[Sportsandrec] kayaking

[Fred's ol' XP]

Hi Julie J,

I kayak tandem or solo.  Kayaking is a great sport, or just a fun way 
to experience the outdoors.  I own an inflatable tandem kayak, and we 
cruise around the bays, lagoons, and lakes.
I've rented solid kayaks for paddling longer distances.  The 
fiberglass of a solid kayak greatly increases the efficiency of each 
stroke.  Different kayaks have a higher or lower wind profile, and 
that is something to keep in-mind.
When I was an undergraduate, a PE class I took allowed me to kayak 
around an Olympic swimming pool.  That really taught me a lot about 
how subtle twists of my abdomen could swing the bow around.  The 
instructors also required me to master the Eskimo roll, and the 
emergency underwater exit.

If you've got time, you may want to see if a YMCA, community swim 
complex, community college, or a kayak rental outfit has a class for 
these fundamentals.

I doubt that you'll be sore.  Swimming is a great way to prepare for 
a kayak class, or trip.  The muscle groups get used, and you'll 
already be comfortable with the water.

Fred, near San Diego (although I've kayaked in fresh and saltwater, 
in lagoons near the Oregon border, lagoons and bays near the Mexican 
border, and lakes and streams in the Sierra Nevadas, Idahoe, 
Minnesota, and the alligator swamps of Florida!)