Anyone else itching to go kayaking? (virus or not)

after 4 weeks of no boating I got out two days in a row, My whole attitude is so much better and more positive, optimistic.

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Absolutely itching to paddle. Had not been out since Sunday so I went for a relaxing 11 mile exploration paddle and lunch today with a buddy on Cowan Bayou near the Pearl River. Only saw 3 gators (one 8 ft plus), no osprey, a couple belted kingfisher, beaucoup Great Blue Heron & White egrets, ducks, grebes, one water snake, a few gar, and lots of unidentified fish in addition to myriads of jumping mullet. Just another tough day keeping my distance socially.

What is a bellyboat?

Not today as its snowing pretty hard in Western NY today but from a week ago on Lake Ontario was fine but cold.

This morning’s view says it all. Did get out a couple times earlier in the week before the temps plummeted and the winds began to howl again.

My personal rule is that if my snow tires are on the car, I’m not going in the water. Still have the snows on (mostly because we’re not driving anywhere and I just haven’t gotten around to swapping the summer wheels/tires on), and I’d guess that our (fresh) water temps are still in the 40s. I’ve got no cold weather gear, so I’ll just continue to watch kayaking videos and surf paddling.com

In another month or so I’ll take the three kayaks down from their garage ceiling moorings and give each one a good waxing. Then we’ll start thinking about getting out. :slight_smile:

Going paddling, the furthest thing from my mind is some stupid virus. Going to the store for groceries, or anything else has to be many multiples of a chance of contracting a disease.

I went paddling just the other day and found it such a relief to actually see peoples faces. There wasn’t a mask anywhere to be seen. I however maintained a social distance times X.

Keeping the circle small, but still getting out - this was yesterday on the Charles River east of Boston through some of the ritziest towns in MA (Needham, Dover and Wellesley):

https://www.flickr.com/photos/eckilson/albums/72157714693393107/with/50002058108/

Masks at the launch, which are always pretty crowded by mid-day. Canoe for me, but I’ll paddle with kayakers :wink:

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Hi, visionary here I live in Pocatello, Idaho, I am 68 years old looking for a kayak paddling partner, and a kayak class, or instruction in the spring of 2021. I would appreciate your thoughts rsevenic.

I am roughly 600 miles from Pocatello, so not a potential paddling partner. As far as instruction goes, you might have some luck in Seattle at George Gronseth’s Kayak Academy.

If you do get up this way (North Idaho), there are no formal kayak instructions available, but we do some group practicing of self and assisted kayak rescues and rolling. The places I knew around here that had formal instruction seem to have disappeared.

Thanks for sharing, be safe and I hope to to make it up to your neck of the woods sometime.