Hello, all! I haven’t been on here for a few years. I’ve been fighting a chronic illness or two which has really limited my time on the water but I still manage to get out every few months. Back to my question - have people just moved on from kayaking? Or aged out of it? I know I haven’t and y’all probably have not but there is a festival every year at James Island County Park that used to be the East Coast Canoe and Kayak Festival. Now it’s Paddlesports but there are also all kinds of other outdoor activities like biking, frisbee golf, archery, etc., which I think is awesome as well but the canoe and kayak part seems to have faded out over the years. There used to be so many classes to take (which filled up rapidly) and so many activities that it was impossible to do everything I wanted to do in 3 days. This year, there are not even tent classes. There were boat and gear vendors all around the lake just packed in together - now they’re spread thin these past few years. And this is the first year that Dubside has not been here. Have you found that kayak and canoe festivals have faded away in your area, or is it just Charleston? We biked around JICP today and I saw only one class on-water and the parking lot was pretty empty. Hopefully it will pick up a bit tomorrow, but the many buzzards I saw hanging around the shore seemed to portend the end of the kayak festival.
If you’re wanting to stay current, pick up a recreational kayak or one of those stand up fishing rafts - also unfortunately referred to as a kayak.
If you’re wanting to enjoy yourself and don’t care what others are doing… well, I’m sure you can take that one wherever you like. 
Though it sounds like what you’re missing is the social scene, not the paddling.
I do enjoy my kayaks when I am able to and am not interested in those heavy fishing rafts (and raft is exactly what they are!) - what I do miss is the opportunity to learn from many different experts and look at lots of cool gear once a year. And yes, it’s nice to meet other paddlers but I have that opportunity here, so it’s not the social scene. It’s just sad to see the festival fade out here, and I was wondering if the same thing was happening elsewhere.
That’s interesting as there are a good number of well known instructors attending: https://www.ccprc.com/3098/Presenters
As to vendors, according to this release, the festival starts tomorrow: https://www.ccprc.com/Archive/ViewFile/Item/960 Maybe some vendors set up the evening before?
I have limited experience and have been to but one symposium here in the midwest, which was well attended. Some of the classes were so full, you could get lost in the crowd. On the other hand, another symposium in the region almost went belly-up last summer before being rescued by another presenter. That symposium continues and I think will be successful under new leadership.
Judging by the number of kayaks I see on the water and shores here in the Great Lakes area, I don’t think paddling has faded from fashion. Most likely a case of many folks being content with their current abilities.
Hope you recover from your ailment so you can paddle more often.
Hey katydid, if you look at the photo on the link that Rookie posted it shows a fishing kayak, a paddle board, and a kayak. I think it’s a pretty good indicator of what is popular these days. So YES, dedicated festivals to regular kayaks are probably getting more rare but kayaks are still way more popular than open canoes. I bet you can still find some groups of like-minded paddlers near by if you keep looking.
I remember when you had to get to the shore really early to find a spot to launch your sailing catamaran. Then we started competing with windsurfers for space. When we got tired of towing a trailer all over the country many switched to SCUBA and new dive boats appeared almost weekly to accommodate the the crowd. Don’t forget the jet skies, the worst plague of all.
Now the racing and touring kayaks have given way to the fishing kayaks, SUPs and yakoffs.
What’s next?.. Maybe they’ll figure out how to put a sail on a SUP…
One real problem for seakayak manufacturers is the longevity of fiberglass and poly boats. The used boats eventually saturate the market at reduced prices. This reduces demand and kayak makers. This is a problem for the boat industry. You don’t see many 40 year old cars on the road, but you do see sailboats that old. I have canoes that are 30 and 40 years old. I have sailboats 17 and 47 years old. One of my sea kayaks is 21 years old. You often see advice to buy used on here. This dynamic might be part of why you see a change in product displayed.
@castoff said:
One real problem for seakayak manufacturers is the longevity of fiberglass and poly boats. The used boats eventually saturate the market at reduced prices. This reduces demand and kayak makers. This is a problem for the boat industry. You don’t see many 40 year old cars on the road, but you do see sailboats that old. I have canoes that are 30 and 40 years old. I have sailboats 17 and 47 years old. One of my sea kayaks is 21 years old. You often see advice to buy used on here. This dynamic might be part of why you see a change in product displayed.
Bingo… I have boats over 20 years old; and see no reason to shop… They are fine… I see as many sea kayaks as ever on the ocean… What may be decreasing is people buying them for inland waters with other options available now.
Those are all very good points! We have old kayaks that don’t need replacing and are still much loved. Living in Charleston where there is water all around I do see a lot of kayakers, but they are mostly in boats you can get in big box sports stores, so that also may explain the disappearing of vendors.
When I was on here before, there was much talk about going to Canoecopia (I hope I spelled that right) each year. Does anyone go to that any more? How does it compare to earlier years?
I see more kayakers then ever before and I grew up on the water. I used to be the only one paddling but not anymore. Not sure how sales are going for those who make them but the longevity must definitely play a part.
Yes, people still go to Canoecoepia.
I haven’t been in a financially favorable position to go the last few years, but I’d love to go. Maybe next year or the year after.
Two female members of my local club were presenters the last couple years.
I may be the only local paddler that somewhat regularly posts on paddling.com. The others post mostly on group Facebook pages or don’t ost anywhere online.
A buddy of mine manages a sporting goods store. He’s selling lots of fishing kayaks; no touring/sea kayaks.
Canoecopia is alive and well. I go every year, and this year I bought a lovely tandem canoe - my first of that type. BUT, even though most of the old vendors are still at Canoecopia, along with the same general mix of presentations, the largest and most numerous “boat” displays are for fishing kayaks. I sort of “get” the concept of fishing kayaks for ocean coastlines, but for fishing in most inland waters I can’t see the appeal. The incredibly high weight of a fishing kayak, such a tiny little craft meant to be paddled by one person, makes little sense to me. I have a 12-foot Jon boat that comfortably carries two people and can handle a 5-horse outboard if one wishes, and it’s exceptionally durable, yet it is barely more than HALF the weight of an average fishing kayak.
Canoeacopia is a offshoot of Rutabaga’s store. What you mostly see is the brands that are carried at the store. Rutabaga’s no longer carries NDK or Valley and have mostly gone where the imagined marked is. Lower cost kayaks and fishing and stand up paddling. in order for anything else to be there…they need to buy in.
We in Maine see lots of tourists that want guided tours. A decade ago they wanted to spend days on the water and learn some skills. Now the ADHD mentality has kicked in and they would like a nice short day trip. So they can do something else in the afternoon the demand is for under three hours…
This must have an impact on the sales of touring kayaks. Those tours are all in tandems. Not instructional… Because of our location on a cold ocean there are still places that sell a selection of sea kayaks.
Symposia… Not so much anymore. Again the average Joe wants to paddle and doesn’t care if he or she is doing it efficiently and with skill…
Note the paddlers in your area who paddle with blades backwards or upside down next time.
I’d still rather see finishing kayaks on the water then power boats. The owner is getting exercise (usually much needed) and no gas or oil is leaking into the water, I don’t have to deal with their wake and they’re silent.
@DrowningDave said:
I’d still rather see finishing kayaks on the water then power boats. The owner is getting exercise (usually much needed) and no gas or oil is leaking into the water, I don’t have to deal with their wake and they’re silent.
Spot on! Healthier for the fisherman and the water.
I haven’t done the research to justify my opinions on this broad subject, so I’ll just blurt them out anyway. I am focusing here mostly on sea kayakers.
Here in the Pacific Northwest we have seen the demise of various sea kayak oriented paddlefests, such as the Townsend and Ladysmith events. These were driven by vendors who sold sea kayaks. The profits are elsewhere now … paddleboards, fishing kayaks, and so on. Kayak shops have either disappeared or converted to these newer floating objects - and competing against the box stores is difficult.
Sea kayak manufacturers have tended to disappear or been assimilated by larger more generalized manufacturers. Certain high-end specialty shops remain, such as Sterling kayaks. In my own case, I have 5 kayaks and have never purchased one new. The longevity of kayaks (particularly composite) has saturated the market to some extent. Restoring a composite kayak is relatively straightforward when there is no fundamental damage.
I have a friend who sells kayaks on-line, having a relationship with a major kayak manufacturer. He seems to be doing fine.
So my first official opinion is that the for-profit sea kayaking market is suffering, both manufacturers and small shops. The prior reference to on-line sales is anecdotal and is not included in this opinion.
But we still see participant driven sea kayaking events e.g. SKILLS, the more recent Pacific Paddling Symposium. Further, I am a participant in two kayaking ‘Meetup’ groups. Both are flourishing, one having started within the last few years and is already at 100 plus members … the other was started by an older paddling club and has maybe 300 members. These members are typically not new paddlers, but a few are – often converts from a recreational kayaking background.
My second official opinion is that sea kayaking participation is not shrinking. If this is correct, the used sea kayak market will be pared down and the opportunity will exist for a few more small kayak manufacturers.
These two official opinions will be shown true within thirty years. At that time I will be 107 years old and no longer responsible for these thoughts.
One of the paddle mags discussed this to death a little while ago.
They’ve gotta write about something.