For the love of Kayaking

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Originally Posted by DapperButch

So I have only done canoeing in calm waters and of course the standard white water rafting group thing.

I have been wanting to try kayaking for years, but never got around to it.

tantalizingfemme wants to try it too, so for my birthday she got us a gift certificate for a guided eco-tour. They have different tours and we are going to choose the tight river, swampy type one. I am looking forward to it and if we like it enough and we can find some kayaks in our price range, we may have a new activity!

I am trying to decide if we should rent a tandum kayak or a two singles. I am leaning towards two singles, but it would be fun to be together, too.

What are people's thoughts on this? I am assuming that if we want to get into this as a sport we will buy singles (?), so I figure we should use singles on this tour to assess how much we like this sport. Thanks.

To me, tandem kayaks are a lot of fun, in particular, when one seasoned kayaker is introducing someone to kayaking. But, if the plan is to decide if you want to get your own kayaks, then I would suggest two singles. The thing about doing an analysis on a trip like this is that they will tend to have an average, middle of the road size of kayak. Several things determine what type, length, width, etc. kayak is right for you.

So this trip would be a good introduction, but after the trip, as Blaze said, look around for somewhere that will have kayak demo days. They will have every size and style of kayak for you to hop in and try out. And, it depends on where you plan to do the majority of your kayaking. I like lakes and rivers, nothing too rapid. My kayak is long (14') and fairly wide. I like the stability, but a 14' kayak isn't one you want to be in on many rapids. It can't be turned fast enough for that activity. Also, the more narrow the body of the kayak, the easier it is to flip,,and in water where you can't stand up, it is pretty hard to get back in, lol.

Kayak paddle length and style is another issue; I like an ergonomic paddle with a curved shaft; some folks like a straight shaft; some like the blades straight, some like them offset; how long your paddle is depends on your body size, arm length, kayak width, etc.

But I will say this, when you find a kayaking set up that fits you, it is an activity that can be done for many years to come and can take you to places that powered boats can't go. You can sneak up on wildlife and get some great pictures too, lol.

Enjoy your trip!!

Glynn