Any members involved in kayaking? I can't say for sure if I'd like it, but I'm curious about perhaps getting into kayaking but don't know the best place to get familarized with the sport. Any advice?
I was in tarheel music the other day & noticed they had started a 2nd business in the same store. Very interesting to be able to rent a kayak & get your guitar/trumpet serviced all in the same store. They are such nice folks. I'm sure they would be helpful with any information you needed regarding kayaking. http://www.rivertownoutfitters.com/
At the inersection of Loop Rd and Covered Bridge Rd is ... I *think* Neuse Kayak?? Maybe someone who lives over there can tell you the exact name and possibly the phone number. Never been myself, looks like a kick *** ab and arm workout. Oh, I just read about the neuse river at pool rd being a cool place to kayak... http://www.wral.com/lifestyles/travel/story/7767982/
It's one of the more peaceful things you'll ever do. River paddling is less of a work out (downstream), however coastal paddling is great too because you can paddle into all of those little places a larger boat could never go. No motor = no sound. Paddling is a great experience. Now white water kayaking is considerably different. Shorter boats and you'll need to learn how to roll so you don't drown. More gear involved to (helmets, skirts, etc.).
DH does some recreationally. Got one hanging in the garage right now, LOL. He goes with friends on the river near Jordan lake. Couldn't tell you the name off the top of my head. Even though we live near where HG was talking about, he hasn't been on the Neuse as of yet.
Thanks for those suggestions. I'll check each one out. I've never done it before so I'm looking at maybe finding some sort of beginners "clinic" that will give me some instructional support. Then, I'll try renting a few times before ponying up and buying the equipment. I love the idea of paddling mostly in still water environments and maybe taking in the area rivers where flows won't be too excessive.
Theres also a buy over here on Barber Mill Rd that has them in his yard, I haven't see a SIGN though, so I'm not sure what that's all about. If you want I can pull up in his yard and ask for you?
http://www.neuseadventures.com/na/ This is the place Harley Girl referred to...Have fun!! :mrgreen: We went to Howell Woods once on a half-day canoe trip a few years back. Not sure if they do anything with kayaking...the canoe trip was a lot of fun!! They may know someone to refer you to if they do not do kayaks. http://www.johnstoncc.edu/howellwoods/recreation.aspx
If you decide to buy your own kayak you can get a new one for a good deal right now or there are some on craigslist. We enjoy kayaking because it moves at a slower pace and you can float just about anywhere. Try http://www.carolinacanoeclub.com/index.html All of the other suggestions will definitely get you going in the right direction.
I can definitely see this as potentially something with endless possibilities. I may be wrong, but I kind of equate kayaking to cycling in a way. It would seem that both activities you can do at your own pace with a wide range of skill and fitness levels to explore. In other words, floating is about like coasting and paddling like pedaling. Stillwater is about like a level surface or a decline in cycling and flowing water like an incline. You can pretty much customize your own workout according to your own fitness level and, most importantly, enjoy the outdoors in a most serene way. With cycling you get a fair amount of leg work out and with kayaking its more of a upper body. hg...I certainly appreciate your offer to ask for me, but I don't expect you to do that for me and right now I'm just looking to follow through on my curiosity about it. Thanks, though. Thanks so much for all the links and suggestions. I'll let you all know what becomes of it.
I'm not remotely "athletic" and I did it for a few hours on a lake a couple years ago and had a BLAST. I had DH's kayak, I believe it's an Old Towne Otter, and it was very stable, I didn't feel scared at all.
I asked this group about lessons & they said that was do-able. I didn't ask about pricing or anything ... I just wanted to know if lessons was something they could accomodate "IF" the guys in my house decided to give it a try.
Got a couple of guys I talk to on another forum that fish from kayaks and they reccomended these links. http://www.kayaksportfishing.com/phpBB2/index.php http://www.stripersonline.com/surftalk/forumdisplay.php?f=164
Kayaking Hey guy if you go to Craigslist and go up to community and click on activity then do a search on kayaking and you will find a group that gives kayaking lessons on Jordan Lake. Have fun, I do my kayaking on White Oak River down in Stella(Swansboro area)
it depends on what kind of kayaking you want to do...white water you definetly need lessons, how to roll, get out of the kayak underwater, etc. With flatwater ie; recreational kayaking you can teach yourself, the boats can be relatively cheap at dicks, walmart, bj's etc. These boats generally have a wide hull which is pretty hard to accidently tip over (unless you try to stand up in the boat). Sea kayaks are longer and more narrow to allow for cutting thru waves, these need a bit of practice before heading for deep water as they can tip easily. With any type of kayak you need to wear a PFD (vest)! As for places to kayak, a great starter place is falls lake, beaverdam. There are no motor boats allowed in this area. Jordan lake..you can even kayak in lake johnson in raleigh. One of my favorites is the Eno River. Have a great time kayaking!
Yeah, I wouldn't want to get too far in over my head with the white water. I'm a bit wary of the rivers, too just starting out. Plus, I'd like to give it a try where I can paddle back to my starting point rather than having to get a ride back to my vehicle upriver. The lakes sound like a great way to get started. Are there rentals at Jordan or Lake Johnson? I'm wondering if Shelley Lake also allows kayaking? I'll look it up. Thanks, rntobe.
Raleigh Parks and Rec. offers classes during the year. Here is one that is coming up http://www.raleigh-nc.org/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_139335_0_0_18/Leisure_Ledger_Adventure.pdf Kayak Basics Location: Lake Johnson Age: 12yrs and up. Kayak Basics is an introductory-level course for those wishing to learn more about the sport of kayaking. This 6-hour course provides a comfortable and pleasant lake environment in which to learn the basics of paddling. And our calm, friendly instructors will help lay a strong foundation of skills so you will be ready to move onto moving-water instruction on local rivers. Kayak experience is not required but participants should have basic swimming ability and comfort under water. Equipment and instruction are provided. Pre-registration is required. Please call the Adventure Program at 831-6855 for more information or to register. Class Fee: $60 Kayak Basics (Level 1) #95546 Jun 12 Sa 9:00am-4:00pm #95547 Jul 17 Sa 9:00am-4:00pm #95935 Aug 14 Sa 9:00am-4:00pm
