​After a few jaunts around the Shek O area, it was time to commit to the next proper leg of the journey. The next plan for this series is to get the kayak over to the Western side of Hong Kong—an area I rarely paddle and somewhere our Wild Hong Kong tours almost never go.

To get there, I had to do something both exciting and mildly terrifying: paddle directly through Victoria Harbour and cross one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.
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Here is how I survived a mentally exhausting day of rogue wakes, maritime police chats, and high-speed ferry dodging, all for the best finish to a paddle yet.

Phase 1: The Illusion of Tidal Assistance

I chose a scorching, beautiful summer day for this leg because this particular sea kayak is, to put it mildly, tippy. It’s built for speed, not stability, which makes it a liability in rough seas but a rocket on flat water.
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My strategy was all about timing. I looked at the tidal charts for Victoria Harbour and thought I’d engineered it perfectly to get a nice, helpful push from the current. I launched from Shek O, made fast time heading north, and zipped past Lei Yue Mun Gap near Shau Kei Wan.

​But as soon as I hung a left to head west into the main harbor, reality hit. The promised tidal assistance was entirely negligible. Instead of a free ride, I found myself grinding directly into a steady southwest headwind. Because of a slightly late start, I couldn't afford to take it easy—I had to put my head down and crack on.

Phase 2: Ice Cream and the Marine Police

Paddling through Victoria Harbour is always a massive buzz. You feel incredibly small looking up at the towering skyscrapers of Central and Tsim Sha Tsui from water level.

Phase 3: The Kennedy Town Washing Machine

Once you pass the Central Piers and the Macau Ferry Terminal, the harbor changes. As I paddled along the promenade toward Kennedy Town, the water turned into a total washing machine.

The combination of endless boat wakes coming from every direction, wind waves, and the heavy reflection off the concrete sea walls creates a chaotic, choppy mess.

In a tippy kayak, this section was tricky. My pace slowed as I constantly braced against unpredictable waves. I finally managed to crawl my way to Green Island, which marks the exit of the harbor. But the real crux of the day was just beginning.

Phase 4: Dodging Fast Ferries & A Solstice Surprise

I tried to be as visible and strategically savvy as possible, but at one point, a Cotai Water Jet came barreling through and nearly steamrolled me. It was incredibly sketchy.

I had to be hyper-vigilant for massive rogue wakes that could easily flip me, a scenario that would be highly precarious out there. It was mentally exhausting, but I powered through the shipping lane and made it across safely. The sense of achievement was massive.
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As I approached the finish line, the day rewarded me. The sky turned into a stunning, fiery midsummer solstice sunset.

​Unbeknownst to me, my mate Alan, who lives on Peng Chau and was helping me stash the kayak, had paddled out to meet me with a backpack full of ice-cold beers. We floated out there on the water, cracking open a cold one as the sun dipped below the horizon. Easily the best bar in the world.

Looking Ahead: The Western Horizons & Beyond

We finally pulled into Peng Chau and stashed the kayak. Now, we have a fantastic base to explore the vastly under-visited and unknown spots of Western Hong Kong.

It's still early days for the Summer Kayaking Diaries, but the blueprint is forming. From here, I’ll explore the west, eventually loop back around via Lamma Island to Shek O, and hopefully—as late summer rolls around and the easterly breezes pick up—head into the far northeast. I’ve got my sights set on the sheltered, pristine waters of Double Haven and Tolo Harbour, places I have also not paddled much before.
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The adventure is just getting started. Stay tuned for Leg 3!

Welcome to the maiden voyage of the Summer Kayaking Diaries. Paddling from Sai Kung to Shek O.
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The premise is simple: Our guide Rory has taken his trusty seasoned sea kayak out for a sporadic, ad-hoc loop around Hong Kong. No massive, multi-day expedition pressure. Just him, a paddle and whatever the day throws his way.

Phase 1: The Sai Kung Launch & The Battle of the Headwind

The journey started where the kayak lives: Sha Ha Beach in Sai Kung. The sun was blazing, the energy was high, and nature immediately decided to test my resolve.

As soon as I cleared the immediate shelter of the bay, I was slapped in the face by a stiff southerly headwind. Paddling directly into a summer south wind in Hong Kong is a special kind of masochism—it feels like you're grinding on a treadmill, except the treadmill keeps splashing saltwater in your eyes.
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Knowing I had a massive distance to cover, I broke the first stint down into manageable chunks. I hugged the coast over to Sharp Island (Kiu Tsui Chau) to tuck away from the wind and catch a quick breather.

​From Sharp Island, it was time to face the music. The crossing past Shelter Island (Ngau Mei Chau) is a big, exposed piece of water. The wind was whipping up whitecaps, and the kayak's seasoned hull was flexing into the rollers. It was an epic, arm-burning crossing, but there’s nothing quite like the feeling of being entirely isolated out there, rhythmic paddling keeping you moving forward inch by inch.

Phase 2: The Ultimate Mid-Paddle Pitstop (Po Toi O)

After surviving the open water chop around Clear Water Bay, I pulled into the sheltered haven of Po Toi O. If you have never been, Po Toi O is a traditional, sleepy fishing village tucked into a deep bay, famous for its seafood.

This pitstop was easily the absolute highlight of the day.

The Fuel of Champions: > There is no premium sports gel or energy bar on earth that can compete with what came next: a plate of piping hot salt and pepper squid, a mountain of fried rice, and a brutally cold Tsingtao beer.

Phase 3: The Tathong Tag-Team to Shek O

As the afternoon began to soften, it was time for the final push. I paddled out out of Clear Water Bay towards Tung Lung Chau, the rugged island that guards the entrance to the bustling Tathong Channel.

This is where the plan got even better. I have a friend who lives in Shek O, and he paddled across from Shek O on a stand-up paddleboard (SUP) to rendezvous with me.

We linked up near Tung Lung Chau and tackled the final leg together. The seas were quite choppy. As we finally rounded the headland into Shek O, the sky absolutely exploded into a brilliant, fiery Hong Kong summer sunset.

Hitting the beach at Shek O with the sun dropping behind the hills was a banging way to get the ball rolling on this series. The old kayak survived its first major test.

What’s Next for the Diaries?

Now that the kayak is safely stationed on the south side of Hong Kong Island, the next step is to explore around the rugged coastlines of Shek O for a little bit.

From there, the grand plan is to keep pushing west. Most of our commercial tours stick to the eastern areas of Sai Kung and the Geopark, which means the Western side of Hong Kong is uncharted territory for me. I’ve paddled there only a little, and there is a whole world of coastlines, hidden beaches, and new horizons lying in wait.
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Stay tuned for Leg 2!