Inflatable Kayak Blog

As I mentioned previously, due to other activities, our paddling days were limited on our trip to the Panama City Beach area in Florida. With only one day left, we decided to go back to Powell Lake, since it wasn’t a long drive and we really didn’t get to see all we wanted on the first trip. This time the weather was fantastic for paddling, a bit on the warm side and there was much less wind than the first day we were there. Powell Lake is a good size lake with some beautiful houses along the shore. As we paddled along we saw a few birds, including a buzzard on the shore and a heron hiding out under a large dock. We saw the heron later, as well, when we were packing up to leave. It was perched on a pole just down from the beach where we launched. You can see the beach in the distance in the picture that was taken on our way back from the paddle. It’s a pretty beach with a nice little park and picnic area.
 
One of my favorite things when paddling in the waters in this part of Florida is seeing the mullets jumping out of the water. And we were treated to a few jumping close to the kayak this time too. There was one crazy fish that kept jumping out of the water … I think we counted it four times. Then as we were getting close to our little beach area another quite large mullet jumped just off to our left about fifteen to twenty feet from our Sea Eagle inflatable kayak. I wish I could have been quick enough to catch one with my camera, but I don’t think my reflexes will ever be fast enough to do that. We had such a wonderful time on this trip. I want to go back there again next spring. We’ll try to make sure we have more kayaking time and I’m sure we can find some more fun places to paddle.

Powell Lake is a small lake located on the west side of Panama City Beach, Florida. It’s a saltwater lake that’s connected to the Gulf of Mexico. What’s unique about it is that the channel to the Gulf is very small and often too shallow for boats or marine life to pass through. They’ve tried to dredge it, but with no success. I guess that means we won’t be kayaking with any dolphins (something I’ve always wanted to do and came within a half hour of doing last year in Destin, FL – see blog post 6-27-08), but it’s still nice to get back into the water after a long winter. We launched from a sandy beach near the public boat ramp and began our paddle toward the bridge that takes the main highway over the area where the lake narrows into the channel. It was fairly windy, though quite a bit less than the day we arrived. One thing about inflatable kayaks compared to folding or hard shell kayaks is that they do ride higher in the water and the wind can move you around a bit. My cousin and his wife asked if we’d seen any mullets leaping out of the water. We didn’t, however they saw quite a few from the shore after we launched. All in all it was nice paddle to get the year and our trip started.

As I dip my kayak paddle into the water today, I have to tip my hat to Earth Day. The first Earth Day was on April 22, 1970. It was celebrated in about two thousand colleges and universities, approximately ten thousand primary and secondary schools and hundreds of communities across the United States. Earth Day has grown significantly to become what some believe to be the largest secular holiday in the world, celebrated by more than a half billion people and observed in 175 countries. Due to the seasonal differences, it is observed in autumn in the southern hemisphere. On a side note, April 22nd also marks the birthday of the founder of Arbor Day, Julius Sterling Morton.

The impact of the original observation in 1970 led Congress to pass the Clean Air Act and other legislation to protect wild lands and the ocean, as well as the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. And even though global warming and other environmental problems face us today, the spirit of Earth Day gives us all a reminder that we can make a difference and continue to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment.

Our first paddling trip of the year is also a beach vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida. Last year we did a similar trip to Destin, Florida that turned out so well, we decided to repeat the trip about an hour east of Destin in Panama City. The day we arrived, it was overcast and extremely windy with a threat of rain and since we were a bit tired from riding, we didn’t plan to do anything specific. I like to do that on the first day of most of my travels. It gives me a chance to just look around and talk to the locals about interesting restaurants and other things to do, as well as their recommendations for places to put our inflatable kayak in the water. We also have my cousin and his wife along with us on the trip and since they aren’t paddling enthusiasts, we’ll probably spend a little more time with them on the beach and the golf course. Although that will limit our paddling adventures, we’re still looking forward to a nice time and some warm weather. I should have blog post about some paddling in a couple days.

A friend recently told me of a waterway in south central Ohio where he had been paddling his folding kayak and had a great time. He said that Paint Creek in Ohio had fantastic scenery and we would just love it there. It is just east of Cincinnati near Hillsboro, Ohio just about two hours from where we live. It would make for a nice day trip some time. There is a State Park near by that has much to offer the outdoor person, but our friend said that the real place to paddle is up Paint Creek. The scenery was fantastic with loads of towering limestone cliffs. There were wonderful places to explore around every turn and there weren’t a lot of people on this part of the creek making for a more enjoyable paddle. Sounds like we will have to make the time to get there real soon.

Whether you are a “cat person” or not, I urge you to try this stretch combo out. You won’t find yourself in this position in your inflatable or folding kayak, but the results of the stretches will help keep your back loose and flexible. The first part of the stretch is often called the “Cat Stretch” … Get on your hands and knees with your feet together, then raise your back upward and hold for about 30 seconds. “Hissing isn’t necessary. Next, while in the same kneeling position, arch your back downward by pressing your upper abdomen toward the ground. Hold that position for about 30 seconds as well. Another variation is to rock your body forward and backward, holding in each direction. This will stretch some additional muscles. Remember to breathe deeply while stretching or exercising in any way. This combination of stretches is easy to do and feels really good. No wonder you see cats doing them all the time.

Classic Accessories has added a new float tube to their extensive selection. The ‘Cumberland’ is a back-packable float tube with adjustable shoulder straps like their other backpack model, the Togiak, but with many additional features. The seats are higher, thicker and have an adjustable backrest providing drier fishing and more comfort. It’s been designed for easy front entry and can carry up to 300 pounds of fisherman and gear. The Cumberland also has more storage area than most float tubes including two drink holders and two cargo pockets in addition to the large back mesh storage platform. There are two rod-holders, as well, and two nice safety features, an orange rear visibility panel and a safety flag holder. The Cumberland backpack float tube comes in an Apple Green and Olive color and is available now at PortableKayaks.com.

“Take only pictures, leave only footprints”. You’ve probably seen this reminder in many public access areas in our National Parks and other outdoor recreation areas. It’s my mantra for almost everywhere I go in public or private, for that matter. And even though I’ve mentioned this in several previous blog posts, I felt it couldn’t hurt to drop another reminder. So next time you’re paddling your hard shell, inflatable or folding kayak be sure to practice low-impact environmental paddling. Keep your trash inside your kayak, including banana or orange peels. When you take a break, leave rocks, logs, driftwood, wildflowers, trees and plants undisturbed. Respect private property rights above high tide and shellfish lease areas below high tide. And finally, when in fragile areas, tread lightly, paddle slowly and keep your distance from areas that you might disturb. It’s a beautiful world out there. Let’s keep it that way.

I was looking into places to paddle in Georgia as we may be in that area on our upcoming trip to Florida, and came across an interesting looking place to put in the inflatable kayak just outside of Valdosta. It is Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge. From what I have read this is a very tranquil place to paddle, most of it a cypress swamp, with some marshland and open water. Seeing it is a wildlife habitat there are many species of birds and other wildlife to challenge my photographic side too. Just the idea of paddling through dark waters ringed with cypress trees with low hanging Spanish Moss congers up some great Southern images.

So, depending on the time of day we are traveling through that part of Georgia, it might make for a nice little break in the road trip to take a few hours and explore the area.

I’ve heard several people say that they think inflatable kayaks are “tippy”, even more so than a regular hard shell or folding kayak. Personally, I’ve paddled them all and I can’t quite agree. Maybe that’s because in my mind I’m thinking how inflatable kayaks tend to be wider and more buoyant, therefore they are actually harder to tip over. I feel more secure in my inflatable. The “tippy” feeling does have justification for a couple of reasons. One is that in inflatable kayaks, the seats are more often also inflatable and therefore thicker. You sit a little higher and you can feel the movement more, unlike the way you sit essentially on the floor of a solid body or folding kayak. The second point is that the surface material of an inflatable will absorb more of the water’s energy because it has more “give” to it unlike a hard shell, which ‘hits back’, so to speak. Because folding kayaks have a softer surface, they actually ride smoother because of that energy absorption factor. The difference being that with an inflatable, since you’re not actually ‘inside’ it, you would tend to feel that energy exchange more significantly.

So are inflatable kayaks “tippy”? I think it’s going to vary depending on your own personal point of view and the way your mind and body gauge the reactions the two factors above.