Kayaking never really appealed to me. Yeah, it was fun to try on a summer lake trip but that was about it. It was a novelty, something I'd only do once in a while. Until 2 weekends ago, which convinced me to actually take it up as a secondary hobby!
Revival
My kayaking revival story starts with last week's adventure. I went down to my friend Jay's lake house to stay with his family and a group of our friends. It was another vacation for me as I had already been down to the Ozarks just weeks ago. I've known Jay now for about 2 or 3 years and this lake house was a HUGE project he and his family undertook. It looks really nice and meets or exceeds your expectation for a lake house.
After a few hours of swimming, the four of us decided to try out kayaking across THE Lake of the Ozarks - boy was that fun!!! The waters were somewhat turbulent as there was lots of traffic out on the lake but not one of us capsized.
The kayak I used was a Future Beach Fusion 124. It's a 10 foot kayak with the basics - a stern-end stowaway, a bungee tie-down area on the front, and not much else. But perfectly fine for someone who's just getting back into kayaking. When I had previously kayaked, I always found myself huffing and puffing for breath after even a few strokes, and this was even truer with a canoe (I will say, I am not a small man but I'm not obese - I'm a little over 180 or 190 at 5' 10ish :) ). However, this wasn't the case this time - I actually HAD the upper body strength to easily glide along even the waviest parts of the lake! In addition, we stayed out for about 2 hours, and not once did I break a sweat or need towed back to shore from exhaustion.
Once I got out of the boat, I realized something - maybe kayaking would be a good way to gain some movement, some exercise, and would be a great excuse to go back out and do what I enjoyed when I was young - go outdoors. I decided I wanted a kayak, and off I went to research what I needed and wanted in such a vessel.
Wal-Mart Run
I immediately went online and began to search for kayaks. I wanted one that fit the bill and was similar to the Future Beach I used. The prime candidate? A Pelican Yosemite 100X, at a price of $218.00. It included a paddle as well - bonus! The Yosemite is 10 feet long by 14 inches high by 28 inches wide. It weight about 36 pounds, the sweet spot between heavy and light. Lastly, it has a weight limit of 275 pounds - well enough for me and some equipment if I need it!
Walmart did have the option to ship out a kayak to your front door, but we're talking like 50, 100, even 150 dollars just to ship it!!! By then, this $218 kayak would've been anywhere from $300 to $500 - doable, but gas is cheaper. So I just picked it up from the store.
Getting it attached to the roof is easy. I drive a Toyota Avalon, and yes you CAN carry one of these on top of it! Just get some pool noodles and slide PVC pipes through them. Strap them down to the car and bam - you've got a DIY kayak rack that will protect your roof paint from scratches, dings, and chips. Did I mention it's cheap and easy too?
Conquering the Waters
I plan to use this kayak at the surrounding waterways across Northwest Missouri - Nodaway Lake, Bielby Lake, Mozingo Lake, and even the 102 River as well as the Nodaway River later on as I become more familiar with the waters around me. All of these waterways are relatively calm and shallow enough for me to swim in safely should I tip over.
The number one advice I always give if you want to ensure safety is simple - wear a life vest or PFD. Seriously, that's it. A USCG-approved PFD in good shape will almost always ensure that you remain afloat should something go wrong. And as always stay calm. Being a panicked swimmer will only make the situation worse and recovering from a tip over will take much longer I have found. And actually that applies in everything unexpected, especially everyday life. Remaining calm is the number one way to save time and valuable items, including your life.
In addition, you'll want to cover up with sunscreen and perhaps bug spray even. Mosquitoes and ticks are some really damned creatures, and ending up with one of their diseases is never a good thing. This year alone, I've heard of people getting red meat disease from a simple tick bite, and even Lone Star disease is starting to increase too. So be proactive and ensure you're protected from the elements.
A funny story...that same weekend I chose not to wear sunscreen on my face and I found out just how reflective the water can be and just how much more it intensifies UV rays. Even if you don't think that part of your body will get burned, it will. My face was so red it looked like I was stuck in a pizza oven or something!!! After 3 days, things began to clear up with some ointment, but I was a bit tanner than before...
So always prioritize your health and well-being before you embark on such a journey. Ensure you have everything you need to make your day (or night or week or...well, any time) on the water as safe yet enjoyable as possible.
Helpful Things for your Kayak
A kayak by itself is good, but it could be better. I'm planning to add a few things to it for functionality as well as flair.
First, I'm going to engineer a temporary but very durable kayak mount for my car. I mentioned the use of pool noodles and PVC pipes. These will ensure that the top of my car isn't scratched up or chipped up. The kayak will sit on top of these "spacers" and will be strapped in via lashing strap tie downs. Ratchet straps are cool, but they're far too heavy duty for what we'll need them for and would most likely warp the boat.
Next I'll add on some reflective tape to the kayak's port and starboard side, as well as the paddles. I chose white due to its availability, but you could choose any color. That way when I'm boating at night I can be visible to others. I've also considered adding bow lights as well as an extra precaution, but I'm still toying with the idea.
I'll also add on a paddle holder for easy transport. This way I can clip my paddle into it and secure it down with the kayak. It's about a $3 piece but a very useful one. I've also considered adding on an anchor cleat so I can rope the kayak to any secure point, whether that be a tree trunk, another cleat, or a pole.
Since I'm not using a trolling motor on my kayak (and most likely never will), I won't need to register this kayak with the state. The serial number that comes on these are plenty enough identification, so that's that. Your situation may be different and you might need to register your boat if your state requires you to do so. Missouri's pretty lax on this.
Now I've considered building a small vehicle trailer for my kayak using some metal bits and PVC piping for supports, but I'll see what it looks like on the top of my car. I'd have to register this with the State of Missouri but that's a later project for a later time. Given, a trailer would add on more storage and personalization but I think it's best to stay basic right now.
What's THIS doing on your blog???
Well not a whole lot is happening in the ham radio world for me right now. After getting a full-time job, ham radio has kind of gone on the backburner. Now that's not to say I'm done with it!!! My license expires in about three years from now, and you can bet I'll be renewing it!
But I want to keep this blog diverse - not just ham radio. So I'm going to add some new things in the future for you all to read!
So stay tuned for some more exciting adventures!
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