May 11 2008
News Digest: Kayaks!
Several articles related to kayaking passed through the Google reader in the past week or so. Here’s a digest focused on paddling:
The Detroit Free Press has an article on buying a kayak:
If you’re looking for a kayak, the best thing to do is read all you can about them online (Google “buying a kayak”) and visit several kayak shops. Then go to one of the kayak demo days held around the state, when manufacturers bring dozens of boats to a venue where people can try before they buy.
Once you decide on the type of kayak best suited to you, make a few trips in rentals from kayak shops and canoe liveries to try different brands. Try to put one on top of your car, and carry a few from the car to the water to determine how much more you’re willing to pay for a lighter boat.
First, more money usually means less weight. Most modern kayaks are built in three ways: rotomolded polyethylene plastic, which produces the heaviest and cheapest boats; laying up a hull from fiberglass or exotic fibers and resin, which makes the most expensive and lightest boats; and building them from new hard plastics like Royalex, which results in boats midway in price and weight.
Something we have going for us in Michigan that kayakers in few other states can match is unparalleled access to fabulous paddling, from the big water of the Great Lakes to quiet inland lakes to thousands of miles of rivers.
Eric Sharp also has some tips on the equipment needed to kayak:
Eric Sharp also has a third column with lots of tips for new kayakers. The article has a special focus on fishing from kayaks:
The Muskegon Chronicle has a story with tips on purchasing a kayak: