kayaking

Most people, when they think of Kayaks, think about those little banana things that professional, Olympic type athletes use. The kind where if you tip over, you are suppose to use your paddle and the strength of a 20-year-old to flip yourself upright before drowning becomes an issue. Because of this, most people who have reached the age of reason, (usually happening sometime after 30) never explore recreational kayaks. My husband and I had the same thoughts before we saw these little boats at a boat show. We talked to the sales people and asked the same question everyone else asks: "What happens if you tip over?" We found the answer (that we now tell all who ask us) "You fall out!"

We found that recreational Kayaks are great little personal boats. You don't have to be a major athlete to enjoy them and there are a lot a places to float your boat that don't require helmets and paramedics on standby. They are better than canoes (lovingly referred to as "divorce boats") because you and your spouse do not have to argue over how to paddle or how to steer. You each have your own boat and the argument is settled by who gets where they want to go, and who gets wet!

Actually it is very hard to tip one of these boats over. My style boat is quite popular with recreational kayakers. It is made by Dagger and the model is called Delta. Trust me it is very hard to tip over. It has a hatch in the back for storing gear and a large cock pit area for (ah!? how should I say this?) um, for those of us who no longer fit into a size 10. You do need some agility to get into and out of a kayak. There is no graceful way to do it really. It does aggravate my arthritis in my hips, knees and ankles sitting in the boat with my legs slightly bent for long periods of time. But, heck, what doesn't aggravate arthritis. Just take some extra strength Tylenol and go play!

My husband has a sit-on-top kayak. It is called a sit-on-top because that is what you do. Sit on top of the boat as opposed to sitting low and inside the boat like a more traditional kayak. His boat is very good for fishing but he can't get in his boat without getting a wet rear end. Not good when the weather gets cooler. Because of this he had a good excuse for getting a second boat for using in the colder weather. He also got a Dagger only his is red. He did consider seriously a smaller boat more suitable for stuff like class III rapids. (If for some reason you were male, having a second childhood, and you wanted to go into class III rapids!!!)

Here I am. This is my first trip on water that wasn't flat. This was about a 2 foot drop. The second after this was snapped I hit a rock and was pretty close to getting wet, but my superior skill and agility kept me high and dry. (Yeah, right! That and a sympathetic guardian angel!) Actually the key to staying upright is to NOT be uptight. Relaxing is key to staying in the boat.

OK - OK, so you don't see spray 6 ft in the air and rafts sideways, but hey - these were my first rapids of any kind. And another thing, I didn't tip over ONCE on this whole trip (which was not true of everyone, even people with much more experience and skill). At the end of this trip, the last obstacle was a 5ft water fall. I really wish I had a picture of that. When I hit the water after going off the edge, my boat went under water in a nose first dive, clear past the cockpit!. My thought as I saw this happening in slow motion was "I'm gonna sink!" but it was amazing, the boat was 2/3 full of water and it just popped back up to the surface. I paddled to shore and pumped the water out.

It is not a really super cheap hobby (figure approximately $800 - 1,000 per person start-up cost) - the boats average in price at around $600. Then you (do you believe this) have buy a boat tag!!! in addition to a paddle, life vest, spray skirt, paddle leash, safety gear to include: a throw rope, a whistle, a knife, a paddle float, a first aid kit, and a dry bag to put it all in. And last, but not least, you must have a hat. It is a rule. You cannot go on the water without a hat. And not just any hat, it has to be a hat with character. Or people, at least need to be able to recognized what kind of character is under the hat.

After you get the boats you need some way to carry them. (You have several options.) Then you'll be traveling around looking for good water. You will also need to hook up with a local club so that you can double your fun and also help each other with transportation. (Somebody parks at the put-in point and somebody parks at the take-out point.) But now that you are in the club, you'll want to go on the weekend trips which means you'll need to get that camping gear that you wanted... Oh, and don't forget ladies, this whole thing requires a complete new wardrobe...

Get a kayak, it is a great way to enjoy a quiet (DOWN WITH JET SKIS!) day on the water.

Oklahoma Canoe and Kayaking