Good Luck Lisa! I envy you but it's way too much excercise for this old body. I did see a kayak on TC that you peddle like a bicycle that looked like fun.

Hi Lisa,

I have the same goal (trying to get skinny again)! I've been kayaking a few times with the Outdoor Adventures Klub (google them for the website - Jordan & Ruby are the leaders and super nice). Once we went down the Loxahatchee River when the water was low, after carrying the kayaks up and over all the (previously) sunken logs we emerged about 8 hours later. Whee. I wasn't sure if it was going to be a night like the one in Deliverance or not but we made it.
It was actually alot of fun (but hubby will never go again). Look them up, they do alot of things in PB.

I'd join you with the lessons but my shoulder has been acting up. As far as the kayak, I like the sit on tops with the seat cause I'm such a chicken I'm afraid if it flips I'll be tangled and unable to right it.

Would you be up to coming down to Fort Lauderdale for a 1/2 marathon group starting 1st Saturday in October and meeting every Saturday early (usually back to the car by 8 am!) until the Jacksonville Breast Cancer Marathon? You can try it out with me if you would like...JLM!

TTYS,
Helen

Hi Lisa,

We got into kayaking a few years ago. We did what you are doing, demoed kayaks etc. That shop on Northlake runs a demo twice a year at Okahelee park, I know I butchered the spelling.

I had the same idea as you, I wanted a fancy fiberglass sit inside like I had rented in Alaska. You will probably find that most Fl folks use sit on tops because of the heat. The shop will hopefully steer you in the right direction. At their demo I discovered the beauty of the lightwight carbon fiber paddle. Once I got my hands on that paddle I took it with me to every boat I demoed. Ask them if you can demo one from their shop. The paddle is more important that the boat in my opinion.

I didn't get into it for fitness, just for recreation that we could do together. My sweetie kept pulling away from me had to turn around and wait for me all time because I couldn't keep up. We finally rented a tandem. I was sold! We could chat, share a cooler, one person can paddle while the other one takes picture ;-> I call it the Princess seat. LOL

We have had some great trips with that kayak. Some of the rivers in N FL are awesome. William got into kayak surfing and white water kayaking. He has a waveski, sort of like a surf board kayak hybrid and a white water boat.

Before you buy at Adventure times go and rent sit on tops and tandems at Johnthan Dickeson State Park and at Riverbend. Riverbend has plastic sit insides. My brother flipped one :-> Just don't do what Helen did and try to take on the whole river in one day. Go in at Riverbend and go over the 2nd waterfall and turn around. Then do the opposite leg, rent a tandem a Johnaton Dickenson and paddle to the historic camp, have a snack and paddle back. There is also a place with rentals on the intracoastal in Jupiter I think. It was a neat paddle.

Let me know when you guys want to explore and I will see if we can go too. Oh yeah, don't forget the kayak shop in Stuart on Kanner right near 95. We put our kayak in at Holsford park ramp on cove road and that is how I found my new neighborhood on the southfork. If you rent there and head down the south fork of the St lucie River you can meet me at my dock :->

Don't rush into a purchase! unless you fall head over heels in love with a carbon fiber paddle. LOL You can find killer used kayak deals on the internet boards and ebay.

We are headed up to a Waveski competition on Thursday in Cocoa Beach. I hope they get some waves. I will be taking pictures of that action.

Here is a link that might be useful: Check out this paddle we did in April

Hey Lisa,

You want to wind up your hubby? Show him this album. I took these photos with my new camera.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kayaking the wave

Joan, thank you so much for your very helpful advice! Your photos are amazing! I love how the Kayaks look suspended in air, because the water is so clear! What the heck was that huge green lizard? Looked like he had a tail at both ends??

We are going to the Kayak Festival Oct 12, 13, 14 at Okeeheelee Park. I'll try to get a carbon fiber paddle to bring. Do you use a feathered paddle?

The shop is recommending sit-on boats, but I want to try them all. We will take lessons in sit-upon boats first, then go to sit-inside ones for Eskimo rolling instruction(G).

The wave-kayaking album is wonderful! Looks like FUN!

We've paddled Canoes from Indiantown Rd to JB park many times. That is a pleasant day trip that we repeat often.

Where were the Manatees?

Lisa

Here is a link that might be useful: Kayak Festival

The manatees were at Weeki Wachee Springs, we also saw them at Crystal River on the same trip. You also see them on the intracoastal in the winter.

They had the fancy paddles at the demo at Okeeheelee. The ones that we have are adjustable so you can keep it straight or feather it to the right or the left. William uses it feathered for the stuff that he does but I keep mine straight for the recreational stuff.

What the heck was the huge green lizard you ask?

The guy we were paddling with was a great story teller. He spun quite a yarn about these rare tree climbing aligators as we were paddling and then as we rounded the corner he pointed one out for us. It is a tree ornament :-> Wise guy!

I kayak all the time fishing.3 days a week.
I like the sit on type much better.Never been in the ocean.If you are serious,spring for a Hobie.Run about $1800 for a 13 footer but the Foot paddle system is great for long distances.You can work arms and legs.
I have the 9 footer rigged for fishing.Great if you have a pickup.
Don't get one at a place that doesn't specialize in Kayaks and canoes.Some of those ``other places'' have poorly designed crafts that are meant to cash in on a fad.

A sit on type ?. I have been canoeing many times and enjoyed it. But the thought of sitting "in" the kayak and flipping gave me the creeps.

D'Ann, we watched lessons in Eskimo Rolling. It looked soo cool! It takes a flick of the hips, and a stroke of the paddle, and the person pops right back up! I can't wait to try it!!!

Seing the lesson "click" with each trainee was really awesome!

I can swim well and don't fear getting trapped under a Kayak.

The sit-upons are much easier, you just fall out of them(G).
They are much easier to get back into as well.
They have knee straps that make you *one* with the boat, but the straps simply fall away if you straighten your legs.

Lisa

We kayak. Chris takes his sometimes to fish in the surf and we've done some trips around the state. Some on the Indian River and Banana River up in Melbourne and then we have done the Lox from the state park to that crazy guy's cabin (name is lost on me at the moment). That is a beautiful thing to do. Time is that you are going with the tides if you can. One day we want to do it from the state park to another launch on Indian Town Road (i think that is the road).

We still want to do the Peace River and Turner River.

Start working on your arms by lifting some weights and doing some ab work. Even then until you get used to it, you'll be bone sore.

You'll be in good shape if you do it often. Have you seen those crew people???

We got Hobie kayaks last year that have optional pedals and sails. They are the most fun toy we ever invested in! I am not sure where you are but there is a shop near Sarasota that rents them. You should check one out before you buy. They are getting more common now and so you can find used ones as well which is what I would do if I were to do it again as they are pretty pricey. But so much fun!!

Anita

OH WOW! This looks like so much fun. I DO NOT need to lose any more weight, sheesh I was down to 118 lbs at the doc yesterday. I need to gain some weight for my 5' 7" frame. But what fun and I can sit and still exercise my upper body! My doc and therapist are amazed at how much strength I do have in my arms and legs even tho my hips suck. This is something I need to look into. We have the lil river in Estero that runs out to the bay where they rent Kayaks. Maybe I should go check it out...Barb, Jan, Robin, Denise-any of you guys interested in trying it out??

My hubby and I use our friends kayaks from time to time. We have talked about buying our own but then it got so hot out neither of us was interested. I will have to get him back out there since it is cooler. They have the kind you get into and I really want to try the kind you sit on top of. First time my arms were tired but not sore. If I got tired I just stopped, who cares, there is always something to look at. I like how you can go places our boat can't and the pace is more my style these days.

The Fall Kayak Festival is this weekend, Friday through Sunday. It is $8 a day or $12 for the whole weekend, for admission, and lessons are FREE! Okaheelee Park, West Palm Beach. See link above.

There will be lots of Kayaks to try out.

I'll be there Sunday, with plenty of food/drinks to share with any GWebbers.

Come on and join the fun! Hey, watching me tip over should be worth some amusement value(G)>

Lisa