Dan Morris: Tranquillity and tempest

Summer's here, and the time is right not only for dancing in the street, but for getting out and keeping fit. For me, this is going to mean the indulgence of a new hobby, and plenty of time on the water.

I got a taste for kayaking on a trip to North Wales last year, where I sampled the delights of the beautiful Bala Lake. This gorgeous glacial lake in Gwynedd is the perfect place for novices to explore paddlesports – its clear water great for calming the nerves, and the stillness of the lake equally relaxing.

I'd dipped my toe (again, quite literally) in the realm of boat-based fun before, most recently with the assistance of a wonderful paddlesports club based in Shropshire. But, truth be told, for most of my adult life I'd been a bit of a reluctant landlubber – always truly loving being on the water in any shape or form when circumstances found me as such, but never making enough effort to be there.

What struck me in Bala was how kayaking was able to transport me to a truly serendipitous plateau. Its been a while, but it's time to have a bit more of a dig at this one. Good for both physical and mental health, this'll also be a great way to unleash my inner Bill Pullman à la Lake Placid. Though any encounters with gargantuan crocodiles will, I suspect, not be good for my physical and mental health after all. I'll stick to the West Mids waterways – fingers crossed the dangers posed by prehistoric predators will be minimal.

I really don't know exactly what it is that I find so hypnotically calming about being on or by the water. I know I'm not alone with this one, but I still can't truly explain it. It doesn't even have to be real – I could be watching a TV show filmed against the banks of beautiful river and feel the same overwhelming sense of peace and relaxation I get from cycling alongside the brook near my home.

I've always liked to believe I was some sort of a salty sea dog in a previous life – perhaps my enchantment with more humble bodies of H2O is rooted here. Or, maybe – as the scientists say – water is life, and being on, in or near it just brings a lovely peace to ours.

Of course, for hardened enthusiasts, watersports are often very far from being about peace and quiet. Thrillseekers the world over search out the whitest water in the land as a test of nerve, ability and as a means to push themselves to the edge of adventure. We've all seen the movies – many have lived the life. And everybody knows that the pursuit of exhilaration is just as essential to the tapestry of what it is to be human as the pursuit of calm contentment.

If you are able to trap onto a hobby or interest that gives you the chance to do both, depending on the mood you're in, you've hit something of a jackpot.

At a recent round table at Weekend Towers, I threw myself – body and soul – on said table for the masses to push to the limits. Always looking for a challenge, I'd like to invite you, dear readers, to throw as many adrenalin-surging activities you can think of at me that I can partake in right here in our fantastic region. Are you a hang gliding enthusiast, or a BASE jumper looking to put your local club on the map? Would you like to see this desk jockey of a journo training tigers, running with bulls or tightrope walking between towers? I may regret suggesting this, but there is very little off the table. Tell me how you get your kicks, and I'll do my best to let the rest of the world know about the fun it's missing by getting stuck in myself.

We're only here once, and as I've always said – we didn't get dressed up for nothing.

Something tells me that water is going to be looking all the more calming very soon. Ah well – bring it on, folks!

Email me at daniel.morris@mnamedia.co.uk or tweet me @DMorris_Star.