UK man to row naked across Indian Ocean

[Nude_not_rude]

More naked news than naturist, but.....

UK man to row naked across Indian Ocean

Monday, May 09, 2011 » 06:08pm
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A rower with the naked ambition to break a world record is tackling the high seas.

Keith Whelan - aka 'the naked adventurer' - wants to become the youngest male to cross the Indian Ocean solo.

But the 30-year-old will be completely naked when making the almost 6000km crossing from Western Australia to Mauritius to stop sea salt getting encrusted in his clothes and causing chafing.

That's a good enough excuse to go naked.

[chrisw91]

Good luck to him. And good find sir

[bunnyrabbit]

He is not the first one. I've heard this few times before for the same reason, and it seems that salt and clothes could cause even severe wounds on such long rowing trips. 

[Jann]

Does this mean that it is okay for me to kayak naked?   

[Ed]

Does this mean that it is okay for me to kayak naked?   

Buoyancy aid and a spraydeck, it's all good :P

[Jann]

Does this mean that it is okay for me to kayak naked?   

Buoyancy aid and a spraydeck, it's all good :P

Add the helmet and the shoes and I may as well be fully clothed . . . oh well, I look good in a wetsuit.

[Ed]

Does this mean that it is okay for me to kayak naked?   

Buoyancy aid and a spraydeck, it's all good :P

Add the helmet and the shoes and I may as well be fully clothed . . . oh well, I look good in a wetsuit.

Well, depends where you're paddling :P it's only stuff that might flip you where you need a helmet or shoes (although I desperately envy your whitewater :P )

[Jann]

Does this mean that it is okay for me to kayak naked?   

Buoyancy aid and a spraydeck, it's all good :P

Add the helmet and the shoes and I may as well be fully clothed . . . oh well, I look good in a wetsuit.

Well, depends where you're paddling :P it's only stuff that might flip you where you need a helmet or shoes (although I desperately envy your whitewater :P )

I am told that once I have become proficient at sea I am going to undergo the whitewater experience in Maine.  Apparently the rivers, though small, are very "technical" and have class IV & V rapids . . . not so sure I want to do that but I can be talked into most things that aren't illegal

[Ed]

Ohohoho, straight from sea into IV-V rapids - you're a brave one :P

Protip - I hear that the general consensus for sea is to wait ages and take your time over rolling due to the boat's keel. If that's true, you don't have a keel on whitewater boats - get a fast roll on both sides (rapids have a funny way of chucking rocks in your way while you're upside down :P )and it'll be very handy :)

[Jann]

Brave?  I prefer to think of myself as easily led?   

I have been told that my progression is going to be something like this:  flat water training in the lake until I have developed an easy roll in the keeled boat,  then sea training for navigation and what he calls a "bombproof roll" in the surf,  then river training in Class I-II-III where I have to prove my roll and, if I'm lucky (Lucky ???), we'll be into Class IV-V by September.  I am unsure if this is good luck or bad, or just some sort of new test but hey, we will be married by then so I just have to assume he will be looking out for me.     Besides, if his sister can do this so can I.

[Ed]

As long as you're doing it regularly, you commit to it and you have balls (metaphorical, of course), you'll do fine on that schedule. The biggest problem newcomers to whitewater have is that they let their fear take over and stop paddling. Then they're at the mercy of the water, which scares them more, they stop even looking where they're going, and get flipped. The most important thing is to stay relaxed as much as possible (overreacting to events is as bad as not reacting at all), but paddle aggressively and proactively to make sure you're where you need to be well ahead of time - for example, if you start paddling for an eddy as you reach it, you're too late. You need to spot it early and start paddling for it well upstream so that the water flow doesn't sweep you past it.

But then if you've got someone who can run you down class V, frankly you won't need my advice as he's a more serious paddler than I am at the moment :P

Although I maintain that it's just a lack of rivers round 'ere :P

[Jann]

He teaches and guides as a hobby.


Todd (or somebody) this has been pretty far of your topic . . . sorry . . . can you split it back at my first interjection? . . . call the new topic "naked yak drivers" or something equally silly?  Thanx

[Nude_not_rude]

Nah it's ok, still talking about Kayaking, naked or otherwise is good. Unless you want to start a topic about your Kayaking in the hobby section and keep us up to date with your progress. :)

[Jann]

Right then . . . rain or shine I am off for ten days on lake and sea as of this Sunday.  There will be no nakedness involved though because the bay is still deadly cold.  If I survive I shall write a report.  If all goes well there will definitely be some naked kayaking later this summer.  I shall titillate you with the bare facts of that after the event.

[bunnyrabbit]

Right then . . . rain or shine I am off for ten days on lake and sea as of this Sunday.  There will be no nakedness involved though because the bay is still deadly cold.  If I survive I shall write a report.  If all goes well there will definitely be some naked kayaking later this summer.  I shall titillate you with the bare facts of that after the event.

Can't wait! (Both for report and facts. :) ) And I hope you will have a great time.

I always wanted to start kayaking (did tried it few times and liked it a lot), just I cant handle one more activity with my free time nor financially.