A 63-year-old Dunedin man swam for 45 minutes against the wind and tide after being tipped from his kayak in Otago Harbour yesterday.
Kayaker Brent McLean, of St Leonards, said he was navigating choppy waters between Quarantine Island and Goat Island when his kayak capsized.
''A wave just took me out.''
Floating in the harbour, Mr McLean flipped his kayak upright but lost his grip on the boat and it drifted away.
After deciding to swim to a Port Chalmers wharf, he dropped his paddle.
The swim from the centre of the harbour, against the wind and tide, took him about 45 minutes, he said.
He had paddled around the island many times before, in rougher conditions.
Mr McLean said he remained calm when tipped out, because he was wearing a 6mm wetsuit and a life jacket, and he was a confident swimmer.
''I believe if you take yourself out there, you've got to get yourself back ...
''I had no fear whatsoever I was not going to be able to get myself to shore.''
He was more concerned he had lost his his 4m-long blue Cobra kayak.
Southern District Command Centre deployment co-ordinator Senior Sergeant Brian Benn, of Dunedin, said a Port Chalmers resident called police after seeing a kayak capsize about 1pm.
A fleet of search and rescue boats had departed Port Chalmers before Mr McLean was found by police onshore.
The kayak remained lost and was last seen floating towards Deborah Bay, he said.
The rescue mission had been a ''good exercise''.
''It was a good report from a member of the public who witnessed someone in trouble and a good response from search and rescue and local police.''
