For an exhilarating workout in a non-terrestrial environment, go for a “water hike” in a recreational kayak. But be forewarned-you may have to share your aqueous meanderings with others. More and more, curious landlubbers are flocking to local lakes and slow-moving rivers equipped with these hydrophilic innovations, whose sizes, shapes, and colors are as varied as the fish in the sea. But if they’re true recreational or day-touring kayaks, they have one thing in common – they’re probably relatively new.
Anne Maleady, a district manager for REI, the leading retailer of outdoor recreational gear and clothing, comments on the recent sales trend. She reports that, for all kayaks and accessories at REI nationwide, “We have seen double-digit increases in sales and volume over the last six years.” Recreational kayaks appeal to just about everybody, for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, they are just plain fun. People try them once and get hooked. What accounts for the trend? It may be the popularity of the recreational kayak, whose retail debut ten years ago slightly predates the auspicious market shift. Recreational kayaks appeal to just about everybody, for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, they are just plain fun. People try them once and get hooked. “I could really get addicted to this,” says first-time user Sharon Gormon, floating down a glassy section of the Salt River just outside of Phoenix. Her 12-foot long, flat-bottomed, green kayak looks like a giant pickle wedge on land but somehow becomes graceful and sleek on the water. Already, Gormon paddles it like a pro. “I am thinking right now that I really need to buy one-soon.”
Neophytes-turned-buyers are pleased to discover that purchasing a kayak no longer means sinking in a sea of expenses. Recreational boats, constructed with molded polyethylene, cost 50 percent less than their same-length whitewater and fiberglass-touring cousin. In addition, polyethylene, with its greater impact and abrasion resistance, costs far less to maintain than fiberglass. After the initial investment of $500-$1000 in a basic package of kayak, paddle, and personal flotation device, the only ongoing expense is the cost of transporting the kayak by vehicle to and from the water. Access to the water itself, in most cases, is free.
Don’t worry about having to pay for fancy lessons, either. Recreational kayaking, unlike whitewater and sea kayaking, is easy to learn. The boats are maneuverable and extremely stable. A penchant for tumbling through rapids is not needed, nor is serious maritime leanings. Save your adrenaline for later, because you won’t encounter any extremes in this sport. Jen Dixon, a salesperson in REI’s paddling department in Tempe, AZ, notes that because of this, “Kayaking is no longer considered to be an extremist sport.” For this reason perhaps more than any other, this is a sport open to everyone-the young and the aged, the faint-hearted and the thrill-seeker, the weekend warrior and the super-athlete. And it’s one that people with strikingly different preferences and abilities can enjoy together. An outdoorsy gal can entice her more urbane boyfriend outside with the promise that, “You WON’T get dirty this time.” Furthermore, she can argue, “We can even go tandem and I’ll do the paddling.” If she wants a workout, they can turn around and paddle upstream. Or paddle swiftly across a lake.
Rhythmic, forceful paddling tones the heart and lungs as well as muscles of the forearms, arms, shoulders, back, and abdomen. The workout can be as intense as you want it to be, while sparing your joints the repetitive jarring of exercising on solid ground. Those in search of a great low-impact, cardiovascular, upper-body workout may elect to stop at the “lake” rather than the gym on their way home from the office. “A lot of people use recreational kayaking as their form of daily exercise,” says Dixon. She adds, “It’s good for the heart, soul, and mind.” Few who have experienced “kayakers’ bliss” would argue. Only in a kayak can you sit almost level with the water, in a craft whose bow and stern feel like forward and backward extensions of the torso, noiselessly caressing the water’s gleaming surface. It is an intimate relationship between self, water, and boat-one that is unique to the sport and worth leaving terra firma to experience…if just for a day. For information on how to rent a recreational kayak for the day, contact a local kayak dealer or outfitter near you, or go to paddling.net.