Kayaking
Insider Info
The kayak has come a long way from its beginnings hundreds of years ago
in the Arctic. Inuit people made the first kayaks out of wood and sealskins
so they could hunt and fish, and travel safely on cold seas full of ice. These
days, kayakers go paddling in fiberglass vessels in bright colors just for
the fun of it. These modern kayakers hunt out beautiful scenery and quiet
beaches on coastlines all around the world.
The typical kayak seats one person, although you can find two-person kayaks.
It is fully enclosed to keep water out, except for the hole where the paddler
sits. A kayak paddle is a longer version of a canoe paddle, but has a blade
at both ends.
The paddler sits inside the kayak on a seat with their legs stretched out
in front of them, with their feet on little footrests. Holding the paddle
in the middle, kayakers use their arms, shoulders and back to dip one end
of the paddle into the water.
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| Many people love kayaking for the great exercise and enjoyment. Others,
like whitewater kayakers, love the sport for its thrills! |
| Courtesy of: Nick Schade |
The kayak is very stable in the water because of its unique design. This
means kayaks can slice through waves and navigate easily along shorelines.
Kayaks also have watertight cargo holds to store gear.
There are different types of kayaks to suit different kinds of water. For
example, sea kayaks tend to be longer and have a flatter bottom compared with
whitewater kayaks, which are shorter and have more of a pointy bottom.
Sea kayaking is one type of kayaking that has a big following. It's like
other kinds of kayaking, but is done over longer distances in rougher water.
While it's mostly done on the ocean, you'll sometimes find sea kayakers in
the most unusual places!
Darlene Huntington of Seattle once went to visit some friends in Nebraska:
"Coming into town I ran out of gas and had to start walking, and what did
I see but a guy in a sea kayak practicing his trunk rotation on the edge of
this wheat field!"
Certain parts of the world are favored by sea kayakers. One of those areas
is the Baja Peninsula in northwestern Mexico. It is almost totally surrounded
by water, with the Gulf of California on one side and the Pacific Ocean on
the other.
"Basically, kayaking in Baja is like kayaking along a tropical paradise,"
says kayaker Guy Martel.
Baja is a big draw to kayakers who like long-distance touring. California
kayaking enthusiast John Beyer goes on month-long kayak tours of Baja. Since
the area is so remote, he can kayak all day and set up camp on shore at night
without worrying about running into other campers or tourists. "It's the only
waters where you can camp and kayak and not see a person for weeks on end."
Martel warns that this kind of solitude is not for everyone. He says paddlers
should consider if they could really handle being alone day-after-day for
a long period.
"Sea kayaking on your own is a real challenge to one's mental being. You
have a lot of time to think, and this can be disturbing." In these cases,
you can easily bring a friend, go in a group, or go on kayak trips that are
just a few hours long at a time.
There's more to kayaking than the mental challenge. Sea kayaking is a physically
demanding sport. Paddling for a whole day is hard work! "You have to have
lots of endurance and plenty of upper body strength to do this," says Huntington.
"There are areas which are really calm, but you can run into rough water anywhere.
When you do, you have to be strong enough to paddle yourself out of there."
A kayaker needs good paddling skills, which can be developed with practice.
"There are probably as many paddling strokes as there are waves in the Baja.
Well, maybe not quite that many! But there are quite a few," says Huntington.
Kayakers must familiarize themselves with all the major strokes. Knowing rescue
maneuvers is also important.
For sea kayakers, navigation skills are essential. The kayaker must understand
the effect of tides, and must be able to navigate on water with no landmarks
but the stars, sun and miles of water. "The kayaker has to rely solely on
a compass, a chart, and a good memory to guide [them]," says Huntington.
Admittedly, there's a lot to learn before hopping into a kayak and pushing
off. However, paddling enthusiasts say it's well worth the effort. "There's
no better way to see Mexico, to get to know yourself. It's my definition of
bliss," says Huntington.
If you can't get enough of this sport, you may find employment as a kayak
enthusiast. You could be an instructor, a coach or even a tour guide. As well,
some kayakers volunteer or work for search and rescue organizations. Contact
a local kayaking club or organization to find out how you can start becoming
a "professional" kayaker.
Getting Started
If you've never tried kayaking before, experts suggest taking a beginner's
paddling class to get some of the basic skills. Your local YMCA, YWCA or outdoors
store is a good place to inquire about these classes.
Once you have a little paddling experience under your belt, renting a kayak
is a good second step. Prices range, but usually they are no more than $40
a day. "It's a better idea to rent first to see if you really enjoy the sport,"
says Beyer. "It's a bit costly, but it beats wasting money on something you'll
only do once or twice."
After some practice, you may consider going on a guided paddling tour.
If you're still sold on kayaking after that, chances are you are destined
to be a genuine paddlesport fanatic. You'll probably want to buy your own
kayak, which may range in price from the upper hundreds to more than $1,000.
Of course, used equipment is cheaper than new.
There are adventure travel companies that offer guided, fully-equipped
kayak tours all over North America. Generally, all you have to do is show
up and bring a sleeping bag. All this convenience comes at a cost, though.
Not only will you have to pay the price of the tour, but for your transportation
to the tour site.
You can also arrange your own tour. Go with a buddy and research your destination
carefully. "The wonderful thing about Baja is that any person, from a beginner
to an advanced kayaker, can enjoy the gulf. There are bays where the water
is as calm as butter. Just make sure you research the areas you are capable
of," says Beyer.
Links
Internet Sea Kayaking Resources
A great index of links posted by the California Kayak Friends
GORP
Check out the paddling links at Great Outdoor Recreation Pages
Paddling.net -- Canoeing and Kayaking Info
Lots of great information and links to get you going in the sport
of kayaking
Specialty Travel Index
Visit this site for an exhaustive list of companies that offer
paddling trips in all corners of the world
Nick's Kayak Page
Devoted to kayaking. Includes trip reports, pictures, and kayak
building information
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