
Oh, I am assuming that you will have your PFD with you before you get into the water.

Mahanaim Adventures provide wonderful adventure in the Wilmington and Carolina Beach areas of North Carolina. We can also customize a guided kayaking adventure to Florida as well as any other location in the Southeast US. We specialize in creating that memory of a life time for you and your family and friends. Check out our web page and find out more details about all of our adventure locations.