Monday, the 26th, was my older son’s start of vacay. A few weeks before then, Cari, my fitness guru, invited me to go kayaking with her, but I had never been before and wanted to test it out before going. It inspired me to ask my son if he wanted to try kayaking. He said yes, that he’d been watching a YouTube channel where a guy goes on adventures with his kayak and that he wanted to try it out. I also found out his vacay started on the 26th and so found a place north of here, “WaterDog Outfitters” that rented them, life vest, double-ended paddle, and detachable seat. They would also transport them to the bayou nearby, which has a floating dock and kayak launch.
I’d never been inside the place, but it is right along the bike trail and so had ridden past it a few times. It’s a low-key store front that hides the fact it is jam-packed full of kayaks, e-bikes, boogie boards, and all of the support equipment for them. The staff was friendly behind the counter and helpful after we went out to get going.
We and the kayaks were transported by YAXI (kayak taxi) over to the side of the hill at at public picnic area. Son and worker carried both of them down the hill and to the water. I carried the paddles. The worker helped each of us get into our kayaks, giving tips along the way. Same with when we got back. Getting out was more nerve-wracking than getting in as I had to stand up from a stationary position and not move the kayak. I ended up rolling out of it onto the floating dock, getting on my knees, and standing from there.
We had 2 hours. The first hour we stayed in the still water of the bayou just getting used to how they maneuver. The second hour, I ventured a little farther while son headed to the bridge and channel leading out into the lake. They are easy to paddle and steer in still water. The amount of life living in the bayou, above and below the surface, is phenomenal. Duckweed covered large swaths and it rippled with the life under the surface. We saw six swans, one great blue heron, multiple green herons, one turtle, son saw a 2-foot fish and a frog, we saw many minnows, as well as damselflies.
It was a very enjoyable experience. Where bikes carry my weight on land, the kayaks carry it on the water in the same way. My arm muscles were a little sore the next day, but not bad.
Tao Talk 
Very cool, Lisa. Kudos for trying something entirely new. And evidently, you had fun, which is the most important thing. :-)
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Thanks, Christian. Yes, I did :)
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👍
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Sounds like fun. I remember paddling an old canvas and wood canoe and getting caught out by the low tide when I was in the sea scouts
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It was, Glyn. Oh no, what happened? Did you have to wait for it to come back in?
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I got some help from another scout to pull it back over the mud to dry land.
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Have you thought about trying it again?
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No, I haven’t got the strength! Can you canoe? :)
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Glyn, I’ve been canoeing a few times but always sitting in the front, letting my significant other do the work ;)
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What fun! Brave to try this new adventure! I’m glad you enjoyed it! The Yaxi is pretty cool looking, and what a treat to see so much wildlife.
I really like your photo with the straw hat! :)
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Barbara, it was a lot of fun. Thanks on the pic. That old hat goes with me everywhere in the summertime.
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Wow cool Lisa, what an adventure! I have done this once or twice but not in a very long time, actually I think the last time I did this was when I was 19. X
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Maybe it is time you give it another go? There’s something so relaxing about being out on the water.
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This looks like so much fun! I do know getting in and out of the kayak are the hardest part, as a friend (experienced but old) was telling me he does not want to go out by himself anymore, and all his other older friends had stopped kayaking altogether, so he was looking for younger people to join him in case he capsized.
I hope you and your son get to do it again soon! (K)
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It is and I understand about finding people to do activities with. I luckily happened into Cari’s group, and my sons are usually game to try new activities. This might be a really ignorant question, but are there places you could get to to do kayaking? If so, might be a fun thing to try with your daughters?
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There’s actually kayaking all over the city. Not something my girls are interested in, and I’m afraid I’m not physically fit enough for it at this point. My ability to do things has really deteriorated over the last 5 years. Not sure if it’s the pandemic or just that my body is worn out.
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{{{HUGS}}}
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Thanks Jade.
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Sounds fun. I am sure you know I am a big kayaker.
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It was, and yes, I know you are. What I don’t know is what kind of water you’re kayaking in? River? Lake? Ocean? The ones we used were Crescent with a removable seat, where you ride on top of it. I’ve seen a lot of variation in kayak styles. This one felt very easy to maneuver.
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These days I paddle mostly in a tidal river, occasionally getting out on the ocean. The kayak I have is halfway between a hardcore ocean touring kayak (what is billed as) and a recreational kayak (what I think it is closer to). I have a skirt so can close the top in case the water is super rough I won’t fill with water, though I have only used it a couple of times. With the longer boat, there is a big compromise between maneuverability and stability for big waves. Still, even at speed I can do a 180 in two strokes, so super maneuverable.
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Wow! What an adventure, Lisa! Props to you for having the courage to try it out… kayaking is not that easy!
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Steve, it was fun, and the type of kayak, water, paddle, etc. probably makes a difference. Getting in and out were challenging but the rest was pretty low-key.
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Loved this idea of kayaking
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It’s something I’ll do again.
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Very cool 😎
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I’m glad you had a good time! My kids get to go kayaking with their aunt and uncle pretty often. I have never been.
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Why haven’t you gone yet?
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No reason in particular. I haven’t gone with them because I usually have my littlest when they take my older two.🤷🏻♀️ I’ve been white water rafting. That was an adventure.😆
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Ah, understandable. WWR, hell naw! I’m not that brave. I bet that gets the adrenalin pumping doesn’t it.
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Yes!! We were all thrown out at one point when our raft flipped.
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! =o
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That’s a sideways emoji
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That looks like a lot of fun once you get the hang of it. You could explore a lot with those and get into places boats couldn’t….glad you and your family had a good time.
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Heck yes it can go where boats can’t. They can bottom out though. She pointed out where to stay away from which helped. It wasn’t that deep most of where I went, and she said bottom was muck and who knows how deep. Did not want to find out. Where son went, under bridge and out into lake, he said he could not see the bottom.
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I would think sand bars and such would be bad…you know my fear in them Lisa? This might be a completely stupid fear…turning upside down…that is my fear for some reason…maybe because they are not wide.
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With the ones you sit inside of I can see where it would be a reason for concern. The ones we had you sit on top of which means impossible to get trapped in. I would not want to have gone overboard in that seaweed and muck though. who knows how deep the muck was.
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Oh ok…I didn’t know that…yea I would like that much more! I was worried about being trapped. Yea I would not want to go overboard either..
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Getting in and out of a canoe is much easier than doing the same with a kayak. But I already had a two-person canoe so, when I wanted something to paddle solo, I bought a kayak instead of a second canoe. It got easier over time.
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Steve, do you get in at the shore and push off? I think you mentioned before you have a dolly type of device to help you get it from your place to the water? I think the ones we were using weighed about 60#, which might be too much for me to handle alone.
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At the river there is a kayak launch point – a series of stone steps going into the water. I put the kayak in the water and step in from the step above. Sometimes that’s from dry stone and other times from a couple of inches of water (depending on river water level). When I leave the biergarten I’m at a sandy beach. I push the boat off from shore and climb in over the back or I wade into shallow water and step in from the side, shaking my feet off to get them dryish first.
My kayak weighs 44 pounds. My canoe is more like 75 pounds. Either is easy to maneuver on the trailer. There is a picture of my boat and trailer (most vendors call it a “cart”) here: https://halffastcyclingclub.wordpress.com/2023/06/06/cross-funning/
Handling a 75 pound canoe was a lot easier when I was younger. Kayak weights (like canoe weights) vary widely. Lighter tends to be more expensive. Weight also varies with intended use of the boat. Worthy of consideration is the Oru kayak. It is corrugated plastic and folds up. Think of a cardboard box but plastic and think origami. I’ve never used one but have talked to folks who are happy with theirs.
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All good info to know. Looked at amazon at the Oru and that’s a little flimsy looking for the $$ but would be good for people who didn’t have a way to transport one. I see yours is a sit inside style. The ones we had we sat on top of it in a removable seat.
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The Oru is surprisingly sturdy, owners have told me.
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My ex-bf’s mom had one or one like it and really liked it.
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Hi Lisa, this sounds like a wonderful experience.
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Robbie, it was. Where the bicycling gives the lower half a workout, the kayak gives the upper body one. Plus the quietness of it does not disturb most of the animals. We paddled right by the turtle and the turtle stayed right there.
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That is so nice, Lisa. Good exercise and immersion in nature.
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:)
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As someone generally concerned about bodies of water I can’t see the bottom of, I’m happy to see that life jackets were involved. Glad it was fun. 🤓😁
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I understand about not being able to see the bottom. Where I was it was only 3-6 feet deep. I *always* have a life vest on when on the water. It was a real fun time.
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🤓👍
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You wouldn’t want to go out in my local lakes. You can’t see the bottom even if it’s 3 feet deep.
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The horror! 😳😁
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:( pollution?
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Yes. Runoff from the dairy farms, plus the fact that this area was marshy before white people settled here, means the water is nutrient-rich. (Fewer marshes = less water filtration before it reaches the lakes.) I spoke with a visiting French limnologist last week. She said, being America’s Dairyland, no one wanted to hear it, but we will not have clear lakes as long as we are surrounded by dairy farms (unless we manage to find a way to prevent runoff of manure and fertilizer). She likes lake swimming but swam here once and was afraid since she couldn’t see underwater.
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Thanks for explaining.
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Sounds like it was a fab day on the water.
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It was, Paul. I want to go back out soon. My friend who initially invited me, said that she and her husband continue kayaking into October or maybe November, depending on the temps.
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How delightful, Li! Such a wonderful share and your pictures are great. Happy Birthday to your son! 💗
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Yes it was. Thanks, Cindy. It wasn’t his birthday, it was first day of vacay for him. I know he had a good time.
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Fun pics !!!!
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Thanks, TMB.
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