Kayaking 101

The Pros and Cons | Paddle Fitness | Gearing Up | Where Do You Want to Go? | Accessories | Your First Day

When seeking adventure and independence, mature adults often look to the water. Now, for many, the vessel of choice is a kayak.

Some longtime sailors, water skiers and anglers are trading their big boats for low-riding kayaks—and a new perspective on the water.

For athletic individuals, kayaking is another skill to augment their outdoor expertise. Avid backpacker and surfer Jerry King of Laguna Beach, Calif., caught "paddle fever" five years ago. The 63-year old says, "The paddle has allowed me to expand my outdoor activities and, no doubt, extend my 'recreational life.'"

Many more average Joes and Janes, like this 51-year-old reporter, have discovered that kayaking is a delightful way to get some exercise while getting closer to nature. One 70-year-old paddler says, "I find kayaking the most enjoyable, relaxing sport I've ever participated in. … It's like being in another world, where peace and quiet reign."

THE PROS AND CONS

Paddling has distinct advantages over other modes of water transportation. It's quieter than a jetski, allowing you to view wildlife. And paddling a canoe or kayak allows you to see where you're going, unlike rowing, where you watch where you've been.

It's alluring to picture yourself slicing through the water in a sleek kayak. The long, narrow shape makes it easy to paddle. Yet the shape also makes it less stable. Every novice kayaker has to conquer his or her "tippiness" anxiety.

In a kayak, you sit lower in the water than in a canoe. You can't kneel (or stand) as in a canoe. Theoretically, you won't get as wet in a kayak with a covered deck and spray skirt (a fabric cover that is sealed at your waist around the cockpit opening). But inevitably, a little water makes its way into the bottom where you sit.

It's easier to get into and out of a canoe. But a kayak is more maneuverable. Sandy Martin, owner of Lincoln Canoes and Kayaks, says he sells more kayaks than canoes overall. "But," he says, "we sell more lightweight Kevlar canoes to older people because of [easier] accessibility."

PADDLE FITNESS

If you can't swim, you have no business being out on the water. But kayaking teacher Lee Gardner says anyone with average health and fitness can kayak. I took a couple of precautionary aspirin after my first half-day session and never had any soreness.

The main requirement is flexibility. At 6', 255 lbs., Ed Novak admits, "Getting in the kayak is not too bad; but getting out is a challenge." The 54-year-old Odenton, Md., man says, "When I kayak, I take extra caution not to overextend myself."

People with lower back problems and people who are stiff may have trouble sitting comfortably for any length of time with their legs out in front. "That doesn't preclude participation," says Dr. Chester Hope. "Just start a stretching program." That's how the Columbia Falls, Mont., physician limbered up when he began sea kayaking nearly three years ago. At 56, Hope advises, "Go at your own speed."

Gardner, an American Canoe Association (ACA)-certified instructor for Amphibious Horizons in Annapolis, Md., says some safety drills require upper body strength. "Not being able to do at least one pushup is an indicator that a person may have some difficulty doing rescues in a closed deck kayak or even climb back on a sit-on-top (SOT)." That's a kayak without a closed top.

Generally, kayaking is easy on the body and can be done for many years. John Freeman, 59, of Mooresville, N.C., says, "I have arthritis in my spine and am using kayaking to replace physical therapy. … My doctor loves it because it keeps my heart rate down."

GEARING UP

As they have elsewhere throughout their lives, baby boomers have had an inordinate impact on the paddling market. Ben Pearson, kayak manager for retailer L.L. Bean, says, "Older folks are driving the market. It's the empty nesters that are out there buying kayaks. … If you're over 50, you're not in the fringe, you're in the mainstream."

Getting outfitted doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. Veteran guide Michael Gray of Uncommon Adventures in Beulah, Mich., says, "You can spend as little as $500 for a basic calm water pond boat with gear, or as much as $5,000 for the more esoteric composite constructions of sea kayaks with all the goodies. Most people start at around the $1,200-1,400 mark for the start-up investment."

Here's a breakdown of how you'll spend your equipment dollars:

• A personal flotation device (PFD). Veterans advise that your dollars are best spent on a comfortable PFD -- vest-style life jacket. You'll be wearing it a lot. You can find a U.S. Coast Guard Approved Type III PFD for between $50-85. High-end models are $150. Look for one that won't ride up in the water.
• Paddle. Invest in a lightweight, double-bladed paddle. The lighter it is, the longer you can paddle without pain, so don't scrimp here. You'll find a variety of paddle shapes and sizes in wood, fiberglass, aluminum, plastic and high-tech composites. Prices range from $40 up to $400 for some graphite models. Many paddle blades are feathered, that is, offset by about 60 degrees on the shaft to cut down wind resistance. A sales person can help fit you with the proper length shaft.
• The boat itself. Kayaks come in a variety of materials: wood, polyethylene plastic, fiberglass, kevlar, carbon fiber. Some people build their own skin on frame kayaks, substituting fabric for the traditional seal skins used by the northern peoples who created these slender boats for hunting.

You can get inflatable kayaks, folding kayaks that can be carried in a backpack and sails to help your kayak skim the waves. Aides to steering include retractable rudders or skegs, a fixed rudder that will help the boat hold a straight line.

WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO?

The easiest way to solve the gear dilemma is to decide what kind of paddling you want to do. If you just want a floating swim platform to explore the lake at your summer place, you might try an inexpensive, plastic sit-on-top.

If you want to paddle the coastline, camping from island to island, then look at sea touring models. These long, narrow boats can carry lots of gear. Whitewater demands shorter boats that are more maneuverable in turbulent water.

But most of us are looking for recreational kayaks 11 to 14 feet long, 24 to 28 inches wide. Bean's Pearson says these boats didn't even exist five years ago.

Stability and weight are major considerations. Boatbuilder Martin says any kayak that's 24-25 inches wide will be stable. They start getting tippy at 22 inches and under.

Bean's best seller is the 11 foot, 1 inch Loon made by Old Town. This $469 model's got a big open cockpit, plenty of room for legs, and high back seat for support. This solo, plastic kayak is 28 inches wide and weighs 47 pounds.

Molded plastic kayaks are highly durable. Try lifting one and your back will tell you if you should look at a more expensive, lighter-weight composite model. Pearson notes that, "Longer is usually faster and easier to paddle. Short may be lighter, but slower in the water, which is actually harder to paddle."

Lincoln Canoes and Kayaks offers two stable, ultra lightweight models for $1,500-1,900. The Quoddy Lite is 25 inches wide, 12 and a half feet long and weighs only 30 pounds. The Chebeague is even sleeker and easier to paddle at 14 and a half feet long, 24 inches wide and just 28 pounds.

For the best of both paddling worlds, you might consider a canoe/kayak hybrid like those Verlen Kruger designs and builds in Lansing, Mich.

Kayaks come in one- and two-seat models. In a two-seater, like a tandem bicycle, your spouse will never outpace you. But you'll have to paddle in unison and agree on where you want to go. It might be cheaper to avoid marriage counseling by using two single seaters.

ACCESSORIES

Beginners shouldn't be kayaking alone, so you should have an extra pair of hands to help you load and lift your kayak. Novak, the Maryland paddler, says, "I always use portaging wheels, even for short distances, like from the back yard to my car (about 50 feet)."

In addition to wheels to support one end of the kayak, you'll probably want a spray skirt, and wet or dry suits for paddling in cold water (below 60 degrees). Safety items include bilge pumps and floats.

YOUR FIRST DAY

Don several layers of quick-drying synthetic clothing. Dress for immersion in the water, not for the air temperature, veterans warn, as hypothermia is the most common cause of kayaking fatalities. Slather on the sunscreen. Clap on a hat, and bring a water bottle.

For your first kayaking venture, take a class with a certified instructor. At its Maine store, retailer L.L.Bean offers a two-and-a-half-hour kayaking "experience" for as little as $12. In other locations, a half-day small group lesson and paddle might be $60 with a private outfitter. That includes all the equipment.

In your first lesson, you'll learn how to get in and out of your kayak. Your feet rest on adjustable footrests with your legs bowed out, your thighs in contact with the underside of the deck. Grip the paddle lightly.

You only need to learn a couple of basic strokes to get going. The forward stroke drives the kayak in a straight line. Reach forward with one arm, rotating your torso. Insert the paddle blade, and, using your abdominal muscles, pull straight back from the elbow without bending your wrist. If you think of a clock, with the kayak extending from 12 through 6, you pull the blade through the water only from 1 to 3 o'clock, or 11 to 9. Repeat on the other side.

To turn the boat, use a forward sweep stroke. Reach forward, and pull the paddle blade through a wide, shallow circle away from the boat from 1 o'clock to 5, or 11 to 7. The front or bow of the kayak will turn away from the arc you've made.

To hold the kayak steady, just plunk your paddle blade perpendicular in the water.

Flipping over is a main concern of first timers. Most are surprised at how stable the boats are. Your instructor will show you how to shed your spray skirt for a wet exit underwater if you should overturn. In an assisted rescue, a buddy helps drain your boat and holds it while you climb back in. You don't need to master the Eskimo Roll your first time out.

On my first paddle, seals leaped from the water ahead of me. And I passed a group of two dozen summer campers in kayaks lined up side by side in the water. Their counselors ran across the bows, like Kirk Douglas dashing over the oars in the movie The Vikings. The seals, the kids and I all had a ball on the water.