We have finally turned the corner! And I didn’t realize it was going to take as much effort as it did to get us back on track…. But this weekend made us realize what we had been missing… and it wasn’t so much the bikes but the outdoors. A month or so ago I asked Carla again if she had any interest in sea kayaking. We had been throwing it around and to she didn’t seem so interested. I saw it as an opportunity to try something new and perhaps break the bike doldrums we had been in. I found a very small sail and kayak shop on the water that seemed to have a long line of kayaks and equipment to choose from. It happened that they were having a demo weekend this past weekend. We got there Saturday morning and the people at the shop were tremendously nice. They got us set up and Carla was first to get into a kayak… Her first time... She slid into the water and it was apparent from her first stroke that she was a natural. They had put her in a wider stable kayak and it wasn’t long before she wanted to try the narrower boats… I was asked nore than once if she really was a first timer. I got into a boat and took off… I was not nearly as talented but I was able to stay upright just fine and immediately felt like I was at home. There were people in kayaks in the water who had volunteered and were giving pointers and advice. They would just along and make conversation. It was an awesome idea and I was invited to a few weekly paddles… It really seems that kayakers here are a pretty friendly lot. They were really good at helping us pin point the type and size kayak that would be good for us. We tried all manor and price range. After about 2 to 2 ½ hours of playing we had a good idea of what fit our needs. We broke for lunch to rest and talk… I could see that Carla’s cheeks must have been aching because she just couldn’t stop smiling… Come to think of it I was a bit achy in the cheek area to! We decided that the prices were more than fair here and much like the business we bring to the LBS we would much rather give our business to this Local Boat Shop… We talked about what we would like and they put us in a couple of Wilderness Cape Lookout kayaks lakegeorgekayak.comcape lookout 135.jpgOpen ↗ We made our purchase and decided to pick them up the next morning and get them all set up and have at a small trip in the Great South Bay. We woke to perfect cloudless skies and low wind… We packed lunch and went to pick up the boats… After about an hour of hanging around and just talking (this felt so much like our Bike shop experiences) we finally took off. I found a good put in at Alhambra beach and we set up our kayaks and pushed off. It was a great feeling to be paddling along on a perfect day. We paddled for about three hours stopping on a beach to hang out and rest. The feeling was very peaceful and we both agreed that we made a great addition to our activities. We finally came back to land and cleaned up… I know that we have made a great choice and we are looking forward to another world of fun… and friends… Tomorrow we hit the dirt… Life is great!
We have finally turned the corner! And I didn't realize it was going to take as much effort as it did to get us back on track.. But this weekend made us realize what we had been missing. and it wasn't so much the bikes but the outdoors. A month or so ago I asked Carla again if she had any interest in sea kayaking. We had been throwing it around and to she didn't seem so interested. I saw it as an opportunity to try something new and perhaps break the bike doldrums we had been in. I found a very small sail and kayak shop on the water that seemed to have a long line of kayaks and equipment to choose from. It happened that they were having a demo weekend this past weekend. We got there Saturday morning and the people at the shop were tremendously nice. They got us set up and Carla was first to get into a kayak. Her first time... She slid into the water and it was apparent from her first stroke that she was a natural. They had put her in a wider stable kayak and it wasn't long before she wanted to try the narrower boats. I was asked nore than once if she really was a first timer. I got into a boat and took off. I was not nearly as talented but I was able to stay upright just fine and immediately felt like I was at home. There were people in kayaks in the water who had volunteered and were giving pointers and advice. They would just along and make conversation. It was an awesome idea and I was invited to a few weekly paddles. It really seems that kayakers here are a pretty friendly lot. They were really good at helping us pin point the type and size kayak that would be good for us. We tried all manor and price range. After about 2 to 2 ½ hours of playing we had a good idea of what fit our needs. We broke for lunch to rest and talk. I could see that Carla's cheeks must have been aching because she just couldn't stop smiling. Come to think of it I was a bit achy in the cheek area to! We decided that the prices were more than fair here and much like the business we bring to the LBS we would much rather give our business to this Local Boat Shop. We talked about what we would like and they put us in a couple of Wilderness Cape Lookout kayaks http://www.lakegeorgekayak.com/images/Boat%20Photos/cape-lookout-135.jpg We made our purchase and decided to pick them up the next morning and get them all set up and have at a small trip in the Great South Bay. We woke to perfect cloudless skies and low wind. We packed lunch and went to pick up the boats. After about an hour of hanging around and just talking (this felt so much like our Bike shop experiences) we finally took off. I found a good put in at Alhambra beach and we set up our kayaks and pushed off. It was a great feeling to be paddling along on a perfect day. We paddled for about three hours stopping on a beach to hang out and rest. The feeling was very peaceful and we both agreed that we made a great addition to our activities. We finally came back to land and cleaned up. I know that we have made a great choice and we are looking forward to another world of fun. and friends. Tomorrow we hit the dirt. Life is great!
"Selfish mountain bikers not content with taming trails; now turn to displacing precious water!" (Film at 11.)
Sounds like a great companion sport to cycling, as upper body strength is often overlooked. (Not to mention you're having a BLAST!) Glad you guys found a new activity to enjoy and share -- especially after enduring a long down period. "Boaters UP!"
