To kayak or not to kayak

 

On one of our many trips to Camden in early summer 2103, we decided to stop at a business that sells kayaks, canoes, etc. Being within a relatively short drive of many lakes and the ocean, we had often thought of taking up some kind of boating of the non-motor variety. Our goal was to keep it simple and hassle free. The business had many kayaks since, in addition to sales, they rent to summer tourists.

With the help of a very knowledgeable salesman, we reviewed the hard shell kayak options which came in a variety of sizes and styles. One thing we discovered very quickly was that getting started was not inexpensive. From the kayak to oars, life vests, and roof rack, the cost added up pretty fast. Not out of range, but high for trying something we weren't sure if we'd even like. There was a very small pond at the site they use for people to test kayaks and canoes so we decided to give it a try. The first issue we encountered was that the kayaks were a bit heavy, taking two people to carry them to the pond, which meant two people to load on and off a car roof rack. Having to go to a chiropractor on occasion anyway, this was a negative.

Getting into the kayak was a bit awkward as it felt that just the wrong movement and I'd be in the drink. Once in and balance attained, the little paddle in the pond was enjoyable. What we disliked was the somewhat claustrophobic feel with my legs under the shell up to about the knees. To be fair, there are more open kayaks, often used for fishing, but they are also more costly, or, at least, the ones we were shown were. When it was all said and done, we decided that we enjoyed the experience, but weren't sure we wanted to make the investment in something we weren't sure that we would enjoy in the long run. We opted to postpone any purchase, at least at the moment.