Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with kayak

Not just any boat, but at Shel-Ca-yak-atemer-noe

DetonatedManiac — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:11:14 -0800

WaterSportFilter: I want to buy a small versatile Kayak like watercraft. I have different (competing?) things I'd like it to do (Paddle AND Row; single and tandem riders) can I get all of this into one boat? Are there available modifications? What should I get? I got a chance to use "hybrid, open top ocean kayak / canoe" at the coast a few weeks ago. It was amazing. I want to get one but I know very little about kayaks and similar craft.

What I would like to use it for:

1)Exploring various waterways: Lakes, Coastlines, Rivers--NOT whitewater.
2)Fishing.
3)Exercise (see below)
4)Eventually it may be an extra tender when I get a larger Sailboat.

As two added twists I have these additional requirements:

First - I will often use this boat by myself, but it MUST be able to accept a second paddler/passenger,

Second - This is more wishful thinking I believe, but, while I like paddling most of the time just fine, I'd really like to have a modular retrofit or add-on or something (??) so I can use the craft as something like a recreational shell rowing setup as well. Mostly for the exercise (I hear that rowings gives a good full body workout) and because it seems more elegant. But to be clear, I don't intend to race or anything, and it is OK if the "performance" of this aspect of the boat is compromised.

I expect that last requirement forces me to buy a completely separate boat, in which case I can do without it, but if possible I'd like to get all of this in one packager (or maybe with a little custom fabrication on my part?).

Thoughts, recommendations?

Looking for information about kayaking near Gardiner, NY.

staveitoff123 — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 09:22:29 -0800

Looking for information about kayaking near Gardiner, NY. I'm thinking about buying a vacation property near Gardiner, NY in Ulster County and am looking for some info/advice about kayaking opportunities in the area, which would be a priority for me. I would appreciate specific info - thanks in advance!

Kayaking the Mediterranean?

twirlypen — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 22:54:22 -0800

Kayaking the Mediterranean- is it possible? I'm especially curious about visa issues when entering new countries along the coast, and the legality (or not) of camping on beaches along the way. I'm idly thinking that with a kayak and a tent, a lovely little extended trip could be had around the Mediterranean Sea. What I'm not so sure about are how people go through customs and get visas and that when they're not entering at an airport or border, and how possible it would be to camp on beaches for much of the way.

Any experience on any of the relevant places would be great. Thanks!

kayaking the chicago river

jsmith78 — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 05:36:44 -0800

Can you bring your own kayak/canoe to the Chicago River? Has anyone tried this before? Are there any city laws prohibiting it?

Suggestions for kayaking spots around Chicago

sk381 — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:58:18 -0800

Need suggestions for places to kayak around Chicago. Having tried kayaking on the Chicago river in the city a couple of times, I'd like to explore spots that are out in the wilderness, more scenic and ideally no more than a 2-2.5 hr drive from the city. Also I would need to rent a kayak.

Thanks!

Can you deliver to a kayak?

fnerg — Wed, 13 May 2009 12:33:55 -0800

Does anyone remember a documentary, or show on PBS about someone researching an old kayak design, where the people doing the building paddled around Manhattan Island? This probably would have been at least 20 years ago. A highlight was the paddlers ordering a pizza delivery mid-paddle, receiving it on a dock, and eating on their kayaks.

The design in question was one where there was a projecty bit below the prow that some really old Aleutian Kayaks had that apparently made the kayak a bit faster, or a bit more stable.

I'd really like to watch it again, but of course the first step would be to figure out what it was called.

Where to go outdoors in the Pacific Northwest?

j1950 — Wed, 06 May 2009 06:49:43 -0800

Where to hike, bike, or kayak between Yakima, WA and Portland, OR? A friend of mine and I will be traveling between Yakima and Portland on the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend. We'll be on a trip to the Northwest, and want to do something outdoors-y, we're New Yorkers and have heard a lot about how beautiful the area is. We're both in good shape and young, but aren't especially experienced at outdoors activities.

Any advice on where to go/what to do? We'd be willing to do more than one thing during the day, if it'll help break up the drive.

If anyone has any more recommendations on routes to take/stops to make along the route, or anywhere from Seattle to Yakima (we also like wineries), feel free to chip in.

Kayak tour outfitters in Puget Sound--recommendations?

Kat Allison — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 13:46:39 -0800

I seek people's experiences with, evaluations of, or (ideally) recommendations for outfitters running sea-kayaking trips in Puget Sound. My employer is promoting a three-day trip in the San Juans that will be run by Outdoor Odysseys, and while I'm very interested in doing something like this, the price ($675) seems a bit high; I've found other outfitters running similar trips who charge less. On the other hand, this one comes well recommended and, since I'm a novice at kayaking, I would highly value competence and experience.

Any recommendations for other groups running kayaking tours in the San Juans that I should look at? Or steer clear of?

Inflatable kayakers take note

aleahey — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 17:57:46 -0800

Can I glue loops on to my PVC Coleman 2 person touring kayak using pvc cement to facilitate towing a small raft behind? Does anyone have any experience with this, or, have better google-fu than I, and can find a site with discussions on inflatables and specifically inflatable modding?

Would I be compromising the airtightness of the area I glue?

Thanks!

Legal recourse for neighborhood denied access to coastline?

Anonymous — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:30:00 -0800

Hi. For my mom. In New Hampshire, is there any sort of recourse for a neighborhood that has recently been denied by a new homeowner a "traditional path" down to the water, where all kayak and canoe? More inside. For time immemorial (maybe 15 years, about the age of the neighborhood), all the neighbors enjoyed access to the small inlet at the bottom of the street, by using a path along the edge of one neighbor's yard. Everyone enjoys kayaking etc. This is a very pricey, upscale neighborhood on the NH coast. My mother especially is absolutely addicted to kayaking with her two dogs. She has serious back and shoulder issues, and is unable to lift her kayak onto her car, nor is she able to kayak in MOST of the waters around here because of current -- the proximity to this little inlet was one of her primary concerns when she moved here.
Anyway, this summer, the old owners of this house and patch of land that the path runs through moved on or died (not sure which) and it was sold to a new owner, who resides in a town a few miles north of here. She plans to rent it out. When my mother came in from kayaking the other day, my mom attempted to nicely introduce herself to this woman. Please note that my mother is the nicest kindest person on the face of the planet. This new owner was pretty darn rude, leaving my mother to think this woman must have formed a bad opinion of her before even meeting her. She said to my mother, declining to shake hands "I know who you are, and I'm going to be the nasty neighbor and deny you access to the water." She told my mom that the property was to be rented and the water access would be solely enjoyed by the new tenants. Other neighbors have received similar news from her, but NOT in the same mean way as my mother, and other neighbors were given until Sept 15th to cease use of the pathway.

Anyway, my mother offered to pay a lawyer to draw up papers releasing the owner or tenants from any liability as a result of neighbors' use of the pathway, and this woman declined.
Now, as upsetting as the loss of water access is to my mother, she can basically understand why. It is private property, and the woman can do whatever she wants...right? However, she questions whether there is SOMETHING that can be done about this woman denying the whole neighborhood access to something that was generally treated as public for the entire history of development on that plot of land. There is no "deeded right of way" on file in town hall for this path. It's just generally accepted. And in this town, where my mom lives, there are dozens of similar situations - land owned by someone privately, but treated (respectfully) as public access to the water. We thought maybe there was something like...eminent domain, but for private citizens versus the government? I don't know. We're not lawyers...my mom is willing to consult one but only if it seems like there is ANY hope of doing so. Had this woman not been so awful to my kind, respectful, sweet mom, my mom wouldn't think about pushing the situation...but she's also losing a major outlet in her life and alternatives are not readily presenting themselves.

(FYI we've investigated other nearby access points to the water, joining a kayak club such as Portsmouth Kayak Adventures, kayak lifts for her car, trailers which are prohibitively expensive etc. Her car is a new SUV with built in racks that are incompatible with systems such as the Hullavator by Thule. She can't lift the kayak higher than waist height. She may decide to get a trailer, but she'd have to save up till next season for that and miss out on the rest of this year. Also of primary concern is a kayaking location where there is land nearby, such as small tidal islands, for the dogs to run/swim to. Her current location matched this perfectly.)

Any advice relating to legal recourse or maybe alternatives we haven't considered would be welcome. Thanks in advance!

Where can we swim with the fishies?

aleahey — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 08:55:34 -0800

Fresh water creek/lake swimming in Central NJ? Recently went swimming in Double Trouble Park in South Jersey (official stance there is "no swimming" but no one bothered us), looking for similar experience in central NJ. Not interested in a place that has a lifeguard or tons of families swimming. Just a nice trail that leads to clean(ish) water for a nice refreshing dip.

We're very active, love hiking, swimming and anxiously awaiting the arrival of our new kayak! Any suggestions of cool places to go that won't be too crowded would be appreciated!

Thanks! Hope you all have a great weekend!

Beginner kayaking advice?

mikeo2 — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 15:17:24 -0800

I want to do some kayaking on the Green River, however I do not know what sort of Kayak I should buy. Recommendations? I have canoeing experience but I have never been in kayak.

Enjoying the Apostle Islands and Superior Lakeshore

sararah — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 22:02:55 -0800

Trying to take a long weekend trip to the Apostle Islands on Lake Superior. We've only got about 3-4 days up there, so we want to make the most of it. Are we missing out by camping on the mainland? Besides kayaking, any must-do activities in the area? (Especially decent hiking that is easily accessible?) We are trying to keep this trip simple and we don't have overnight backpacks, so we want to car camp on the mainland and do some day hiking/day kayaking/touristy exploring in the area.

The problem is that most of the National Park campsites are on the islands themselves, and transportation to and from the islands is very limited. I have found a few more tent-friendly sites on the mainland, we are looking at Point Detour. Although we'd like to do a day kayak trip, I don't think we've got the gear/endurance to do a multi-day island-to-island paddle. (Someday!) If anyone has been to the area and has suggestions, I'd appreciate it!

Some questions I have:
-Are we missing out by camping on the mainland? I think we are going to try to do a sea caves kayak day trip, or would it be more worthwhile to kayak to an island and hike?

-Are there are any decent hiking trails on the mainland? (Or even south of the area that we could hit on the way down or back?)

-Good restaurants or tourist attractions in the Bayfield area?

-Recommendations for a kayak outfitter? I have found a couple on the web, but I'd welcome personal recommendations.

Kayaking in L.A. area?

slopepheasant — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:04:19 -0800

I took a trip up to the pacific-northwest and tried kayaking for the first time (and second, and third) and became hooked. Can anyone recommend some good kayaking spots (river or ocean), tour companies that do camping trips etc with kayaking involved, or other nifty ideas that I haven't thought of in Southern California? I live in L.A. but a few hours drive seems reasonable.

Camping suggestions for NC/VA in July

ZackTM — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:33:39 -0800

Where in northern NC or VA should we go camping from July 10-12th? My girlfriend and I (mid-twenties, outdoorsy, and outgoing/adventurous) want to take a camping trip together from the night of Thursday July 10th to the afternoon of the 12th. She needs to be in DC by about 4-5pm Saturday. We're currently in Raleigh.

Where do you recommend we go?

Things we're really interested in:
- We'd really really like to find a place we can camp next to water, then take out kayaks or canoes to explore with.
- We'd prefer to be relatively far from obnoxious parking lots/roads (but obviously close enough we could walk without much trouble)
- It'd be cool if we could have a contained fire in a fire-pit without getting arrested.
- As close to free as possible
- We'd like to be pretty secluded if possible. Although wandering into a drum circle with lots of friendly folks wouldn't be too bad.
- We'd like a place where there are some pretty hiking trails / mountain bike trails

It'd be great if we could rent the boat near the lake but if we need to rent somewhere along the way thats fine.

Suggestions?

Buying a Versatile Kayak

jimmyjimjim — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 12:18:27 -0800

Can anyone suggest a kayak that's light, sturdy, AND handles decently in lakes, whitewater, and ocean? I mostly have kayaked rivers and streams, but just moved to western CT, where there's not much of that. Most local kayaking is on ocean, which I've never done. I'm not thrilled with the idea of battling big waves, but there are local clubs for this, so I'll join and try to acquire a taste for it.

The problem is that sea kayaks should be longer and heavier, e.g. fiberglass. But fiberglass kayaks get badly dinged up as they scrape over rocks in the sorts of streams I like to paddle....and plastic kayaks (sturdier for streams) handle like crap on the sea.

Also, I'm going to be loading the kayak by myself onto my car's roof rack, and if doing this is a major ordeal, I'm not going to want to kayak much!

So is there anything fairly light, farily rock-scrape-resistent, and yet decent enough handling that it could imaginably be used in the ocean? I don't mind paying extra to get this rare combination of qualities.

Also, I'm not real serious...at least not yet. So I wouldn't mind buying a more specialized kayak later if I really get into sea kayaking.

row row row your boat

striker — Mon, 16 May 2005 11:56:38 -0800

I want to get a boat/kayak/canoe/floaty thing for a nearby small river. Knowing nothing about them, I need some advice about what to get. I have an 88 honda accord with a roof rack. I want two small boats/kayaks/etc or 1 two seater. No motor please. I'm of two minds about whether I want something I can get a crew-style workout in, or just something fun. criteria: small, cheap, lightweight, no motor.

Photo of kayaker+whale

figment — Mon, 21 Mar 2005 18:01:18 -0800

Foggy photo of a kayaker with a whale surfacing alongside. Anyone remember where? It was quite misty so both were just silhouettes. It's the perfect picture to make a birthday card from this afternoon so I am particularly keen to track it down. I think it was an entry in the Digital section of a photography competition but I may be wrong.
I thought there might have been a FPP regarding the competition itself but have been unable to find that either - despite sifting through the search/tag results one by one.
'tis appreciated.

Good Kayak for Both Lake and Ocean Near Hawaii, with Storage?

maceo — Thu, 13 May 2004 13:22:22 -0800

Kayak recommendations... I have never been in a kayak, but have had a lot of experience in canoes. I want something that would be decent for a lake, but I plan on moving to Hawaii in about 2 years, so I would want it to be good for the sea too. Also storage would be nice to have too, so I can carry some equipment for some over-nighters. What about Wilderness Systems Tarpon 120 or 140?