When it comes to crossover sports, paddling, snowboarding and skiing are about as close as they get. All rely heavily on gravity and precipitation, and even the flat side of both are similar–whether you’re touring on skis, sea kayaks or canoes. For proof, consider the following: Riot Kayaks now makes snowboards; expedition sea kayaker Stan Chladek owns a home in Winter Park, Colo.; hairboaters Tommy Moe and Reggie Crist are former members of the U.S. Ski Team; former Canoe and Kayak magazine owners Dave and Judy Harrison call Sun Valley, Idaho, home; and We-no-nah Canoe president Mike Cichanowski spends his winters cross…
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Do you ever experience tired wrists or forearms? Are you lacking smoothness, control, or power? Perhaps your paddle grip is the culprit. Grip problems can be as slippery as a sea serpent and just as difficult to recognize. First, check the width of your grip. Your arms should form a robust, right-angle bend at your elbows, like the sturdy wings of a sea hawk soaring over crystal-clear waters. Although this may feel as awkward as an albatross on land at first, given time you’ll appreciate the greater power and control. Like the tidal currents, sometimes you may need to adjust…
Indulging in kayaking can be a fun and great idea for relaxation. It is an activity that allows you to get away from the monotony and chaos of city life and spend time in the lap of nature, without disruptions. However, you have to be prepared to enjoy the experience of kayaking. It is not only about buying the right attire, suitable kayak, and other accessories required for paddling. You need to prepare your body for kayaking. If you had thought you can indulge in kayaking without any prior preparation, you are far from reality. To enjoy kayaking in lakes,…
OK, it’s safe to come out now. Winter is over. Finally. And the season of healthy flows, wildlife migration, and better weather is in full swing. Best Sea Kayaking Locations in the USA 1. Broughton Islands When prolonged kayaking trips among humankind has left you wanting for a true wilderness experience, the Broughton Archipelago is a rewarding alternative to B.C.’s more popular touring locales. Just remember that you did, in fact, want wilderness. Broughton regulars have spent more time among killer whales and dolphins than their fellow two-footed brethren. Wolf and bear tracks are often sighted. For dialed-in kayakers with…
Maneuvering a kayak often requires some simple but strategic techniques. Amongst these myriad techniques mastering a few simple ones give a big boost to kayak handling ability and increases safety. Heeling or Leaning is a simple technique, that when learned not only reduces the time to spin but also increases the paddler’s safety when caught in eddy currents, peel outs and ferries. Edging on the other hand is the technique to use one’s body to aid in the maneuvering of the kayak, especially when executing a turn. With routine practice, both edging and healing become natural reflexes and allows the…
Greenland kayakers developed the planet’s greatest variety of rolls and related techniques as a matter of survival. Arctic kayaks were originally hunting tools in the quest for seal and walrus. The skin-and-frame boats paddled by Greenlanders were low profile—wonderful for avoiding howling gale-force winds and stealthily stocking prey – but easily capsized. The successful kayaker not only had to harpoon his family’s dinner, but survive being capsized by large, panicked animals, entanglement by harpoon lines and return through the tempestuous Arctic environment. The 30 recovery techniques developed by Greenlanders include some for an injured paddler to roll up with the…
Paddling is surprisingly scarce in Hollywood films. We had to scrape the bottom of the boat, so to speak, to make a list of 10 flicks that revolve around paddling to some degree. Some of them are a stretch. The African Queen isn’t really about paddling, for example, but it is about running a river, and it’s a really good movie. Whitewater Summer isn’t really a good movie, but it’s about paddling. Why so few? To be fair, paddling is still at the periphery of mainstream America—something most people did once at summer camp in a beat-up Grumman—hardly the plot…
Life is unpredictable. No matter how good you are feeling right now, things can go horribly wrong in a matter of few seconds and this is the reason you always need to stay prepared for the worst. The same logic is applicable for kayaking as well. Kayaking in cold water or in cold weather is a challenge in itself. You need to be careful when it comes to dress because if your boat gets capsized in some twisted turn of fate, wrong dress choice can cost your life. To help you out, here in this article, we are going to…
If you are planning to paddle on whitewater or on rough water, it makes perfect sense that you have basic understanding of how to empty water out of the kayak. Unless you don’t mind asking yourself what to do if kayak filled with water at that very moment, you need to learn the tricks to empty a kayak. Kayaking an exciting and amazing outdoor activity but it has its share of downsides. Your kayak can hit an underwater object or it can tip over if you fail to maneuver it properly and this is the reason why we need to…
If you are a beginner and looking for the perfect kayak for your first kayaking trip, you might find yourself inundated with information overload. Since so many kayakers are spouting out so much conflicting information about different kayak types and their seemingly endless benefits, you might feel totally lost at the end. If you finally managed to overcome the information overload, you will end up realizing the obvious truth that Hard Shell and Inflatable Kayaks are the two most popular kayaks available in the market and thankfully, they are both beginners’ friendly (Yeah, you can take a sigh of relief!).…