Any kayakers here? We're brand new to the sport; just bought a Malibu and any advice is appreciated. Will use mostly to take our two little ones on the lake.
I go occasionally with my buddy and fish out of his. He has one of the ocean-going kinds and it's really stable. It makes for a fun trip.
Good deal, Cohen; definitely one of my favorite activities. As far as advice, there's really not much to it. Not familiar with the Malibu, is that a sealed-hull (sit on top) or traditional? As far as places to go, Hit up Colorado Bend St. Park, but check the river levels first; and there's some great spots on the Llano, close to the town. There's quite a few other chill familyish spots in your neck of the woods that I can't recall right now, I'll look 'em up.
Great Buck, appreciate that! It's a sit on top, and claims to be one of the most stable. Any special gear you find indispensible? Any Austin shops you prefer? Do you get a good workout? Did you ever kayak at night?
Paddle. But seriously, I can't think of any extraordinary equipment you'd need: good cooler for your drinks is about it. If you're worried about helmets for the kiddies, just use their bike helmets. Don't know of any specific shops in Austin, sorry. You can definitely get a good arm & upper back workout; it's kinda fun find some calm water & see how fast you can go.
we've paddled town lake every now and then at night. Just put in at red bud island or by austin high and paddle to downtown and back.
We like to kayak on the San Jacinto River. http://southwestpaddler.com/docs/sanjacinto.html It is very secluded and one of the prettiest places in the Houston area. Unfortunately, this year the river has been low. Definitely monitor the USGS sites if you go on the rivers, because nothing is worse then dragging a kayak through the sandy river bottom. Most of the kayaking that we have done this year is on our backyard lake, which gets old after awhile. We want to take our kayaks to Galveston and surf the waves. Last time we were there we saw a couple kayaking in a tandem and it looked like fun.
I don't think our Kayak would handle the waves, but sounds fun. Thanks for the heads-up on USGS site.
Sit on tops are great for waves........obviously not big ones, but 90% of the time you'll be fine in Galveston. Basically, you fight the waves going out, and then ride them back in. Great work out for those of us who are out of shape. Great fun......don't knock it until you try it.
