Sites to See
By: Source: AARP Bulletin Today Date Posted: 2003-11-18 10:41:00-05:00
National Public Radio
National Public Radio has featured a number of stories about kayaking. Type "kayaking" into the search box at the upper right of the NPR homepage and click on any of the results to hear audio reports in RealPlayer format. In "Urban Kayaking," Charlie Gjerde, a founding member of the Canton Kayak Club, shares the pleasures of commuting across Baltimore harbor by kayak. In "Favorite Summers," Jason Hale and Dixie-Marree Prickett describe the magic, and the dangers, of kayaking over a 34-foot waterfall into a rainbow. Other spots include "Paddling the Apple" (New York Harbor), "Kayak Boom" and "Kayaking with Seals" (actually sea lions). The cuts range from three to nine minutes.
Kayaking FAQ
Preston Holmes at the University of California, San Diego, hosts two sets of FAQs from the rec.boats.paddle newsgroup. In the first section you'll find handy explanations of terms and river ratings, and comparisons of canoes, kayaks and rafts. The Sea Kayaking section talks about buying a boat, folding kayaks, hypothermia, the history of kayaking and more.
American Canoe Association
The American Canoe Association is the nation's largest nonprofit paddle sports organization. It promotes kayaking along with canoeing and rafting. It offers an online paddlers guide that reviews the clothing and equipment you'll need, how to put in and how to handle the boat on the water. Tips for buying a kayak concentrate on choosing a boat that fits your needs. There are links to real-time USGS streamflow information in your area. In the Membership section, you can sign up for a $25 individual membership and find a local paddling club.
Advice from Mariner Kayaks
There's no substitute for practicing on the water, but Mariner Kayaks provides excellent guidebooks online. Check the drop-down Manuals menu at the left of the homepage and click on "Paddling." It starts with advice on transporting your boat to the water, walks you through safety drills, explains the principal strokes and even deals with paddling in extreme conditions. Other manuals at the Mariner site cover safety issues, rescue techniques, rescue floats and rudders.
More advice from Rutabaga
The paddlesport shop Rutabaga also provides a comprehensive Reference Library with articles on selecting a paddle, dressing for cold water immersion, self-rescue techniques, gear lists and more.
Kayaking Video Clips
Remember the surfing movie Endless Summer? The music is noisier and the action is faster in the Liquid Clips from Teton Gravity Research (TGR). These are QuickTime excerpts from TGR's extreme kayaking video, "NURPU." Watch hyped up guys and their kayaks swing like Tarzan on ropes to get in position to run the whitewater gorges. Some drops go right through the rock. Other times they're plummeting over waterfalls into what looks like a puddle. The choppiest video is shot right in the cockpit from the kayaker's point of view. You can purchase the video for $27 on the Website.
These links are provided for informational purposes only. AARP does not endorse, and has no control over or responsibility for, the linked sites or the content, advertisements, materials, products, or services available on or throughout these sites.
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