It was a red letter day today. I got my kayak wet for the first time this year!
These past few days have been calm and warm (approx 11 C degrees), and so I have been preparing for the inaugural launch by putting on my roof racks and bringing the kayak down from it’s overhead sling. As well, I have been getting my outdoor gear ready, as it is still pretty cool out there for kayaking. In the fall I purchased some neoprene boots that keep your feet warm when launching from shore, so those were rounded up along with my waterproof pants reassigned from motorcycle duty to keep splashes and drops of water off my legs.
Once I had my equipment bag ready, it was only a matter of when I got the chance , and today was the day! My wife took a few snaps and I will add them to the post.
I have a lot of info to share about recreational kayaking; gear, and tactics to make it as safe and easy for me, and by extrapolation, for you.
More articles to be added under the kayak category as the season rolls along.
ps. It was awesome out there today, and predictably, the water was like glass when I started unloading, and by the time I had been on the water for 10 minutes, the wind came up and down came some rain. Luckily I had my water jacket and pants on, so that kept me dry and warm. I paddled for a half hour in total. In the summer once I have gotten used to the paddling, I’ll go for 45 minutes to an hour. for a start , a half hour is plenty.
No need to tempt fate and pull a muscle , causing me to take the same approach I take to every season activity. Ease into it, don’t over do it, and work up to a full exercise event.
pps. I know, no PFD ! Darn, I had all my gear , I thought. Anyways, I didn’t go deep into the lake and only along the shoreline. However, I do always wear a PFD; not only do they keep your safe just in case, but they also help keep you warm in the spring and fall!