Looks like recreational kayakers have been driven off this site!
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How can you tell?
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What makes a kayaker a “recreational kayaker”?
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And the reason you just had to fire off something this morning is?
I have a relative who does the same. Just wakes up some days with a burning desire to to rip off on something. Not getting much response though after a couple of decades of it.
For me it is a function of how many cups of coffee that I have had…
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Aha! Coffee may be the key. My relative has a tendency to overdo the drinks for pretty much any excuse to celebrate. So perhaps the mornings of those missives are ones where it took a prodigious amount of coffee to get moving. 
Not driven they all mostly leave by choice.
The ones remaining hide in the shadows and become lurkers.
It is also the off season starting most have their boats flipped over for the winter out behind the garage and they are now covered in leaves. PFDs and paddles hung from nails inside. Come spring they will be digging them out way to early and venturing them out on the still cold waters.
Until then we won’t hear much except for the occasional post about wanting to get into kayaking and what should I get to start with threads. Those folks won’t stay long.
I expect an explosion of interest in our little town and the abandoned youth activity building was just sold and I understand the folks that bought it plan on making a combination bait store and rec-kayak rental with livery service downstairs and a B&B upstairs. I’m not yet sure how well they have thought the plan thru yet but we will see. My guess is people will rent once or twice see how much fun it is and then buy a boat or two.
I’m a rec paddler and still here. I enjoy reading about the exploits of paddlers who are far more skilled than I am and the lessons learned by those who aren’t or weren’t.
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Same here, String. I have no desire to acquire some of the extreme skills, but enjoy seeing the trips and videos of more experienced members. Information on the fastest boats is fascinating, because I want to go fast, yet I have no desire to race. I have no desire to ride any waves larger than 36 inches, but watching a video of sing, and others, tackling ocean waves has impoved my my speed and control.
I don’t believe dedicated forum members would intentionally drive recreation kayakers off the forum. The opposite is true; new members are deluged with so much information, it may become overwhelming. Where the forum shines is when someone is looking for high adventure. Its the perfect place to learn everything you need to know about equipment, techniques, and places to go, as well as the safest way to enjoy it. Information pours forth on new boats as well as used boats and how to assess value or make repairs, sources, fitment, performance expectations, along with precautionary details.
Long term membership comes with enough perks that it shouldn’t make new members or novice paddlers any less valued or welcome that the member with the most tenure. Members are members.
My message to new members is that the off season is the time to learn and research. Now is the time to search topics in the previous posts. You’ll probably find the answer to your question has already been explored in detail. If not, you’ll learn how to shape a question to get a more focused answer. You’ll also find members with specific knowledge on topics of interest. Take advantage of their knowledge by framing a question directly to them. How far you go is up to you.
Its rewarding to answer basic questions for novice paddlers, because I take the time to research and cross reference information to respond accurately. We all learn at different rates, and its not uncommon to find the person who asked for help is able to return the favor.
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Recreational kayakers are the ones that don’t get paid for paddling. Duh. 
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Unless we hunt from a kayak to survive like the Inuit’s of old I thought we were all recreational kayakers.
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So basically what you’re saying then is Mission… impossible.
As Steve Earle says, I’m just a Pilgrim on this road, boys . . .
I’m compelled to paddle. Sometimes I stop for a while and look around. Doesn’t matter what anyone else says or does. When I get to the end, I’ll be there.
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When I first started posting here I was definitely a recreational kayaker in the sense that I had a recreational boat, did not own a spray skirt, and had no idea that anything existed beyond the forward stroke and the reverse stroke. Plenty of posts here confused me, but I was interested enough to keep reading. It’s OK if you don’t read any stuff that’s not applicable to you or your paddling style. Just move on, if it’s not what you’re looking for. You don’t have to take in everything that you read on this forum, you can just take what you need and leave the rest. In general I found almost everyone to be very helpful and they spend a lot of time trying to give information. What more can you ask?
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Who here isn’t a recreational paddler?
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I’m switching from recreational to religious. When I want to practice my faith now I just reach my hand into my day hatch. I put a couple of rattlesnakes in there.
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I hope the dozen of you left on this site that post every day and comment on every topic continue to enjoy its remains.
I’m pretty sure I see the real mission of this thread.
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Does this mean he is going to leave this foolishness off??? Be still my heart.
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Well to be clear, my wife and I own 2 Old Town 105 Loon kayaks which we very much enjoy taking out. For trips to some of the islands and more distant shores of the lake as well as some trip up the river they are simply the best kayaks we have. We also take out new folks who want to try kayaking for the 1st time because they are very forgiving and super maneuverable. I have a Necky Chatham17 and a Perception Sea Lion Shadow also, and when I go alone or with friends who also have sea kayaks I always take one of those and my wife has a Prijon Yukon Expedition which she is in love with. So we have the rough water, spray skirt wearing, ruddered and skegged 15 to 17 foot kayaks covered, but we will not sell our 2 Loons because they are so good for some of the paddle trips we go on together and the 2 most user friendly kayaks we have tried for beginners.
So maybe I can console the OP in knowing he or she is not totally alone, and so far no one has kicked me off the site for owning using and liking our 2 Old Town Loons
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