I went to work this morning around 6 am, and spend the day looking out the windows as the clear blue sky brought in the warm spring sun. The temperature was climbing all morning. By the time my shift was over and I was walking out to my car, it almost felt like a summer day in July. Obviously with weather like this, you all know what was stirring around in my mind as the minutes were passing to my inevitable drive home. Kayaking! How could I not be thinking about it? It was one of those perfect days that we kayakers are always looking for. After being stuck in traffic the whole way home, I had already figured out what was going to happen. I was going to Assonet River. The tide was low, but on its way back up. The GoPro gear still wasn’t charged from the last trip, but all the drone gear was. This would be my first kayak trip, my first kayak video where all my footage would be shot with the drone. I was a bit nervous, but now that I have seen the results, it’s made me incredibly excited about the videos I’ll be capturing this season. This drone has raised my videos to a whole new level. Check it out for yourself!
On my route home from work, I pass over the Assonet River. As I drove over, I took a quick peak at the tide levels. Low tide today was at 2:00. It was about 4 at this point and even though many times in the past I have spoken about not kayaking the Assonet during low tide I knew by the time I packed the kayak and gathered all my gear the tide would be at a level which I could get around the river with little worry. Pulling into Hathaway Park confirmed this. The water at the boat ramp was low, but I have been here at rock bottom tide and paddled at its lowest point so I had no worry that the 16’ kayak would have no trouble getting through the initial section of the river which at this point was about a foot deep.
The second I pushed off into the river, this rush of euphoria hit me. Ive had a hectic few weeks and being out on the water is like a miracle drug for me. Relaxation sets in and a continuous smile grows on my face. I paddled around the bend from the park, away from the few folks who were enjoying the sun themselves. I moved out to where I was alone, just me and the geese. I put the paddles in their holder and just laid there in the boat for a good 10 minutes, sucking it all in. These early season trips always have such a prominent effect on me. Knowing after months of no paddling that we are getting into season, and I will be able to be out on the water again is powerful. I had to snap myself out of the euphoria though, because it was time to take some video. This trip, that meant the Mavic. It meant my first time really digging deep into what the drone can shoot while I manage to paddle my way across the waterway.
I had been brainstorming this trip all day. How was I going to go about getting the shots I want while still keeping myself in a place where I can land and take off the drone easily. On the south east corner of the bay section of Assonet River is a little secluded beach that we have been stopping at for years. I decided this would be my home point. It was easy to paddle out to the open water from here. The beach had plenty of room for taking off and landing. It would be the starting point for me. So I paddled under the bridge for Rt 24, took a quick left and made my way past the pine groves to the little beach. This is where my video begins.
I stayed pinned to this southeast corner of the river today. There is so much great stuff to explore here at Assonet, but I really wanted to dig into what the drone could do, so I limited myself to this corner. You really don’t want to take any chances when mixing drones with water. I needed to be sure I could test the shots I wanted and be confident I could get myself out of a jam by being in a safe area of the river.
The video and photos I took were just amazing. I will let them do the rest of the talking here. Their beauty can show you how great my trip was in a better way than my works can explain. If you are looking for more detailed information about Assonet River, paddling conditions, and a more in depth analysis of the waterway, CLICK HERE to see my blog posts on Assonet River. Enjoy and keep paddling!
