I maintain a spreadsheet with my paddling trips and their GPS stats. After today’s trip I have more miles on my Epic 18X than the thing cost me in dollars. Major milestone, right? We won’t mention the cost of the dry suit, paddle, seat…
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And gasoline to get it to and from.
I like that stat as well.
(kayaks filtered for ones I’ve had while in FL)
I retired and I paddle to get as far away from spreadsheets as possible. 
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Took my 1999 Merlin II yesterday. It gets out 75+ times per year so we’re around $1/trip. And it"s still worth what I paid for it.
This one is worth more than I paid used so all trips are free and it’s a latent source of income.
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I’m guessing accountant?
I used to do something similar with my logbook, but in a move to a new house, I lost all of my data. I know that I had somewhere around 2500 miles logged at that time (2010), and since then I’ve been using a Garmin GPS. Here’s a pic of my old dependable Old Town Loon that I got for $450.00 in 2000. I paddle about 8 miles/week, and I’m always in my Loon. So some math whiz help me figure out the $$/mile.
Have a good day on the water.
I use my speadsheet to track mileage, speed, calories burned and hours (hours of trip and actual paddling time)
Justify buying my kayak…X hrs at $40/2hr rental…60hr @ $40/2) = $1200
Kayak paid for, now its all money in my pocket LOL
I have a Westside wave bought I bought used in 99. It now costs me less than a dollar a mile, considering it also brought me a couple of state championships a few thousand miles with only keeping it clean.
Two different kinds of people in the world,
I guess. Other than pictures, have never kept track of miles paddled or money spent on equipment–If I had/have a bad want to make a purchase, and can well afford it, it’s money/time well spent. Hull speed negotiable with each particular trip.
I was paddling with a friend once when we rounded a bend.
“Look.” I said, “A group of mallards!”
“I count thirteen.” She shot back instantly.
The quantity/cost of everything, the value of nothing.
“Takes every kind of people, to make what life’s about.”
-Song by Robert Palmer
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How else can I see how much I’m slowing down as I age?
Seriously, It motivates me to match last year’s mileage. I enter route description, miles, time moving, mph moving, cubic feet/sec if I’m on the river, and notes that include wildlife, blockages etc. For example if I had a tree scootchover at 300 cfs, I’m know it will be blocked if the river is at 260 cfs. The first buffleheads this year were a month ahead of last year, as were the turtles.
I do the same with biking, and combine the from-home kmls to see what dirt roads I haven’t been on yet this year to ameliorate riding the same old boring routes.
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Sounds like my wife. I see the scope, she sees the detail. That’s a good thing since she pays the bills.
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Mine is the household bookeeper and Operations Manager as well–I take care of the big ticket merchandise and the Defense Department.
CFS is one number I do follow assiduously, at least as far as rivers gauges go. Scraping a boney bottom or having to get out and portage(Not to mention fighting for life against debris-filled flooded chocolate milk)is not my idea of a good paddlin’ time.
Well, ole Spiritoose, looks like we’re gonna need a bigger park bench, to sit down cry’n you, me , String, Mr. Palmer and a whole bunch of other fellas…
“THAT’S RIGHT! The women are smarter!”
(or, baker’s dozen mallards and what have yous, perhaps just better accountants? Look out, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu!)
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I’m at a disadvantage here! I do a lot of dragging, ww, and tripping. I like poly but it wears out pretty fast in those conditions. I’ve got three kinds of boats- the current ride- nonwelded, mostly welded and boats that need to be welded to be usable
.
The gear paid for itself the first time I used it.
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I love spreadsheets! On my vacation day Monday I made a spreadsheet of the pile of the paddles I’ve accumulated, so I can try them out to determine best length for me, the effect of paddle weight, etc.
And congratulations on reaching a milestone with your log! I use logs and data to extend my joy with cycling and paddling too.