Mama's got a brand new toy
Posted by Som Sun, 20 Apr 2008 21:53:00 GMT
A kayak!
Last Sunday, we drove up to Springdale, Arkansas to pick up our two Native Ultimate 14.5 kayaks we had special ordered from Lewis & Clark Outfitters. We chose the Ultimate 14.5 for a few reasons:
- Fly-fishing: These kayaks are designed with anglers in mind, so they're stable enough to stand up in, have plenty of cargo room for tackle and other necessities, and can be fitted with up to three Scotty rod holders.
- Stability and maneuverability: Sit-on-top kayaks offer unmatched stability on the water (they're virtually unsinkable,) and they're far more maneuverable than canoes.
- Seating versatility: The Ultimate 14.5 can be adjusted to one- or two-seating capacity, which will come in handy when we want to take our daughters or friends out on the water.
- Comfort: There is no kayak or canoe more comfortable than the Native Ultimate. Their highly adjustable seating system is the ultimate (har har) in long-term comfort.
- Sustainability: Virtually every component of the kayak, from the seats to the body of the kayak itself, is recycleable. The molded plastic that forms the body of the kayak is manufactured without any harmful off-gassing that could lead to long-term health problems for workers (who are, by the way, located in the US.)
The first major issue any kayak-owner faces is, of course, transportation. There are two options here: towing or top-loading. We chose to load our kayaks on top of our Subaru WRX wagon with a Yakima setup like so:
On the downside, it does take a couple of people to load each kayak on top of the car. On the plus side, the effect on our gas mileage was surprisingly small. It can be a little disconcerting, however, to drive at interstate speeds with a couple of boats overhead.
On Wednesday, we dropped the kids off at school and headed up to Arcadia Lake in Edmond for our kayaks' first time out on the water. Mr. Som had previously scouted a good place to put-in at some mud flats on the east side of the lake (where the carp like to hang out,) so we parked and took the kayaks down off of the car. Between us and the lake was a metal tube-type fence and about 100 meters of mud slope; we carried one kayak down at a time with very little difficulty. We stowed our gear, switched to wading sandals, put on our personal flotation devices (PFDs,) and were ready to launch.
Launching was easy, despite the shallow waters, and we both managed to shove off without getting our feet too muddy. It was a terribly windy day, with sustained winds around 30 mph and gusts around 40, but we started off with the wind at our backs and got the hang of paddling pretty quickly. I was amazed at how easily the kayak slid over the water. Steering took a little time and effort to learn, but the physics are pretty simple.
Mr. Som stopped and anchored to cast a few flies while I practiced paddling around the mud flats. Drift was a serious consideration in that water, what with the wind and all, so I set the grapple anchor that came with the Ultimate and enjoyed the sunshine for a while. Unfortunately, the anchor set a little too well, and I had to call Mr. Som over for some assistance. He managed to haul up both the anchor and a sizeable branch.
As I mentioned earlier, the Ultimate is designed so that you can stand up in it, so I practiced that for a little while. It's going to take more practice; I have yet to earn my sea-legs. Mr. Som stood up to cast for a bit, and he reports that he got the hang of it pretty quickly.
The wind started to pick up at this point, so we spent another 15 minutes paddling around before heading back to our put-in spot. This time, we were going straight into the wind, and that was another "good learning experience," as my mom would say. A few times, I found myself paddling and not getting anywhere, which is a strange sensation, but I soon figured out the trick to paddling into a headwind: Don't stop. Maintaining forward momentum isn't all that difficult, but getting started from a dead stop (read: backward drift) with 30 mph headwinds requires a heck of a lot of muscle power.
We took the kayaks out for a second time on Friday afternoon, this time at Lake Stanley Draper with the kids in tow. We'd outfitted the both of them with PFDs and assured them that everything was going to be safe, but I still had my doubts about how secure they'd feel on the water. Both girls had previously shown misgivings about being on a powered pontoon boat on Lake Tenkiller, and once again, the winds were kicking up some good whitecaps on the lake.
With one little girl in the front seat of each of our kayaks, Mr. Som and I set off, and I'm pleased to report that the girls took to kayaking like fish to water. Even when the water got choppy, they both leaned contentedly over the side with one hand trailing in the water. There was much complaining when it was time to head back to shore ("I wanna go back by the dock!") We're all looking forward to our next family kayaking adventure.
I heartily recommend the Ultimate 14.5 for family recreational kayaking. The design allows enough room for "kid necessities" like sunscreen, towels, water bottles, and snacks, and I had no qualms about putting my daughters into these incredibly stable kayaks. I can't recommend them for angling yet, since I haven't had a chance to cast, but I'll post my thoughts on that as soon as I get the chance.
