[Visaster]

For such a expedition you would have got a total sponsorship from anyone in the game. Awesome. Every post of yours is truly enjoyable. You are taking all of us there in to the deep sea, awesome feeling.
I am starting to wonder the amount of dedication you had to chase a dream. Cheers to it.

[Pc_2425]

Kudos to your sense of adventure and travel, its going to be an interesting and inspirational thread to read through

[SDP]

Kamen_Rider, really inspiring update.

Hats off for driving from Bangalore to GanapatiPule through high-fever. Felt ashamed that I avoid even going to office during high-fever. I understand its got to do with passion. May be I should find something that I am really passionate about at work.

Eating with the shovel must have been an interesting experience.

You seem to have missed mentioning the date on which you did the second dry-run. Just curious as I am trying to understand the ambient temperatures that you faced on water on that day.

[sami316]

Kamen_Rider...Just one word brother. RESPECT. Its really amazing to see the sheer planning and dedication that you have towards this expedition. I salute you for that. As far as this TL is considered, as most of them have already pointed out, its one of a kind and unique in every manner. Really love the way you have narrated the experience so far. I am hooked on to this and eagerly waiting for the next episode. Cheers.

[vikrantj]

This is a one of a kind thread, the second interesting thread after "Road is my home...Forever" . Hats off to your perseverance and stamina. Looking forward to more updates. And not to mention "Rated 5 *"

[Kamen_rider]

Originally Posted by midazolam

BTW adventure tools are very difficult to find in India but a lot of tools are now available online on the recently introduced Junglee.com, though u can't be sure of the quality.

Thanks for the tip. I wanted to make sure that the quality of the gear was top notch so I chose to buy everything from the US.

Originally Posted by lsp

This is amazing Kamen_rider!!! Hats off to the will to do it and finally succeeding in doing it.

Glued for more.

Thank you lsp! There is a twist in the tale ahead, so stay tuned

Originally Posted by //M

Wow wonderful travelogue there. Truly one of a kind !!

Really made for a great read and the pictures are also great. Respect.

Appreciate it, M. Will try and keep the words and pictures flowing.

Originally Posted by motomaverick

Can you give more details on the Megalite torch which you bought? What are its lumens and how far is the beam distance.

Thanks maverick - the torch I have is the Maglite XL100. Has a throw of 150 meters in 103 lumen. Just the right size for my trip.

Originally Posted by Joy

Would you elaborate more on how to keep balance and other niche stuff. I tried kayaking once but failed miserably.

Hi Joy, thank you for the comment. The key is to keeping any watercraft stable is to keep the center of gravity low while boarding or getting out of it. The best way to enter a kayak in shallow waters is to straddle the kayak in knee deep water (one leg on either side) and then lower yourself into it and then get the legs over. I had the 'sit-in' kayak which has a lower center of gravity as opposed to a 'sit-on-top' kayak. Basic visual difference between these two types is that you can only the torso of the paddler in the former, while the latter, the body is simply rest on it.

Rental sit-on-tops are less stable than the sit-in type, so it needs some practice.

Originally Posted by Jignesh

Request you to please share each & every good & bad experience. Most of us might not be able to go on a trip like this, but we can atleast imagine & re-live your experiences.

Thank you Jignesh - I will make sure that I share every detail I remember.

Originally Posted by rajeevn

This is unreal stuff, unique to a T. I have surfed through enough T-LOGson T-BHP, as have thousands and thousands, but this one really stands apart; for its sheer uniqueness, for the courage and tenacity of Kamen-Rider, highlighting his determination and grit in making this fantastic journey happen. Hats off to you, and keep it coming.

Originally Posted by KSM-Vtec

This has got to be one of the most adventurous journeys ever undertaken by a Tbhpian!!!

I wish i have the courage to do this someday.

Originally Posted by Lalvaz

Extremely nice way of narrating your adventures and some nice pics too. Impatiently waiting to read more.

Originally Posted by neofromcapone

Kamen_rider, after a long time, this is one thread that i am hooked on to, and I am glad you are unfolding the events in a bit-by-bit manner. Rated 5 stars for the sheer audacity and effort to complete the journey.

Thank you gentlemen of Tbhp. Your words motivate me to keep the logs coming. More soon!

Originally Posted by n_aditya

I still remember you mentioning this during our ride to Yercaud.

It must have been so peaceful and relaxing in the middle of the ocean, just bobbing up and down with the waves, no hulla gulla or noise involved, just you and the vast open sea.

Did you take any video's on your GoPro?

P.S. Do share the newspaper article as well.

Yes sir, I had this going in my head for quite some time, and you know me - unless I get it out of my system, I will not be truly happy!

The feeling out alone on the sea was awesome, more on that in later blogs, with pictures. I did not take many GoPro videos but I do have a lot of pictures. I have a video of paddling the ocean during the 2nd dry run, I will share that later this week as soon as I upload it to youtube.

Hey! The newspaper thing is a spoiler, hush! I will come to it on Day 7.

Originally Posted by Samridh

In fact, after my recovery, I went on my annual leave where I would cycle 60-100 kms every day in almost different directions from my hometown in Punjab!! I was amid people (and other distortions like traffic and pollution), nonetheless, it being relatively calmer made me feel on 7th heaven!!

I relate to your experience, Samridh. I had the same feeling on the sea, though I admit it is a little different from being the road I still had traffic though. Lots of fishing boats and nosy Dolphins trying to go under my kayak!

Originally Posted by sukhoi30

Wonderful travelogue!!! Can't wait to see/read the rest of the adventure. India has a lot of opportunities for such adventure activities, but unfortunately, our Govt. don;t realise them. Even if a few want to do it, Govt. agencies unnecessarily harass them. But, kodos to you, you have done what many others cannot even think of. Waiting to hear more on your encounter with the Coast Guards. On a lighter note, stay clear of any Italian tanker ships

Sirji, will share the details of the encounter soon. The coastguard one was a winner, and later in the journey, I had my fair bit of dealing with the police, customs and port authorities.

And I did stay away from the Italian ships!

Originally Posted by <Badguy>

Also if you can put more details on Kayaking lessons for novice on forums to start with basic kayaking

Will do, my friend. A good part of it will be covered episode by episode, and if you have any questions by the end of the travelogue, I will be more than happy to answer.

Originally Posted by Visaster

Its like having an open road with a floating bike.
I never even thought such a thing can be done in Indian seas.
Envy the free time, luxury, access to things and mainly the brains which got you all that.
Though scared I might get mugged or killed by the arrogant fisher men or the coast guard.

Can you divulge the cost factor in case you don't mind. You have rekindle the thought of fun from past in my head.

True, that similarity between an open road and the sea. Except that it is so much slower, which gives you a chance to immerse yourself in the environment 100%.

I found the coastguards most accommodating, though at places, the fishermen can be a pain in the wrong side...

I spent a total of Rs.3 lakhs - this includes everything, including shipping of goods to India, buying everything brand new and dry runs, etc. But I think the equipment part would be around 1.5 lakhs without shipping or duties.

[mobike008]

Rahul, thats a fantastic trip that you did. It takes lot of guts, free spirit and great taste for adventure to embark on a trip like you did in the kayak from Bombay to Goa

I too have a teeny weeny bit of experience of Kayaking when i was doing my NCC Navy during my college days and i must confess did pass out the C Certificate too

I used to practice in a lake in Hyderabad called "Tank Bund" which is approx 3.5kms X 5kms and started with K-2 and then graduated to K-1. Kayaked for 3 years in total

I also used to practice boat-pulling in a 18 footer and we also won a gold medal in a competition with other folks from Andhra NCC teams. I was one of the oarsmen ( 5 in total with a coaxen) and we won that boat race by more than 20 boat lengths

Once again, a great adventure and cant wait to see the pictures of the actual trip.

Kudos to you !!!

[PVS]

Thats a very adventurous trip there Kamen Rider, and shows the kind of dedication that you have! This definetely is one amongst those one-off trips; and looks to be a very interesting read; Kudos to your dedication, and looking forward to the travellogue!!

[Viju]

Dear Kamen_rider, this is an absolutely sensational journey that you undertook! Truly inspiring for fellow travelers like me.

I have been giving myself a lot of excuses (marriage, baby, new job etc.) for not travelling enough. It's time to do something about it. Thanks a lot, man! Eagerly waiting for the rest of your story!

[Kamen_rider]

Originally Posted by heman_369

Please share all minutest details with us mortals.

I will share all of it - thanks for the nice comment!

Originally Posted by bent_gate

The inflatable kayak has less stiffer walls, so more work, but that's just a detail when you are so determined!

Also, do post here as well. The kayaking community in India would love to hear about your adventure.

Thank you! Yes, the inflatable is much more work than a hard shell, but it still did very well. Will share details on the FB page once the travelogue is complete.

Originally Posted by Desmosedici

Take your time to narrate every small incident of your adventure. We all are waiting.

Originally Posted by crazydave

Hats off indeed for this travelogue! Am going to sit glued to this webpage, refreshing till I see updates!

Originally Posted by manolin

Waiting on your every post (and as someone has said earlier, take your time - we want to savour every bit of this journey), and planning to finetune my swimming now.

Originally Posted by athanedar

What a wonderful narration of each day !!!! The interest in this travelogue is increasing day by day. installments of this thread
Rated 5*

Thanks Desmo, Dave, Manolin and thanedar... will try my best to get the posts rolling asap. I have been so busy at work (non-stop business travel for the last 10 days) that time has been a challenge.

Originally Posted by rock18

.
This travelgoue reminds me of the movie 'Life of Pi'.
Waiting eagerly for the remaining movie..err...travelogue.

Funny that I haven't watched the movie yet, will get around to it sometime. Thanks for the note!

Originally Posted by anand_saraf

I did some kayaking at that same Palolem beach some months ago and have been reading similar things about buying a kayak, stowing equipment, etc. but would never have imagined an adventure like yours, hats off to you man!

Thank you Anand - it is the same as kayaking on Paloleum beach, but only a wee bit longer

Originally Posted by rulerofsun

If you are wearing polarised glasses you will see the different color of water near Jaigarh (brownish) mixing with the clean water of the Arabian sea (blueish green). You also need to be carefull of the currents near Jaigarh. There are few cross currents in there!

Spot on. I did have polarized glasses for the entire duration of the trip, and I did see the brownish color mixing with the azure waters, and also mild oil slicks. Sad that commercialization is slowly stripping away the splendor of these beautiful places.

Yes, currents are aplenty around creeks. But what I try to do is first approach it and then see how strong the current is. If I encounter strong currents, I try to ride it into the ocean while diagonally trying to get out of it. Trying to kayak through a wide current perpendicularly can sap your energy, and fast.

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

Now even i am inspired to do something different than the run of the mill things !

Thank you Sagar. I look forward to your travelogue sometime soon

Originally Posted by pradyblr

Adventure of/for/by the free spirit.
I think you will give Amish a run for his money with your thrilling adventure.

Your writing is excellent as well.

Hi Prady, appreciate it. Who is Amish? Pardon my ignorance.

Originally Posted by parsh

Tell you what. Earlier, I was like what can better this http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...i-cycling.html.

Well, that cycling trip is a feat in itself, how awesome of him to complete it, thanks for the comment and sharing!

Originally Posted by 9thsphinx

I could literally taste the ocean when you mentioned your kayak capsized and you tasted saltwater. I am glued to this thread!

I can still taste the seawater as if it was yesterday! Very salty, indeed. Thanks for reading!

Originally Posted by crazydave

[*]Are there India-equivalent RTE meals that you considered[*]What was the daily estimated calorie burn[*]Hydration - I understand that you beach at the end of every day but there's still the risk of getting potable water. What did you use? Steripen types?[/list]Oh, one final one, can you show how small the kayak packs down to in real conditions.

1) Yes, I packed MTR ready to eat meals. Mostly Pongal (rice and dal mixed together. But there are some other nice alternatives (freeze dried) available in India like ezeeats, but that brand is available only in Chennai. I also had tonnes of energy bars which I kept eating during frequent intervals.

2) 4000 calories a day.



3) Hydration came from a 10 liter MSR dromedary bag which stowed flat on the kayak floor. Enough water for 2 days at a time, and for a week during emergency. I also had a lifestraw in case I needed to drink from alternative water sources on the shore.

4) You'll see the packed kayak on the airport trolley in the next episode for your reference.

Hope that answers all your questions!

Originally Posted by Visaster

For such a expedition you would have got a total sponsorship from anyone in the game. Awesome. Every post of yours is truly enjoyable.

Originally Posted by Pc_2425

Kudos to your sense of adventure and travel, its going to be an interesting and inspirational thread to read through

Thank you for the very kind words, Visaster and PC.

Originally Posted by SDP

Felt ashamed that I avoid even going to office during high-fever. I understand its got to do with passion.

Eating with the shovel must have been an interesting experience.

You seem to have missed mentioning the date on which you did the second dry-run. Just curious as I am trying to understand the ambient temperatures that you faced on water on that day.

You aren't alone, even I don't go to office during high fever!

Yes, shoveling the food was a new experience, nothing like ultra quick consumption of calories.

I completed my 2nd dry run on Dec 9 (1st on Nov 26th). Temperatures were in the high twenties leading to early thirties.

Originally Posted by sami316

Really love the way you have narrated the experience so far. I am hooked on to this and eagerly waiting for the next episode. Cheers.

Originally Posted by vikrantj

This is a one of a kind thread, the second interesting thread after "Road is my home...Forever" .Looking forward to more updates.

Hi Sami and Vikrant, thank you so much for the comments, I'll try my best to keep the pace going.

Originally Posted by mobike008

I used to practice in a lake in Hyderabad called "Tank Bund" which is approx 3.5kms X 5kms and started with K-2 and then graduated to K-1. Kayaked for 3 years in total
I also used to practice boat-pulling in a 18 footer and we also won a gold medal in a competition with other folks from Andhra NCC teams. I was one of the oarsmen ( 5 in total with a coaxen) and we won that boat race by more than 20 boat lengths

You are humble. Three years of kayaking (including competitive) is definitely an achievement, hope we can meet soon and share some tips.

Appreciate the comment.

Originally Posted by PVS

This definetely is one amongst those one-off trips; and looks to be a very interesting read; Kudos to your dedication, and looking forward to the travellogue!!

Thank you PVS, stay on this thread for more updates. Hope to finish the next one tonight after I am back from work. No chutti on Holi - aargh!

Originally Posted by Viju

I have been giving myself a lot of excuses (marriage, baby, new job etc.) for not travelling enough. It's time to do something about it. Thanks a lot, man! Eagerly waiting for the rest of your story!

Just go ahead and do it, Viju. One can NEVER be too ready for anything. Once you start doing it, things will fall into place.

If everyone thinks I am adventurous, I will talk about someone else in my next episode. When compared to that person's achievement, my kayak trip seems like a lazy stroll in the park. More soon

[pradyblr]

Originally Posted by Kamen_rider

Hi Prady, appreciate it. Who is Amish? Pardon my ignorance.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amish_Tripathi

[MadBiker]

This is awesome Rahul. Was wondering where you were all these days. Is the delay from Triumph's end made a favor to switch from motorcycling to kayaking? ;-)

Really awesome stuff. Something even the normal travel enthusiast will think against. Looking forward for more details from your log.

Good luck and happy Kayaking!

[ijeet]

Nice Feat kamen Rider,

It’s an awesome feat considering nothing good is available in INDIA when it comes to getting suitable equipment. I am looking for a fishing kayak but not been able to get one in my budget.

Somebody in my circle did the Bombay to Goa couple of years ago. Same guy cycle from UK to INDIA and covered Australian outback on cycle. I am hooked to this thread, please update regularly.

-Ijeet

[crazydave]

Originally Posted by Kamen_rider

Hope that answers all your questions!

It more than does! Thanks so much. And may I say, after seeing the 2nd Youtube video you posted, that it must have been an extremely meditative experience - out in the sea with limited human contact and just the sound of your paddles. Sounds better than a Vipassana course done sitting at one place!

[VBoss]

This is awesome rahul. just awesome. This TL is something i would show someone who says "Not possible". Just show that if you really want to achieve something and you put your mind and heart on to it, then nothing in this world can stop you. Congrats and waiting for day zero.