Inflatable Kayak Blog

We still had a few more days at Fairfield Glade before we had to go home and we wanted to get out early before the sun got too hot. As usual, I like to sleep in so we didn’t get away as early as we should have. However it was still fairly cool when we finally got to the Lake Catherine. We hadn’t had time to totally check out the area for launch sites and this part of the lake only had a little picnic area. We inflated the kayak in a shady area near the car and put the kayak paddles and life vests inside the boat, then carried it all to the water. There was a place along the shore that was flat and although we had to walk through some reeds, it was easy to put the boat in the water.

Lake Catherine is a much smaller lake than Lake Dartmoor but the paddling was just as nice. The homes were not quite as impressive as the ones on Lake Dartmoor but still offered some pretty scenery. We paddled along the shoreline all the way around the lake. At the far end we saw some ducks heading for the other side of the lake and later, as we paddled through the area, we passed some feathers floating along on the water. Now that I think of it, it might have made a neat picture. We also spotted the boat launch area so next time we can put the boat in there. People in this area are very friendly and we said “Hi” to several as we passed them on the shore.

In two previous articles, I wrote about handling and transporting and proper inflation of your inflatable kayak (boat, catamaran, pontoon or float tube). The final step to keeping your inflatable boat in good shape is proper storage.

There’s more to storing your boat than just rolling it up after you use it. If you roll up the boat as soon as the trip is over and don’t do anything else to it until your next trip, you’re asking for trouble. If that next trip is several months away, the moisture that’s trapped inside can cause mold, mildew, and aggravation. The best way to counter that aggravation is to make sure your boat gets completely dried after each trip. Especially if you store your boat ‘long term’ outdoors in a shed where thawing and freezing can cause cracks to develop where the moisture has gathered. Moisture accumulates on the inside of your inflatable kayak tubes. It can get in through an open valve or through condensation on the inside of the tubes. This “inside tube” moisture is mainly a problem when you’re storing your boat deflated and rolled up for a long period of time. If there’s lots of moisture, use a wet-dry vacuum to suck it out. If there’s only a little moisture, leave your boat partially inflated for a few days in a low humidity area for a few days to dry out. Leave the valve caps off. Then roll it up and store it.

Storing your boat for a couple days to 3 weeks is less of a ‘project’. You can leave the boat about one-half inflated in your basement, garage or shed. Keep it away from direct sunlight and anywhere that water can get inside of it. This is a much easier method of storage and if you have the space to store the boat this way ‘long term’, it’s a sure way to keep it dry till your next use.

One of our favorite vacation getaway locations is Fairfield Glade, TN. It’s just a few hours drive from home. Although it’s usually a golfing destination, this time we only took the inflatable kayak. Fairfield Glade is a peaceful resort on the plateau in middle Tennessee that has several lakes to put the boat in and get out and explore.

Our first day out we went to the largest lake, Dartmoor. We inflated the boat and launched from the shore of the beach at the marina. We enjoyed the calm waters as we paddled by fabulous houses. I had never seen places that landscaped with waterfalls on the water, but several of the beautiful homes had done this. What a great idea, just pump the water from the lake and make a waterfall. As I mentioned this is also a great area for golf and one of the holes is on the water. We paddled into a little cove and watched some of the golfers hit some shots, and then try to retrieve the balls from the water. It was so peaceful I didn’t want to go back and kept saying “Let’s go just a little bit farther”. The bad thing about traveling “farther” is YOU HAVE TO PADDLE BACK! We finally made it back to land and we were both pretty hot and tired when we pulled the boat on shore. But it had been an enjoyable trip so that didn’t really seem to matter. As we were putting things away, several people stopped to check out the boat and ask questions about it. Seems like there is a lot of interest in the kayak when people see it, so you get to meet some people along the way too. It’s always nice to spread the word about the fun of kayaking.

When I awoke this morning, the first thing that came to mind was that it’s the 4th of July and how grateful I am for our freedom. As the owner of PortableKayaks.com, we use the phrase “Freedom to Paddle the World” as part of our marketing of inflatable and folding kayaks. On this day, many Americans will be enjoying some of our products on lakes and streams throughout this beautiful, free country.

The 4th of July celebrates the birth of our freedom. It’s freedom that comes with a cost. Many have lost their lives defending our freedom. Many of us have been touched closely by the loss of friends, neighbors and relatives who served our country. Several of my uncles served in World War II, the conflict that did the most to protect life as we know it today. One gave his life for the cause. (NOTE: The picture is of the flag that flew over the USS Missouri during the signing of the treaty that ended the war with Japan.)

All of us need to understand that the freedom we enjoy is our ‘right’, but it’s also our responsibility to protect, defend and to celebrate. This message is for all of you who have served our country in uniform in any way. This message is also for the rest of us who cherish what we have and care enough to just say “thank you”. Thank you for the freedom.

What I enjoyed most of our time on our trip to Destin was walking on the beach just far enough into the water to get my feet wet. We took long walks along the white sandy beach every day. We always passed people fishing from the shore and wondered if anyone ever caught anything as we hadn’t ever seen anyone with a catch. It was after the sun had set one evening and we were on one of our walks. As we passed a fisherman it looked like he just might have some thing on his line. After talking to someone that was in his group we found out that he thought he had a pretty big shark on his line. He had been out fishing in his kayak all day to catch some bait. Just before sunset he went out again in his kayak and sent out his line with the bait fish on it in hopes of catching a shark. We had never seen anyone catch a shark, so we waited around the hour that it took him to land the fish. What a sight to finally see the white fin cut through the water when it was pulled in close to shore. The shark was about five feet long and certainly worth waiting around to see. We got some pictures of the proud fisherman, a Destin native, and the shark and then he let it go.

In an earlier post, I wrote about handling and transporting your inflatable kayak (boat, catamaran, pontoon or float tube) carefully. There are two other very important actions that will help you keep your boat in top-notch condition … proper inflation and proper storage.

Proper inflation is a critical element for inflatable kayak care and performance. Problems are more common with boats made of cheaper material or those that don’t use inner air bladders, but even the highest quality inflatable can ‘pop’ like a balloon. If you over inflate, you can ‘pop’ your inflatable kayak. Another recipe for ’popping’ is to leave your fully inflated boat baking too long in the sun. That happens because hot air expands. Likewise, since cold air contracts, an under inflated boat can become loose or floppy if put into a cold body of water. Using the correct pump to inflate your kayak or boat is crucial. A quality foot pump or hand pump works well. Electric pumps (usually 12-volt) can be a mismatch, so make sure that the pump specs fit the boat requirements. Also, electric pumps normally don’t inflate your boat completely. You’ll need to top it off with your foot or hand pump.

Next time, the “Tipster” will be back with some hints for proper storage of your inflatable.