Inflatable Kayak Blog

I was looking for interesting places to paddle along the Georgia Coastline and found some information on Crooked River State Park, just outside of St. Marys, GA, one of the oldest cities in the United States. It’s essentially the gateway to Cumberland Island National Seashore, the largest of the Georgia Coast’s barrier islands. The seashore covers 17 miles of white sandy secluded beaches complete with wild horses, sea turtles, dolphins, shore birds, dune fields, maritime forest, and salt marshes. Sounds like a pretty nice place to experience nature.

Hiking is very popular at Crooked River State Park. There are three trails you can follow and it is best to stop by the visitors center to get a copy of the trail map to help you navigate the trails. Cherry Point trail is a 4-mile trail, Harriett’s Bluff is a 6 mile trail and Grover Island is an 8 mile trail. All are round trip distances. Dolphins travel in groups upriver to fish and are spotted 50% of the time on all three trails. Once the dolphins corner a school of bait fish, they will surface often to breathe while feeding. You can hear their blows to locate them. More than 100 gulls, cormorants, and egrets often perch on a raised boardwalk across the marsh. Bald eagles and osprey have also been spotted.

Elliott’s Bluff public launch is probably the best launch area for kayaks. If you take an chance and launch at a random location along the shore you may experience the oyster beds that will cut your feet and may do some damage to your kayak. An inflatable kayak might be more prone to damage than a hard shell kayak, although the Sea Eagle Explorer kayak material has been known to stand up to oyster beds quite well. It’s also best to launch your kayak when the tide is coming in, so it’s best to check the tides before planning your paddle.

Now that I’ve discovered Crooked Lake State Park, it’s right up there on my list of places I want to kayak. And the dolphins might move it to the top for our next trip!

While watching the coverage of the Vancouver Winter Olympics, it’s hard not to be impressed with the breathtaking views that NBC uses to introduce and transition their coverage segments. The commercial that features Canadian natives such as Michael J. Fox, Steve Nash, Kim Cattrall and Ryan Reynolds inviting us to visit has some pretty nice scenery, too. This type of majestic beauty always draws me in and in the process of searching for places to kayak in British Columbia for my ‘kayaking vacation wish list’, I happened to run across a blog written by a guy who calls himself “paddlesheep” and uses an Innova Sunny kayak, a very versatile inflatable kayak that’s known to track and handle very well. He blogs about a kayaking trip in British Columbia that lasted seven days and took him through the southern gulf islands, starting in Swartz Bay and ending in Ladysmith. There’s some nice pictures, too. It’s simply titled “Inflatable Kayaking in B.C.”

Now, I have to get back to my “wish list!”

We were on vacation in Branson, Missouri recently and although the weather was cold and rainy most of the time, we did have one nice day that we were able to put the kayak in the water and go for a paddle. We decided to paddle in Table Rock Lake, a beautiful 52,300-acre lake with 800 miles of shoreline that was created when the dam was built in 1958. Table Rock State Park has a nice boat launch area where we pumped up the inflatable kayak and carried it a short way down to the lake and started our paddle. For our first paddle we went towards the State Park marina. Talk about some major boats there! On the way we spotted what looked like a deer on one of the hillsides, but it turned out to be a very large dog …too, bad. We always enjoy seeing wildlife.

We had family with us so we kept the trips short, so we could switch paddlers often to give everyone a chance to get in the kayak. Next, we took our nephew Eric out in the boat. This was the first time he had seen an inflatable kayak and wanted to try it out. He did well paddling. I also took my sister Sally out for a paddle. We went out to the small point that was a just a ways down from where we launched. When we got close I could see that the Showboat Branson Belle Paddle Wheeler was docked just beyond the point. It was unusual, but I didn’t have my camera with me. So, after returning with Sally, mu husband and I got in the kayak and went back to get a picture of the Belle. As an added bonus the Branson DUCKS were in the water taking their passengers for a cruise before heading to the hills.

For anyone that hasn’t seen the DUCKS, they aren’t birds, but World War II vehicles used to transport troops through rough terrain and water. Officially called D.U.K.W.s which stood for D = 1942, U = amphibian, K = front wheel drive, and W = rear wheel drive. However American GI’s decided the name DUCK was the perfect fit and that is what they are called today.

It turned out to be a great day for a paddle our inflatable kayak in Table Rock Lake. We would highly recommend you paddle there if you are in the Branson area.

One of the things we planned on doing on our annual trip to visit relatives in Michigan was to try out our new WindPaddle kayak sails. We got the chance when we paddled at Peach Lake in the West Branch area. Peach Lake is a nice little lake with very little boat traffic. There was one fisherman and we did see one person in the distance on a jet ski while we were there. It is a fairly rural location with a few nice homes along the shore and farms in the distance.

It was a perfect day to try out the sails, there was a pretty good wind blowing towards shore. We had both sizes of the WindPaddle sails to test, the smaller “Adventure” Sail and the larger, “”Cruiser” Sail. We strapped the “Cruiser” sail to the bow of the kayak and paddled out. There was enough wind that the water was a bit choppy, but nothing too bad, as we still don’t like to get out in big waves. We turned the boat around and opened up the sail. We didn’t have everything set up like we should have, the steering line (the sheets) was not completely undone, but we did manage to catch some wind and move the boat along pretty well. It was fun. (NOTE: It is strongly recommended that you get familiar with and practice with the sail first before using it, but I guess we succumbed to the rush of wanting to get going.) We managed to make it to shore moving fairly quickly when we could catch a stiff wind, but the shortened steering line made it harder to maneuver.

Seeing it didn’t take us very long to get out and back we decided to try out the smaller “Adventure” sail. I waited on shore in the kayak while my husband put the big sail away and set up the smaller one. While he was at the car I looked up and saw a bald eagle soaring overhead not too far off shore. This was one of the highlights of the trip, seeing the eagle. I only wish I could have gotten to my camera and got a shot of it. But it was too fast and I missed my chance.

It didn’t take long at all to hook the kayak sail to the kayak and we paddled out again about the same distance from shore and turned the boat around and set the small sail out. We paddle a Sea Eagle 330 and it seemed that the smaller “Adventure” sail gave us better control than the “Cruiser” Sail, although we’ll need to test further with the sheets completely undone. We made it back to shore in no time. I think I’m going to like this sailing and paddling combination. It was a fun paddle and we got to experiment with the sail. We should definitely go back there the next time we are in Michigan, and this time I will have my camera ready and maybe get a shot at the eagle!

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, we were in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in the Houghton area at our “camp” on Portage Lake.  We had been out in the kayak on the calm lake and after a break we decided to drive to White City for another paddle. White City is a sandy beach park on Lake Superior. There’s a neat lighthouse there that sits at the end of an old cement pier about ½ mile long at the entrance to the channel to Portage Lake. In earlier years, when copper mining was the biggest industry in the area, this lighthouse was important to the ore boats that made their way through the channel to unload in the Hubbell area.

Though this is Lake Superior, it is a calmer area to put the kayak in, with its long sandbar that stretches out quite far along the pier. It was quite windy with a distinctive a chop to the water. We wanted to get another chance to try out our new kayak sail and this was definitely a good time for that. We paddled into the wind, down the shoreline for what seemed like a long time, especially since it was our second paddle of the day. We picked a spot to turn around and undo the sail. Unfortunately, we had gotten the steering guides hooked under the sail when we clipped it to the kayak and couldn’t use the guide. I had to just hold on to the side of the sail and catch the wind as best I could and steer that way. Even though we didn’t have the sail hooked up correctly, we did make it back to shore in no time flat with the nice wind we had going for us. I think after we have had a chance to use the sail and know what to expect (and don’t make a stupid mistake clipping it to our inflatable kayak), it will be a nice addition to our kayaking.

With that trip, now we can say we have been kayaking in Lake Superior. Maybe we will be brave enough now to put it in the ocean the next time we are there.

We went up into the Smokey Mountains for a long weekend this past weekend. We had a variety of plans, which included some paddling on one of the days we were there. There are many mountain streams that run through the area, however, they don’t lend themselves to kayaking because of low water levels and large rocks. We asked some locals to suggest a good place to put the kayak in for a paddle and they suggested Douglas Lake.

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) constructed Douglas Lake in 1943. By damming up the French Broad River for the purpose of flood control and hydroelectric power generation, they also created a very impressive recreational lake with over 550 miles of shoreline and a surface area greater than 30,000 acres at its fullest. The lake was about 40 minutes from where we were staying in Gatlinburg but it was easy to find. There is a campground and beach area at Douglas Dam where we launched our Sea Eagle 330 inflatable kayak. We inflated the boat and carried it to the water where we took off from an old boat launch. It was a busy place with lots of swimmers and boaters in the area. We did our usual paddle long the shore line and managed to see a heron fly over head right after we got going. There was a marina to the right so we paddled down as far as that and then paddled back the other direction past the beach area. We didn’t stay out too long because we weren’t used to all the boats and jet skies zipping by. But it was a terrific day to be outside and the view of the Great Smokey Mountains in the distance made for quite a nice adventure.

The system of “water ratings” or “whitewater ratings” was designed so boaters and more appropriately, paddlers would know the difficulty of certain lakes, rivers and rapids. Here are some detailed descriptions of the whitewater rating system. Matching the ratings with the manufacturers recommendations for your hard shell, inflatable or folding kayak will ensure enjoyable paddling adventures.

Class A – Waters are calm and still, which is the case for most lakes and rivers.

Class I – These rapids are small and have slightly fast moving water. There are hardly any dangerous spots and those that are dangerous are easily spotted and avoidable. The risk to swimmers is small and can be corrected by self-rescue. In other words there is nothing to worry about in a Class I rapid.

Class II – With some basic training the obstacles in this class are easily maneuvered around or avoided. The swifter currents of water, channels, and rapids are easily noticed with some forward scouting. Swimmers will probably not get hurt in these rapids. It rarely occurs that someone may need outside assistance for rescue.

Class III – Accomplished whitewater skills and/or training are needed for these rapids. Constant changing rapids, harsh currents, large obstacle, and tight channels are prevalent. Larger rapids and currents can be seen but avoided. Risk to swimmers is still minimal and can be rescued by group or individually.

Class IV – These large and predictable currents require very strong boating skills. Some large waves, holes, and currents may be unavoidable. Quick thinking and fast skills are a must. Depending on water conditions the risk to swimmers can be high.

Class V – Expert only. These rapids put the boater into extreme danger. Large holes, rocks, waves, and currents are violent and all have an added danger. Rapids are longer and much more intense. Swimming is dangerous and not recommended.

Class VI – These rapids are unpredictable and may never have been run before. The only paddling here should be attempted by professionals under perfect conditions.

Early November and it is a beautiful fall afternoon. We won’t get many more nice days like this to get out in the kayak around this area so we took advantage of the beautiful sunshine and warm temperatures and put the kayak in at Buffalo Trace Park. I got a short leg workout as I did all the pumping with the kayak foot pump to inflate the kayak as we hurried to get it in the water before it got too dark. The lake was calm as glass and the reflection of the fall colors was spectacular! I had a hard time paddling, not because I was tired out from pumping, but because I was busy taking so many pictures. We barely had time to paddle around the small lake as the sun was sinking very low in the sky. I took a few more pictures and we packed up and headed home in darkness. What a great way to spend one of the last paddles of the year!

Just thought I’d summarize our paddling adventures in Michigan from a couple weeks ago. We’ve been back home for a week but very busy getting caught up. This is my first chance to blog.

We had been writing about our paddles in the Keewenaw area and looking forward to more when we headed into Michigan’s lower peninsula. The picture shows how rough Lake Superior looked when we stopped near Harvey outside of Marquette on our trip downstate. That kind of nasty weather managed to change our plans for the rest of the trip. Daytime temperatures stayed below 50 and it rained most of time, but the worst part was the wind. It was nearly constant with some strong gusts and sure didn’t make us want to go outside to do much of anything. Even if we did want to brave the elements, inflatable kayaks are not the best performers under such extremely windy conditions so we just left it rolled up in the back of the van. The two days that were OK we’re days that we celebrated a mini family reunion and the last day of the trip when we were on the road on our long trip back home. It did turn out to be nice trip overall and we did see a few spots that we’re looking forward to paddling in when we return next year.

We’ve been visiting family in the Keewenaw area in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. On Sunday evening after dinner, we decided to head out for a quick paddle. It was a little chilly, but the water was very calm and there was very little wind. A couple of family members and friends watched us pump up our Sea Eagle kayak. It was the first time they’d seen it, although they had heard about it since we first purchased it. They were surprised how easily and quickly it was ready to paddle and that it was such a lightweight inflatable kayak.

As we paddled along the shore, we noticed how the sun was lighting a stand of trees. The trees reflected in the water making it a perfect photo op of the beautiful fall colors. We stopped and my wife took some pictures while I steadied the kayak. We paddled a little farther out and back and finished our trip as the sun set over Portage Lake. Great way to top off the day!