Kayak is my favorite palindrome and time spent kayaking is one of my preferred forms of outdoor physical activity. Kayaking allows you to view extraordinary natural beauty in remote shallow waters that are inaccessible using other watercraft. Once you find a good stream, river, or bay “put in” you’ll be able to travel into aquatic areas that many boaters miss, including places with water depths less than one foot.
You’ve probably heard the old joke about the two happiest days in a boater’s life - the day they purchase a boat followed by the day they sell it. That may be true about owning certain boats and yet, in my opinion, small watercraft including kayaks are an exception...
You’ve probably heard the old joke about the two happiest days in a boater’s life - the day they purchase a boat followed by the day they sell it. That may be true about owning certain boats and yet, in my opinion, small watercraft including kayaks are an exception...
More than ten years ago my husband and I attended a kayak festival on the Chesapeake Bay and tried out various models until we both chose the Tarpon kayak by Wilderness Systems. Because we are rather tall, we decided that sit-on-top kayaks were a better option for us instead of trying to fit into a traditional kayak's cockpit. I began strength training just to be able to help lift the 16 foot, 75 pound boats onto our car roof rack. Although the Tarpon is a very stable boat with excellent tracking, it’s not the easiest kayak to strap onto the roof of a car.
Last year we sold our sit-on-top kayaks and purchased much shorter, lighter Wilderness System sit-in kayaks through Craigslist. We’ve found our Pungo kayaks extremely easy to maneuver. They also track well and can be easily lifted onto a rooftop car rack.
If you’re not interested in owning a kayak and still want to enjoy the sport, it’s easy to find kayak rentals and tours near most large bodies of water. One locally-owned business, Ultimate Water Sports, has multiple locations on the Gunpowder River in Gunpowder Falls State Park located about 40 minutes from Baltimore City. They provide kayak rentals, tours and storage. As the season winds down, they sell some of their used kayak inventory.
Last week during an unusual warm spell, my husband and I kayaked on the bay side of Bethany Beach, Delaware. Because there were few visitors on Little Assawoman Bay, we were able to kayak in extremely shallow marsh-grass areas and enjoy watching fish and frogs jumping, a pair of eagles, osprey, kingfisher, and other aquatic treasures amidst a backdrop of early fall color.
Little Assawoman Bay, Fenwick Island State Park, Delaware:
Last year we sold our sit-on-top kayaks and purchased much shorter, lighter Wilderness System sit-in kayaks through Craigslist. We’ve found our Pungo kayaks extremely easy to maneuver. They also track well and can be easily lifted onto a rooftop car rack.
If you’re not interested in owning a kayak and still want to enjoy the sport, it’s easy to find kayak rentals and tours near most large bodies of water. One locally-owned business, Ultimate Water Sports, has multiple locations on the Gunpowder River in Gunpowder Falls State Park located about 40 minutes from Baltimore City. They provide kayak rentals, tours and storage. As the season winds down, they sell some of their used kayak inventory.
Last week during an unusual warm spell, my husband and I kayaked on the bay side of Bethany Beach, Delaware. Because there were few visitors on Little Assawoman Bay, we were able to kayak in extremely shallow marsh-grass areas and enjoy watching fish and frogs jumping, a pair of eagles, osprey, kingfisher, and other aquatic treasures amidst a backdrop of early fall color.
Little Assawoman Bay, Fenwick Island State Park, Delaware:
I hope you’ll have an opportunity to kayak in the Delmarva Chesapeake Bay region and enjoy our area’s beautiful unfolding color this fall.
Be Well,
Mary
P.S. Please ignore the text box below; your comments are always welcome here.
Be Well,
Mary
P.S. Please ignore the text box below; your comments are always welcome here.
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