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Subject 23's Experience

Céline P. – Paddler

Céline has been enjoying nautical activities since a young age and she got into sea kayaking a dozen years ago. She is familiar with the waters of the St. Lawrence River, especially from the Bas-du-Fleuve region to the Mingan Archipelago, areas highly prized by seasoned kayakers like her.

A member of Paddle Canada, Céline is a certified sea kayaking instructor. She says she has also gone paddleboarding occasionally and likes nautical activities in general. However, it is sea kayaking that she prefers: "I tend to go to places where the water moves a lot more, where I will have more fun, for me, more waves, currents, everything, all that.”

Watch Céline P. go through the experiences below.

Pre-Interview
Stand-Up Paddleboard
Fishing Boat
Cold Water Tank
Warm Water Tank
Post-Interview

Céline says that wearing a lifejacket is, for her, an integral part of sea kayaking: “Wearing a lifejacket for me is essential, people have to understand that an accident can happen quickly”. She adds: “It’s the thing that would allow you to survive, even in cold water.” And, according to her, even if a lifejacket does not make cool adventure pictures according to some, it is what can save your life!

Fond of sea kayaking adventures, Céline also says that she never compromises on lifejacket wear. Everyone must wear it. “During expeditions, excursions, if you have someone who doesn’t want to wear a lifejacket, it’s not complicated, the person doesn’t come”. She adds: “Not wearing your life jacket is a personal decision, in a group it becomes a group decision, so it’s putting the rest of the group in danger, when that person doesn’t want to… ”

Céline admits having found herself accidentally in the water, which happens when kayaking, and that despite her experience, the surprise of going in remains striking. That’s why, she says, she always wears her life jacket, no matter the nautical activity.

"This experience is very likely, we really see, like, buoys, rocks, the water "

Regarding her first virtual reality (VR) experience, a fishing boat trip, Céline says that the environment was very realistic: "This experience is very likely, we really see, like, buoys, rocks, the water". Suddenly finding herself in the water made her realize that it is possible to easily lose your balance in a boat and capsize. “What happened? It means that I did not pay attention to my surroundings.”

In the virtual paddleboard experience, Céline admits to having been more surprised: "I didn't understand what happened, all of a sudden I capsized completely, it was different, in fact, than from the boat, because I was like completely immersed.” All in all, Céline said she found the virtual experiences very convincing and that her reflexes to the shock of immersion are those she believes she would have had in real situations.

"I didn't understand what happened, all of a sudden I capsized completely, it was different, in fact, than from the boat, because I was like completely immersed.”

For her experiences in immersion tanks, the cold water one in particular, Céline finds that she was surprised despite the fact that she knew she would be going in. "The moment it happens, it completely grabs you." The cold water causing an actual shock, she says: "I started to tell myself, now is not the time to panic, so I focused on my breathing, in fact saying to myself, cool down, breathe… ” Céline reports that her warmer water tank experience was markedly different, saying it was akin to swimming in tropical waters while on vacation!

Given her experience as a seasoned kayaker, Céline has realized through both virtual and real immersion experiences that you can easily find yourself in waters that are often cold and when you least expect it.

Her verdict is clear: “I just want to say that wearing a PFD just puts the odds in your favor to survive or float, to have more time also to get back into the boat.”