coldfeet
Well-known member
Yesterday I went to the Long Island Paddlers annual Fall picnic at Centerport beach....I paid to be a member for the rest of the year...($35 yearly fee) but all I paid was $9 for the next 3 months...all for a good cause..insurance on outings and insurance at their monthly meetings.....ok the trip...
I rented a life jacket and went to the gathering (can I use that term?
There was app 20 kayaks for the 10am trip...Looking at the harbor I could see that the waves were pretty strong...they mentioned that the winds were app 30mph...it was decided that there would be 2 groups...one group had to be class 3 kayaker's and each one had to know how to self rescue....the other group would go in the quieter section of the harbor where it wasn't so windy...almost a split group...I was offered a chance to use a SOT...I'm guessing it was app 14-16 ft long...I noticed that i was going to get wet immediately because of the drainage holes in it....After a few minutes out I realized that i was doing a lot of work to move it...probably due to the 65lb weight and my inexperience of paddling the correct way....after a few pointers from someone I learned to keep my paddle in the water and exit it way back near my butt....I also learned to lean to the side to help with turning...i leaned so much that the water rushed in the side but it quickly went out through the drain holes....I did enjoy the freedom of moving my legs around but I wouldn't buy a SOT as my first kayak....I also kept hitting my knees with the paddle until i ajusted the foot pegs again.. after lunch I was given a chance to paddle an Old Town i think 14ft....it was so weird to sit back in the water instead of on top like earlier...this Kayak had the most room yet that i've tried but due to the large open cockpit I didn't have that "snug fit" by my waist and thighs...but I was able to work on my paddling technique without wobbling every second...it also had a rudder but once again I wasn't wearing the correct footwear...I had to keep moving my feet to get in position to use the rudder...I'm very thankful to the club members for letting me use their gear...So after 2 weeks I tried 5 different kayaks....need to wear a hat even in windy conditions because of sun burn...I was offered a chance to go out in a 10ft boat next week just for the fun of it....I'm hoping to rent a tandem late Oct and take my wife out on a quiet section for the Fall foliage...thx for putting up with me for the last 2 weeks...ps...I do miss hiking and the views from the top!
I rented a life jacket and went to the gathering (can I use that term?
There was app 20 kayaks for the 10am trip...Looking at the harbor I could see that the waves were pretty strong...they mentioned that the winds were app 30mph...it was decided that there would be 2 groups...one group had to be class 3 kayaker's and each one had to know how to self rescue....the other group would go in the quieter section of the harbor where it wasn't so windy...almost a split group...I was offered a chance to use a SOT...I'm guessing it was app 14-16 ft long...I noticed that i was going to get wet immediately because of the drainage holes in it....After a few minutes out I realized that i was doing a lot of work to move it...probably due to the 65lb weight and my inexperience of paddling the correct way....after a few pointers from someone I learned to keep my paddle in the water and exit it way back near my butt....I also learned to lean to the side to help with turning...i leaned so much that the water rushed in the side but it quickly went out through the drain holes....I did enjoy the freedom of moving my legs around but I wouldn't buy a SOT as my first kayak....I also kept hitting my knees with the paddle until i ajusted the foot pegs again.. after lunch I was given a chance to paddle an Old Town i think 14ft....it was so weird to sit back in the water instead of on top like earlier...this Kayak had the most room yet that i've tried but due to the large open cockpit I didn't have that "snug fit" by my waist and thighs...but I was able to work on my paddling technique without wobbling every second...it also had a rudder but once again I wasn't wearing the correct footwear...I had to keep moving my feet to get in position to use the rudder...I'm very thankful to the club members for letting me use their gear...So after 2 weeks I tried 5 different kayaks....need to wear a hat even in windy conditions because of sun burn...I was offered a chance to go out in a 10ft boat next week just for the fun of it....I'm hoping to rent a tandem late Oct and take my wife out on a quiet section for the Fall foliage...thx for putting up with me for the last 2 weeks...ps...I do miss hiking and the views from the top!
