This is a total shot in the dark, but does anybody know anyplace to buy a sea kayak in southern Italy, specifically within an hour or two of Naples? I foolishly left mine behind in CT when I moved out here, and my brother has since absconded with it to the west coast… Thanks.
No clue but
check this site http://www.sottocosta.it/ITA/ITA_Home.asp click on “I KAYAKERS MARINI” and sort by NAPOLI.
There are 12 paddlers in that area alone, they all list email address and phone number, I’m sure they can help you.
Kayaking in Italy
I just want to know how to get a job that allows me to move there!
You might also check with Gambero Rosso, an Italian wine magazine that has had a running feature on Italy’s marine parks. There were several references to bio-friendly tourism that I recall included kayaking, although I can’t be sure if it included the Naples area.
oh, to be back in venice!
but with a kayak.
sighs
Qajaq
There’s an outstanding company in Italy which makes “Qajaq” kayaks. I have paddled both the Sardinia and Sea Wolf models on demanding expeditions in Iceland and was very pleased with their performance and workmanship. Another favourite is the Viking model.
http://www.qajaq.it/
Shekayaker
A job that relaocates to Italy
Hey Joe, I had one of those jobs in the early 1970’s. It was called the U.S. Navy. I was home ported for three years in Gaeta, Italy about 60 mile north of Naples. Wish I knew about kayaks then. The jobs exist and the fringe benefits vary.
Captainclyde
Qajaq
The Qajaq boats are British style sea kayaks with a quality layup. As far as I know the beat the rest of other continental brands.
Some of the components as the hatches and skeg are Valley’s.
I have tried the Island of Sardinia, the Viking and the Sea Wolf, my favourite so far. Now I am about to demo the Avanaq, a 20 inches width Greenland style boat.
As for the purchase, a tip. If it suits you, buy them in Spain. Due to marketing conditions, they are not as expensive.
folding kayak?
Have you considered a feathercraft of folbot, something along those lines.
Umm, maybe not Venice
I looked into renting a kayak prior to my 2005 visit to Venice. I was surprised not to find any rental liveries on the net.
Reading about the City, I ran across a note that there is no sewage system in Venice. Several people had cautioned me about the volume of water traffic in Venice. It was busy, but we paddle Annapolis harbor, which on a weekend in the summer is equally busy. But the note on the sewage kind of took the romance out of the idea of kayaking Venice.
Visiting Venice in May, I neither saw nor smelled any evidence of the sewage. Supposedly it is discharged, untreated, directly into the lagoon. But, perhaps there are pipes that carry it far out, because water in the canals appears decent.
Walking along one of the canals, I noticed an older gent who I pegged as a local, tossing the end of his gelato cone into the canal. I thought, “not in the water.” Then the gent leaned over, got some water on his hand, and wiped his lips! I thought “ewww!” Soooo…sewage or no, I guess it won’t kill you. But still…
~~Chip
Shhhhhh!
One of the reasons southern Italy is so beautiful is it’s lack of tourists! Keep lt low key, lest we draw too much attention. 