Anyone here kayak?

[coleflowers]

Last night I saw a blurb on tv about kayaking and it really sparked my interest. I browsed around the internet and didn't really find much info on how to get started. I did find a place in my area that offers beginners lessons and I am trying to find somewhere to rent a kayak so I can give it a try. Anyone on these boards know anything about kayaking and could give a beginner some advice?

[Shamou]

Before you go too far... you should try it first... I did... and hated it... if you want to know what it feels like... just sit on the floor and use a broom to do the rowing... yuk...

Hate to be a party pooper... but that was "my" experience... I must admit that I do know some people who just love it... especially those who do it in the rapids...

Best of luck to you... and, let us know how it turns out...

.

[Kaspian]

I love kayaking, though almost all of my experience is with lake/ocean kayaking, not whitewater. Not only do I have one friend that tries to go every weekend during the summer, but I've got another group of friends that's gone on three overnight kayaking trips. We love it! My husband and I bought kits for building our own wooden kayaks, but haven't had a chance to assemble them yet.

I enjoy the rhythm of paddling, being out on the water, watching the land/scenery go by, and striving to paddle more efficiently. In a way, it's a lot like hiking, but it's a full-body workout over water instead of a leg workout on land. Exploring a rocky shoreline looking for starfish, crabs, and other critters can be a lot of fun, too.

As for getting started, definitely rent one and try it out a few times before committing more money to buying equipment. Kayak rental places will almost always give you a 5-10 minute basic lesson as part of the rental. Many places offer classes, too. We took a 3-hour course in bracing and rescue, for instance.

Good luck!

[coleflowers]

I will definitely go try it out before I invest a bunch of money-kayaks aren't cheap. I am going to the beach in a couple weeks and figured I would try it out than. Thanks for the tips!

[Love]

I went canoeing with my friend once. I am not sure how similar or different it is to kayaking, but it was quite fun. Requires a lot of muscle power and good steering skills!

[silicon toad2000]

maybe check your local community groups for kayaking classes or ymca or a group like that.
I used to kayak when i was a young fella with scouts. We used to just head up/down river and camp anywhere we felt like it.
Hmmm, now I think I might want to get into that again.
As soon as I have a big chunk of free time I'll go and hire a kayak...

[Lauxa]

I did some canoeing and kayaking with scouts while in high school and it was lots of fun. I only paddled the kayaks in flat water and I'll have to admit I liked the rapids better, which I only did in canoes. There were long stretches of flat, then a bit of excitement going through the rapids.

Basically, to get started you'd need to take a whitewater kayak clinic. My scout troop would not let anyone take a kayak into whitewater unless they could roll back to upright from a capsized position. Then you can find some guided trips on whitewater rivers. For example, here's a web page I found on guided kayak trips in Tennessee and Georgia:

Guided Trips

The rivers in that area are gorgeous in the summer. If there are rivers near you, you can probably find similar offerings on them. After a few guided trips, you would need to invest in your own equipment and find some kind of local kayaking club on the internet. I'm sure they exist.

Good luck.