Taking UpKayaking?

Question

I've been wanting to take up kayaking. Any pointers for a newbie? Any suggestions on places to kayak near the Cincinnati-Dayton area?

Answer 1

There are many forms of kayaking to suit different people and their specific interests.  There is fresh/flat water kayaking, kayak camping, kayak hunting, kayak surfing, ocean kayaking, and whitewater boating.  To learn more about each sport, and the type of gear involved, I'd recommend joining a local paddling club.  

I started my kayaking career by joining a local club.  I initially intended to start kayaking in order to do some camping (I love to camp), but I ended up getting into white water boating after I learned more about the people and the sport.  Joining a club is a good way to network with other boaters, learn about local bodies of water, get free lessons, and is usually an excellent source for finding affordable boats and gear.  Boating clubs typically have a newsletter or a website with good info if you are not up to joining.

Try some of these clubs/links.  I believe they are in the area you are talking about (it's always so much easier to answer a boating question when people state where they are from).

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cincypaddl...

http://www.daytoncanoeclub.org/

http://www.southohiopaddlers.org/

Also, hit up your local library, and check out a couple of kayaking books.  It'll really help.

Good luck, and happy boating.