comfort zone or danger zone

tides out, and walking on water with Hadas

Reefs are exposed in the low tide making rock hopping possible but if your timing is not right this is what happens

If you go on the seaward side of the reef there is a nice surprise



as the swell moves in and out its like being in a rock garden




but most paddlers dont know about it



if you are not careful you can end up swimming

In the latest edition of Ocean Paddler there are a couple of interesting articles including one by Jeff Allen describing the comfort zone and beyond. His point being that if you only stay in your comfort zone all the time then the trasnsition from comfort to panic can be very short, but if you continually challenge yourself then the transitional zone increases giving you more confidence and a wider range of paddling  opportunities.
Our coast does not have the range that he has but there are ways to challenge oneself, for example rock hopping can be challenging and more so when the sea is less than calm. Also going out in rougher water can improve your skills.
This morning with the low tide uncovering the reef was perfect for the exercise, and as you can see in the photos its not as simple as you may think.
Go on, challenge yourself, get out of your comfort zone, it will make you a better paddler.