Anyone a canoeist/kayaker?

I canoe'd in my younger days including some wild / white water stuff.  Keep thinking about buying one again...

Hi Bruce -

Mrs. Hook and I have sea kayaked together for many years.  She uses a fibreglass boat built by Current Designs, and mine is a polymer boat built by Necky.

Here in Minneapolis, we are fortunate enough to live very close to number of urban lakes with connecting channels, so it is easy to go for a day paddle. The Mississippi and St. Croix rivers are also good for day or overnight trips. Once or twice per summer, we head north to Lake Superior. In past years, we have done a fair bit of paddling in the Apostle Islands. But since we have now gotten older and more cautious, our open water adventures are now less frequent.

Do work on your exit and re-entry techniques - you never know when you'll need them. Always wear a life vest, and if you don't have one, I recommend carrying a small, manual bilge pump. But most of all, enjoy!  We love getting on the water. Even in an urban setting, it's quite a different view of the world!

ATB.

Hook

We have a couple of Kayaks. A "compact" fibreglass double Current Designs and a fibreglass single (can't recall the brand). The kayaking here around Vancouver is really world-class, but we don't get out nearly enough. When we bought the double, the salesman "upsold" us to a couple of expensive carbon fibre paddles. Totally worth it. They are a delight to use. Make sure you practice recovering from a capsize. Not so much how to "roll" (useful, but not essential), but how to escape and get back into your boat by yourself. It's hard, but it can save your life.

I must admit never crossed my mind not to wear a life vest even though Mrs W especially is a very strong (long distance) swimmer. We might get some simple lessons from a canoe club but although I learned to roll as student I suspect these boats don't really have the hull shape to be easy. Agree learning to get back in and bail out seems most important.

We bought 11 ft singles so we can lift and car transport easily. We also were told to get decent paddles because you really notice the difference.

Best tip for the moment seems to not go so far away from the shore you could not swim back-even if you have to leave the boat behind. More adventurous later.

I can stand up in the canal more or less anyway!

As a part of my work we routinely use inflatable kayaks to descend rivers during salmon spawning and habitat surveys. Most of our work occurs during low flows in late summer, and Inflatables are great for gliding over cobbles in the shallows as well as their forgiving nature when we encounter boulders in swift water constrictions. Also very portable. The downside to inflatables is their drag coefficient and that they are tougher to paddle in high wind versus hard shells. Then the potential puncture factor.

Although most of my kayaking experience is on the job, I still find a very liberating exhilaration to the mode. The challenge of navigating the best route through a river channel is akin to finding the best fall-line while downhill skiing on a slope. Big difference is that you get very wet when you make a poor choice with a kayak. Then again, with a kayak you can always portage around the suspect areas.

After a few years of good intentions, I've finally started kayaking this summer, going out with a local beginners group on the Thames and due  to do the BCU 1 star course in a few weeks time.  Really enjoying it and pondering whether to buy my own boat, probably one of the better inflatables.

Hi Bruce, 

I have two touring kayaks Prijon. Single seat - Touryak. Double seats - Cruiser II. We use both for a family paddling - me and my little daughter in the the double and my wife in the single. These two boats allow us to paddle  together, only two of us or just me in the single. We use the kayaks in dams and in Greece seaside mostly. I discover the paddling 7 years ago and I enjoy it a lot when there is a chance for such activity.  I can only envy you about the house along the canal 

Regarding the dams/lakes - the kayaks provide a different view from the one with the bycicles which we enjoy too. 

ATB, 

Ivo

I purchased two Pacific Water Sports sea-kayaks in the mid '90s when I moved to Seattle. I did take a 4 hour safety course where we dumped our kayaks and practiced rescues as well as rolls. Something I have never had to do since.

My wife and I have done many day/weekend trips along the puget sound. Our longest adventure was off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island, 6 days, 5 nights camping around the inside passage. The trip consisted of 12 people along with 3 guides. Great trip included seeing one gray whale, a couple of minke whales and a pod of orca whales along with a lot of other wild life. Most of our trips are putting in and following a piece of coast line for a couple of hours, pulling out having lunch and relaxing, then paddling back. Getting a bit up in age we do not paddle as much but still get out on the water every once in awhile.

The most important thing is common sense and knowing your own abilities. I grew up around the water and have a lot of respect for how quick conditions can change out on open water. Growing up the family had a 20 foot sailboat and we were on the water during the summertime. As an adult I owned a 37 foot sailboat for awhile and sailed around the Puget Sound/San Juan Islands area.

Bottom line is seakayaking is incredible fun offering great exercise, beautiful views, seeing lots of wildlife and having moments of total piece and quiet. No phone, no pager, no interruptions, just a great opportunity to commune with nature in a peaceful setting.

The other thing I would mention is that my wife and I enjoyed kayaking more in the fall, winter & spring when thing were a bit quieter on the water. We never had an issue with the cold with wearing layers and a piece of gortex if a spot of rain appeared.

Have fun and be safe out there!

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winkyincanada posted:

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Definitely not the Leeds Liverpool Canal!

Bruce Woodhouse posted:

winkyincanada posted:

https://farm4.staticflickr.com...946_00386c36de_o.jpg

Definitely not the Leeds Liverpool Canal!

Orca you be so sure?