Sea Kayaks in a Freshwater Sea

In a territory dominated by whitewater, what makes some of us choose to paddle our long, skinny boats on inland waterways?  The reasons are as varied as each of us, but some similarities lurk below the proverbial surface.  I'll throw out some scenarios and then give you my own reasons, but ultimately it's no one's business why you paddle, what you paddle, or for what reasons.

Many sought out whitewater kayaking as their first option, and then quickly realized that freezing water and sharp rocks weren't their cup of tea.  Still others took up sea kayaking because they discovered our two-bladed sport later in life and simply felt that whitewater wasn't even a viable option.  Others still just desire a sport that is less complicated, less demanding, and less life-threatening.

Me?  I actually began as a whitewater junky.  Fueled by adrenaline, a slight ego, and Rob Zombie; I ran as many Southeastern favorites as I could.  The notion of sea kayaking actually drew criticism from me;  "Why on earth would anyone paddle one of those things when they could be running drops and swapping ends?"  It was purely by happenstance that I one day found myself in a sea kayak and you wanna know what ... it was damned fun!  Sure, it wasn't twelve-point-cartwheeled-fun, but it was fun in a subdued way - a DIFFERENT way.  Soon, my whitewater kayaks were collecting dust and I was putting miles and miles under the hull of my sea kayak.  There was something about the gentle glide of the hull and the more serene environment that seemed to really agree with me.

Before long, I was going about paddling sea kayaks with the same gusto that I once reserved for my whitewater kayaking.  I desired to learn everything about it that I could - hull design, paddling technique,  destinations, like-minded friends, and more challenging conditions all became my focus as more and more miles passed beneath my smooth, displacement hulled boat.  Not only did I not even miss barreling down rapids, but I didn't even think about it any longer.  My only desire was to paddle longer distances, paddle them in less time, and paddle them better than I had in previous outings.  I've got nothing to prove.  I've run big waterfalls, Class V whitewater, and I've surf kayaked 12' swells in an Atlantic tropical storm.  I don't paddle sea kayaks because I'm looking for an easier solution to get my feet wet - I paddle them for other reasons ... MY reasons.

I love the connection I feel to the water in my sea kayak.  Whether it's a perfectly placed stroke or a well-executed edge to carve a turn, I learn from what my blades and my boat teach me.  That may well be the ultimate sea kayak experience for me; the interaction between myself, my equipment, and the water.  I also love the exercise.  Kayaking is a portable sport and taking my sea kayak to work with me is a regular occurrence so that I can get a few miles in at the end of the day to clear the noggin.  Paddling sea kayaks seems to clear my head as well as anything, so to call it therapeutic would be an understatement.  As a backpacker, I love loading my camping gear into my sea kayak and going on overnight excursions.  This helps to feed my exploratory and expedition-like personality.  Another reason is 'The Test.'  As mentioned, I have nothing to prove, but going out to paddle when everyone else is on the couch or in bed is something I feed off of (big bites, too).  Pouring rain, howling wind, snow, and the dark of night - these are the conditions that make me want to paddle even more.  If we aren't constantly testing ourselves and our resolve, then we die ... it's that simple.  Lastly, I paddle sea kayaks for the simple pleasure of sharing all of the above with others.  In fact, it's a passion just helping others experience all that makes sea kayaking the wonderful sport that is.

Bottom line: paddle for your reasons and embrace all that the sport has to offer, but don't ever let the excuse of not living BY the sea prevent you from paddling these magnificent craft.

-rob