Kayaking Near Me: Finding the Best Spot To Paddle in 2023
Searching for kayaking near me locations but overwhelmed with all the choices and conflicting information? Don’t fret. With our insider kayaking tips, you can find your next kayaking spot in record time.
What Is Kayaking
Kayaking is an outdoor water activity that people participate in for leisure or a healthy lifestyle. It uses a small canoe-like boat (kayak) and a double-bladed paddle.
The kayak itself is an invention of the Arctic native Inuit people, who developed it for hunting and fishing. In fact, the word kayak in the Inuit language translates to “hunter’s boat.”
Today, kayaks are primarily used for recreational purposes. They’ve also evolved into versatile watercrafts suited for multiple activities. Some are designed to work well in white water conditions. Others provide maximum stability for fishing and nature photography.
6 Types of Kayaking
If you’re interested in kayaking, you’ll need to answer two questions. The most obvious is: what are the best places to kayak near me? But the more important question is: what kind of kayaking am I interested in? There are six types of kayaking you can try, and here’s what they are.
Recreational Kayaking
Recreational kayaking, as its name implies, is kayaking for leisure. Casual and beginner paddlers often participate in this type of kayaking because it takes place on calm, slow-moving bodies of water.
The kayaks are also designed with beginners in mind. They are wide and heavy, providing reassuring stability when paddling. However, the extra width has its downsides — it creates a lot of drag and isn’t built for either speed or extended use.
Sea Kayaking
Sea kayaking is the complete opposite of recreational kayaking. Rather than paddling on calm lakes, you’ll traverse in open – and often unpredictable – waters.
Sea kayaks are also different from their recreational counterparts. For starters, sea kayaks are longer, slimmer, and pointier, so you can cover longer distances, paddle longer, and have extra deck room for supplies. They also have curved bottoms – known as a rocker – for handling choppy water.
However, this type of kayak is not perfect. You will have to give up the ease of maneuverability, especially on flat water. Its narrow profile also means less stability. Read More…