One of my many passions is kayaking. Me alone with my vessel taking on the glassy waters of a lake or the gentle ripples of a stream that guide me to the river. Have I ever done whitewater kayaking? Uh...no, not even close.
I am a paddler. Rarely at risk of capsizing, unless, by my own idiocy, I do something that puts the boat out of balance. Like the time I tried to get into my cargo hatch out on the lake, emphasis on TRIED.
I find kayaking can be as relaxing or strenuous as I choose for it to be. I usually Try to get a good cardio workout but there is a lot of casual paddling that happens too. I enjoy checking out the wildlife and nature along the shorelines. Most of the time I just “go with the flow”... literally.
If you get the kayaking bug, add an ocean yak trip to your bucket list. One of my favorite adventures was off the coast of Seattle along the San Juan Islands. During certain times of the year you can catch pods of whales hunting or migrating. It’s pretty spectacular. I would not suggest novice paddlers get on the ocean. There are safety precautions a paddler must know for ocean trips. Best to go with a guide the first time and pick up the tips on anchoring, currents and managing when you are around marine life.
San Juan Islands, Washington
Wearing my spray skirt and cool weather wear
The beauty of kayaking is that it is not an expensive sport to try out. Many lakes have kayak rentals. If you decide it’s something you want to do more frequently, the investment can be as low as $200 or as high as 2K, depending on the style and type of kayaking you want to do. Life jackets, paddles and accessories can add to the investment but those range as low or high as you want to go as well.
A view of Harrisburg, PA from the Susquehanna River
This season I upgraded to an Old Town kayak. It’s an Angler. Pretty much means that it has places to put a fishing pole. Yes, there are times I fish in my mighty vessel, but I mostly read, listen to music and take lots of pictures. Audible is my go-to app when kayaking. I listen to a ton of books. My other favorite is GoPaddling. This app shows me all of the drop in points and launch areas I can use. It also maps the trail so I can find parking. When kayaking streams or rivers I use shuttle services. For about $15-$20 an Outfitter will take me upstream and then I can paddle back.
This sport is one of the more versatile. You can go with friends or family, as a couple or or your own. You may want to paddle a pond, stream, lake or river.
Personally, I’ve found that kayaking is the best way for me to turn off the “noise”. I’m out there, on the water, surrounded by trees and nature. It’s calm. I can think. I can breathe. I am renewed...every single time. Well...except the time I fell out of my boat. That time, I was just wet.
If you try it out, send me a comment and let me know how it went for you!
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