Re: Sad day!

Posted by Laszlo on Jun 27, 2006

That's the spirit, Jim! As James says, it's a water sport. My wife took her first ride in a kayak 3 Okoumefests ago - that was the one where 3 people drowned walking across the parking lot! OK, so I'm stretching the truth a little :-)

Seriously though, we really had inches of rain that day but the kayaking was wonderful anyway. She had so much fun that a week or 2 later I placed the order for her 16LT kit.

Kayaking in the rain has several advantages. The biggest is that there are no jetskis. There are also fewer power boaters. In fact, there are fewer boaters in general, so you can have the whole lake, river, etc. all to yourself. Animals tend to be less shy, too.

Just be prepared. Sprayskirts take care of your bottom half, but something waterproof on top will keep you from getting chilled. Bring along a poncho & dry clothes to change into afterwards. If you wear glasses, something to dry wipe them with on the water (maybe even a set of goggles to wear over them) will help you with seeing things.

The main things to be alert for are visibility, your temperature and worsening weather. You definitely don't want to be out in a thunderstorm. And you need to be prepared to handle any emergencies that may arise by yourself, since chances are that there won't be any other boaters on the water.

But if you're prepared, kayaking in the rain can be one of the most pleasant experiences you'll ever have.

Have fun,

Laszlo

In Response to: Sad day! by jim s on Jun 26, 2006

Replies:

• Re: Sad day! by John F on Jun 27, 2006
  • hot Texas summer by gober on Jun 27, 2006