The Official Kayak Thread

I'm willing to bet there are quite a few kayakers around these parts.

I'm not personally, but there are a few places around New Orleans where a person can rent one and go for a float down a bayou/canal. It seems to me that it would be peak season for getting out on the water, yet, in my search on the subject matter, there are very few threads here on B&B.

So let's see ya'lls kayaks! Where do you go? What do you bring?

I've been canoeing and the like, several times... but only actually kayaked once. The state park here had a program a while back where they had a "Learn to Paddle" program. It was free and they taught you how to kayak, then you got to paddle around the lake for a couple hours. I took my kids and they all had a good time. It was very hot that day, and they didn't like being crowded. The class was about 20 or so people. They want to go back some time. The state park has about a dozen kayaks that you can rent. We might go back again and do it on our own sometime. I'd kinda like to get a kayak of my own. There is a very small lake behind my house that I could go on whenever I wanted.

Some of you may be surprised to hear that New York City is a good kayaking location. I took a class some years ago in the Hudson River, and near me in Brooklyn Bridge Park, there's a "kayak cove" that offers rentals (it isn't cheap, though).

I also went with a Brooklyn club on an outing in Jamaica Bay, where there are lots of islands near JFK Airport.

I've also been kayaking in Nantucket.

Lots of great kayaking - both river, ocean, and springs - here in North Florida. Love to get out in the water. I'll try and post some pictures from trips I've done when I am back home tomorrow.

Just realized I never uploaded any pictures! Could only find one that is easily accessible. This is on the Bartram Canoe Trail in Jacksonville. Even though the access point is off a major road there is a lot of wildlife on this river - alligators, snakes, hogs, otters, and bugs. It's a narrow trail but really cool scenery.


I've also paddled in Guana River State Park, Juniper Springs, Bulow Plantation, and many more. I even paddled on the St. John's River and took an side trip under 3 city blocks to another creek!

Awesome Stephen!!! I never would have thought that was out of Jacksonville, but more south in the glades.

MrSpeedy said:

Just realized I never uploaded any pictures! Could only find one that is easily accessible. This is on the Bartram Canoe Trail in Jacksonville. Even though the access point is off a major road there is a lot of wildlife on this river - alligators, snakes, hogs, otters, and bugs. It's a narrow trail but really cool scenery.
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I've also paddled in Guana River State Park, Juniper Springs, Bulow Plantation, and many more. I even paddled on the St. John's River and took an side trip under 3 city blocks to another creek!

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That looks awesome. Except for the gators and snakes and creepy crawlies. I'll stay up north where all we have to fight off is skeeters.

My peeps! I vacillate between road biking and kayaking and have started to return to the kayak again. I have three - my roto-molded Hobie Pursuit that I started with (and awesome for surfing waves), my carbon/kevlar Eddyline Falcon 18 which has seen the most action by far, and an almost never used (with great regret) and indestructible Kruger Dreamcatcher. Here's a shot from one my expeditions in my Falcon - this time taken on the biggest lake on the biggest island on the biggest freshwater lake in the world. OK, that's on Lake Siskiwit on Isle Royale, on Lake Superior. It was an open water crossing from a put-in on the Canadian side with a circumnavigation and open water return a week later. I'm in the yellow kayak. (Behind us is Ryan Island - the biggest island on the biggest lake on...)

Shantytownbrown said:

Just got back from vacation where we rented kayaks and did a 1 hour shoreline tour along Cape Cod (Pompanossett); I really enjoyed it and came home and have been trying to get some more information on this sport and buying a Kayak. Due to transportation issues and storage issues was actually considering an inflatable. the Innova Swing (I or EX), LL Bean carries this one.. Anyone have thoughts against an inflatable?​

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There is an annual event called the Everglades Challenge - about 270 miles unsupported between St. Petersburg and Key Largo. The trip has time constraints and includes the Everglades (as the name suggests.) For a number of years there was a naval architect who liked to compete in somewhat "off-beat" boats to make a point about what can work. One year he did an event in an inflatable. Slower, yes; seaworthy - also yes. He did pretty well in it as a matter of fact.

If it works for you and gets you out doing something you enjoy then by all means go that route!

Great contributions gents! Stephen, that picture from Florida looks a lot like my backyard!

Karl G said:

There is an annual event called the Everglades Challenge - about 270 miles unsupported between St. Petersburg and Key Largo. The trip has time constraints and includes the Everglades (as the name suggests.) For a number of years there was a naval architect who liked to compete in somewhat "off-beat" boats to make a point about what can work. One year he did an event in an inflatable. Slower, yes; seaworthy - also yes. He did pretty well in it as a matter of fact.

If it works for you and gets you out doing something you enjoy then by all means go that route!

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Thanks, Karl. Would love your thoughts on this one (or the EX model on the same site)

http://www.innovakayak.com/store/store.aspx#!/Swing-I/p/8620888/category=184322

We use our mostly at the cottage (Westport, Ontario Canada)

but have also done day trips in Algonquin Park (Ontario Canada) (long and not all that exciting)

and Barron Canyon Algonquin Park, Canada

Here is a little piece of the Mississippi about thirty miles from its headwaters. It's just a couple of minutes from my house, so it's a fun stretch to do in the evenings. Water is down this time of year, so it's really well suited to the kayaks moreso than canoes. In the spring when you still have runoff from snow melt, it really gets cooking.

JaredB said:

Here is a little piece of the Mississippi about thirty miles from its headwaters. It's just a couple of minutes from my house, so it's a fun stretch to do in the evenings. Water is down this time of year, so it's really well suited to the kayaks moreso than canoes. In the spring when you still have runoff from snow melt, it really gets cooking.

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Our Mississippis look different.

http://www.canoekayak.com/travel/paddle-mississippi-river-tote-barge/#KY8tMPbL03OTAMDQ.97

I really don't know anything about the different inflatables out there. I'd guess a key variable is the price and the choppiness of the water you'll be paddling in. The open deck kayaks are going to need some bailing out (unless they have a self draining hole in bottom of the cockpit.) The EX with the deck has the advantage of holding things in place underneath the bungees on the deck which is useful if you capsize. It isn't clear from the pictures if there is a seal between the kayakers and the cockpit to keep water from splashing in. If so, bailing won't be as much of an issue unless you tip over. Other than those cursory comments I am afraid there is not much else I can offer.

I started kayaking with my Hobie Pursuit which was a relatively inexpensive way to decide if I was going to stick with it enough to warrant spending more on better equipment. Just like shaving - put a toe in the water and be prepared to upgrade if it looks like something you really want to get into!

Would you guess that I'm a kayaker from my handle? That's how my handle came about, got three sit-on-top kayaks hanging in the garage, but on our last camping trip in Morro Bay we elected instead to just rent kayaks for the day to paddle over to the spit across the harbor and walk over to the beach. Mostly just a flatwater kayaker, but I love the view of nature it affords, the wildlife is not afraid of kayaks and will come right up to you, for good or bad. Elkhorn Slough down near Monterey, California is also a great place to kayak.

Toothpick - that was in interesting read. I think I would rather stay up here and dodge rocks than dodge barges....