What type of paddler are you?

[Jyak]

@tdaniel, I feel the same. I started in canoes, but found that the kayak seating is easier for me to sustain forlo ger periods. It also lets me get out in open water and exploreplaces that I can’t reach by canoe.

I enjoy reading the high adventure stories, the travel and exploration, camping experiences, and the wild surfing opportunities in playful boats. For myself, i prefer a room, stable boat on a body of water that I understand. I’ve been in some strong conditions, but have never felt the need for a spray skirt or felt that my boat would be overpowered or overturned.

The key is to understand your abilities and limitations. If conditions don’t feel right, they are not right. By understanding features and trending weather patterns, you can return to paddle another day. I’m most comfortable paddling alone, because I know the conditions that I take on can be managed based on my personal skill.

A new paddler should befriend other paddlers with local knowledge and never venture further from safe landfall than they are able to reach if conditions turn foul. I learned early on that a 9 ft boat will only make a fraction of a mile per hour going into a 15 mph headwind generating 18 inch waves. When the boat isn’t adequate for conditions, your perseverance and awareness of how to use land features to mitigate wind and current will help you manage the threat.

It doesn’t matter how great your boat is, the most important asset is your physical endurance, knowledge, skill, clear thinking, awareness and prudence - learn and live.

That’s the reason I place so much emphasis on speed, endurance and efficiency. It’s less important to be able to paddle fast, than it is to know how long you can paddle at a sustained speed under the conditions. Even more critical is whether you will be able to push harder when you reach your physical limit. I once turned back from a 27 mile trip, because I didn’t feel comfortable being alone for 13 1/2 miles over a period of 3 1/2 hours - it wasn’t beyond my ability, but it was beyond by confidence zone. My personal comfort limit is 2 1/2 hours from a safe landing. Even being with another skilled person doesn’t make the experience any safer, it only endangers the other person. Be aware and be safe.

[szihn]

I aspire to be an ocean paddler someday, but for now and since I started, I am a high lake kayaker. Wyoming is a long way from the ocean. My dream is to retire from full time gunsmithing and build only 2-3 custom guns a year and go kayaking in Alaska with my Sister and nephew. I also want to build kayaks. Then I will be an ocean paddler. I have learned most of what I now can do in Boysen Reservoir in the middle of Wyoming. Some times in other mountain lakes such as Flaming Gorge, Yellowstone Lake, and a few smaller high mountain lakes, but Boysen is the body of water I can get into the easiest. It is 8 minutes from my door. It’s been a good school-ground in that it gets wind on a regular basis so flat water is something I get only about 1 time in 4 or 5 trips out. I have learned what I currently know how to do in choppy water, which was a problem at first but as I gained the skills I realized it was a blessing. I now look forward to waves and chop because it’s more fun.

If I live long enough, and if my health and back hold, I hope to gain a lot more time later on, in the Pacific ocean. Maybe one of the Great Lakes some time too. I have floated on Pacific waters since I was in the Marines, --------- back in the dark ages…when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

OH LOOK…there’s one now!!!

(in the mirror)

[ppine]

Now I am an old paddler, selling off the last of my canoes.
Moving on to drift boats and power boats.

[GregofDelaware]

I’ve always enjoyed the outdoors and learning about nature. I have sailed and power boated a lot in the past, kayaking came late in the game for me. But I find a kayak allows me to “feel the motion of the water” the best, and I like the low perspective it provides.

I also like to learn new things, techniques, skills, and equipment are a fun aspect for me. And, I am a tinkerer by nature, so enjoy seeing how I can modify and hack things to do what I like a bit better, or more efficiently.

[TomL]

I have a multi-faceted training routine, I just don’t talk about it all the time. Flat water training helps me build the strength and endurance for all day leisure paddles but the same skills can be used to grind a cocky surfer into dust on a full day paddle.

[TomL]

I don’t track mileage except sometimes I can remember what I’ve done over the past week. I use a GPS to check distance when paddling new places but for my local smaller rivers I just estimate my distance since I know the distance to various checkpoints from previous measurements. Regarding year-round paddling, at the risk of jinxing…I was out 16 times in January and with insanely unusual temps in the 40’s and 50’s the paddling weather was ideal and I was paddling further than I do on hot summer days. I doubt this coming winter will be as mild but since I’m retired I’ll do road trips as necessary to get in some paddling.

[SailingSpark]

that sounds like me. I rarely visit the same body of water twice. I enjoy going to new places and I have my ancient Landy to get me and any of my boats there.

The exception is my one sailboat, it’s too big to just tow to some secluded spot and go sailing. Rigging it takes a few hours. My smaller sailboat only takes 20 minutes or so to rig.

Of course I am thinking of putting a sailing rig on my Chesapeake 17. That would make it into the ultimate expedition boat.

[sing]

@TomL

but the same skills can be used to grind a cocky surfer into dust on a full day paddle.

I am sure you can, given your intentional training and confidence in the amount of your paddling time. As I have always confessed/professed in all my PNet years, I am much more inclined towards “high intensity, adrenaline based activities.” Thus, given the choice, I would much rather go downhill skiing vs. X-country. Similarly, I much more attracted to and participate in rough water paddling than long long distance and/or speed paddling. These are Just not my forte.

Didn’t mean to come across “cocky”. The point I was attempting to make is that just going out paddling on the weekend is not going to get folks into physical (and I would say, mental) shape. The weekend paddling (or any outdoor) activity should be supplemented with both aerobic as well as resistance/strength training. We need respectively to find the workout activities that engage us and keep working out as matter of routine. For me, it has been for decades in the gym, in the ring with the gloves on. Nothing makes me want to stay fit and strong like having an opponent in the ring. That’s what adrenalizes and motivate me. But, whatever works for others and is ingrained as a lifestyle routine. I think it is great. These lay the foundation of being able to enjoy activities outdoors, if not outright healthier and better living.

So, I bow to you and your paddle!

sing

[willowleaf]

I’ve been an active outdoors recreationalist since I camped with my parents as a small kid and have participated for 65 years in a range of activities besides paddling, including alpine mountaineering, vertical spelunking and SCUBA. But I laugh when anyone ever characterizes me as a “serious outdoorswoman”. I consider myself highly frivolous in my outdoor pleasures. I’m not in the least bit competitive and am probably the polar opposite of the estimable Sing. I prefer XC skiing to downhill, flatwater paddling to white water or surf, backpacking to rock climbing, Rail-Trail biking to off road trails, etc. If I can’t relax and enjoy the beauty of the scenery because I have to keep my focus constantly on what’s 3 feet ahead that could kill me, I am not much interested.

Could say I am more of an endorphin and dopamine rather than an adrenaline junkie. I only equip myself with the gear and skills to be able to safely and competently venture into wilderness because I love being able to access beautiful and interesting land and waterscapes, not to test or challenge myself. Different strokes for different folks, as they say.

[3meterswell]

Love your aspirations and your dreams. Good stuff. Go into building boats with a VERY clear understanding of what you want and need. Building boats can be a trap where the work required and the pride of ownership do not yield the tools needed to accomplish your paddling goals.

I loved building both boats that I put together but I didn’t know that they were not what I needed to accomplish my own. Because of the warmth from pride of ownership it took me too long to get rid of them and move on to form factors that addressed my needs.

Be very clear about what you want to do and what you need to do it. A boat that you buy is much easier to move on from than one you build.

[TomL]

No problem and thanks for your post sing. Don’t bow or I’ll take advantage and get a head start on the water.

[szihn]

Very understandable and also true.
But the flip side of that coin is fulfilment. I am and have been a gunsmith since I was 12 and was getting paid to do restoration on guns when I was 16. I know many types of firearms and at one time or another I have built or worked on everything from competition biathlon rifle, service handguns, race handguns double rifles machine guns, target rifles, hunting rifles, shotguns and probably 10 more, but I started out with muzzleloaders and that’s where my heart always came back to. In the world on guns, the technology and art form of the 1730 to 1790 era still hold me captive. There are enough shooters all over the world that agree, and that’s kept me busy and backlogged for about 50% of my life.
So it is in kayaks too I expect. So the “need” is not always a focus on carrying capacity, speed, or any single aspect of the craft. More, I believe it’s about making what a paddler loves and becoming good enough at that mission that I can fulfil their requests. It’s about passion. I have done that with my guns for over 1/2 a century. I want to see if I can gain enough skill in kayak making before I die to do the same thing in a different field. If ability of a water craft was the single factor I think kayaks would be gone from the seen today. They can’t carry as much weight or go as fast as a power boat. But like flintlock shooters, that doesn’t matter and is not even important to a dedicated kayaker. Just like it’s not a factor to an avid flintlock shooter or hunter. Sure, an AK 47 is far better to fight with, and any good bolt action 270 or 30-06 is “better” to hunt with. (that fact has not kept me from filling my freezer many times with 1 shot from a muzzleloader)
Modern guns are “better”!
So what?
it’s not a flintlock!

So I want to learn to make good quality kayaks in strip built, stitch and glue and skin on frame. All 3.
I also want to learn enough about hull and deck designs to give friends and customers what they desire, knowing that they want a KAYAK.
As all builders have told me: There is no perfect kayak. To gain in one asset you give up others. But I’d expect clients know that too, and that’s why they want a hand made kayak, as they have asked me for hand made flintlocks for over 50 years.

Maybe I’ll not achieve this. I know there e is a possibility to fail.
So what?
It’s the building that I crave. To create with my hands. Learning what works and doesn’t as I did in gunsmithing is one of the main focuses for me.

Life’s not a destination as much as it is a journey.

I do this now.
IMG_0497 by Steve Zihn, on Flickr
Image-32 by Steve Zihn, on Flickr
I hope to do as well someday before I die with kayaks.
If I fail I fail.
But I’ll try it if God allows me the time.

[davbart]

If you build kayaks as beautiful as those guns you’ll have no problems finding someone who wants them.

[sing]

Beautiful craftsmanship.

sing

[szihn]

Thanks guys.

[PaddleDog52]

old…

[Josh_76116]

Hmmm, my main focus is rivers. I’d say I’m an opportunist. I take what I can get when I can get it. I’m an aspirational whitewater kayaker, but living in Fort Worth, TX makes those outings special and too infrequent. Mainly, I love being alone in my boat, exploring, conditioning, navigating challenging rapids, I like it all.

[spiritboat]

The Retired kind.

(But I could come out of it long enough for a trip with you along the Connecticut River. Canoe/Kayak, you can choose.)

Play’s at any base.

[sing]

Looks to me that if you see something wet, you’re on it, with a kayak, canoe or just a wooden plank! Very inclusive of you!

sing

[rstevens15]

When I first started out kayaking, when you had to avoid the plesiosaurs, I was known as a solo long-distance paddler. Paddling primarily on flat tidal water like the Chesapeake Bay and surrounding rivers and creeks I used to average 28-32 miles on out and back day trips. I loved to explore and always wanted to see what was around the next point or bend. I liked to go up rivers and creeks to the end of navigation, although it might involve paddling backwards for a while to turn around. Although I certainly paddled my share of big open water to get to new places, I preferred paddling rivers, creeks, and shorelines. I like to see things other than a distant horizon. I found long open water crossings to be a bit boring as you slogged across toward what seemed to be a shoreline that never seemed to be getting any closer. If you can paddle 15 miles before you hit your turn around point, you can get to a lot of places that few others can and be away from so-called civilization. Wind and waves are the enemy of time and distance, although I’ve dealt with plenty of both. We’ve done multiday car and kayak campers in addition to day trips.

Now that I am married to a kayaking wife and trudge into decrepitude I paddle almost exclusively with my wife and fellow members of the Chesapeake Paddlers Association, leading some trips and joining others. We average 10-15 miles a day on day trips and I would probably be pressed to paddle much over 20 miles today. We just got back from a two-week trip to the Adirondacks, leading a group of 15 the second week. This is our 19th year doing that. We’ve paddled parts of much of the coastline from Maine to Alabama as well as a bit of the St. Lawrence.