Took some picture then looked back at the summer pics to compare. It's so sparse right now! I love/hate fall. It was so gorgeous out!! We spent a couple hours on the water, took a break for a picnic, and sailed our way back to the launch as the wind was with us by that time. I'm still refusing to take my racks off. Hopefully next Sunday we can get out one more time.

These aren't the biggest conditions I've ever seen out there, but the consistency of the swells in almost exactly the direction we needed to go was amazing. Just run after run after run, I've never been able to chain them together as well as I could today

Got in 8 miles in 60 degree weather, had the launch to myself. It’s still - but just barely - warm enough for a swim. Trying to enjoy the sun while it makes a difference. Pretty soon the wetsuit comes out - then the drysuit….

Anyone have experience with this or suggestions on best port to port or routes?

Only been on a kayak once when I was little but been looking at getting into kayaking for years. I want a paddle kayak since my legs are so weak and also I read it could be hard on someone with back problems to use the peddle. I'm relatively weak so I need it to be lightweight so I can get it up in the bed of my truck and out into the water. I want to use it for casual kayaking, fishing , and possible a single night camping trip. I found a brand new Quest Passage 100 for 270$, Eddyline Caribbean 120 FS for 778$, Pelican Sentinel 100X - Angler for 508$. I'm open to other suggestions my budget is really 800$ MAX

Paddle to Three Brothers Falls on the Burnt River, Ontario.

Hi! I’m about to buy myself a perception outlaw 11.5 for fishing. I have a Nissan Sentra SV 2016 that has a naked roof top and wanted to know if you guys had tested different kind of roof racks. If you had try models that were less expensive than thule and if you had any success with it. I’m trying to get the Best bang for the buck without breaking the bank. Thank you in advance!

It was tough to narrow down which photos to include. This is the Upper Pawtuxet River in Hope. No editing/filter. It was our friend's first time kayaking, so just a short, slow, laid back outing.

I’m in northeast of United States and new to kayaking. After renting a kayak for an hour this summer on a vacation I saw an opportunity to start doing some exercise if I got myself a kayak. I now regret I didn’t start doing this 20 years ago!

I live about 1/8 of a mile from a 25-30 acre lake and have never once considered going out on it before. Well, that has changed quickly! I bought myself a used Pungo 120 off Facebook marketplace in September and I’ve been on the lake pretty consistently the past month.

It’s a small lake and I’m looking forward already to next spring when I start to venture into more waterways. I hate cardio but I have now found some exercise that I throughly enjoy.

I use my Apple Watch and Paddle Logger app to track my time and progress. Are there any other apps that you would recommend?

Anything that you would recommend to a newbie? I plan to sign up for lessons next Spring because I know that there is so much to learn and I’m sure my paddle technique can be much improved. Do you recommend or have you taken the approach of learn as you go yourself?

I wear a PFD designed for kayaking, no problem there. Got myself a bending branches whisper paddle.

So far it’s been a great form of exercise for me - on average I’m out for 45 mins and paddling about 4km. I purposefully will do laps and go both with and against the wind. Start off with a few laps and then do short hard interval paddling for about 1 mins (1 minute hard followed by 1 minute rest).

I’m working on a pretty ridiculous 12-phase project:
converting an old Necky Cruiser 2 tandem kayak into what will hopefully become a solar-powered, V-foil electric trimaran.

Why? Mostly because I can, and because I absolutely love learning how things work.

Every phase introduces a new challenge, and every challenge sends me down another engineering rabbit hole.

I’ve blown up more ESCs than I’d like to admit, rewired the entire boat 15+ times, rebuilt multiple battery boxes, experimented with different motors and propellers, and spent countless hours troubleshooting things I didn’t even know existed a few months ago.

But that’s honestly been the best part.

Along the way, I’ve been learning about hydrodynamics, hull displacement, buoyancy, fabrication, structural reinforcement, electrical engineering, water cooling, soldering, welding, propulsion systems, and probably a dozen other things I’m forgetting.

I’m currently around Phase 4. I’ve just finished building a custom dual-ESC water-cooled control system for my two electric trolling motors, and I’m working toward modifying the hull, improving buoyancy, and eventually adding more powerful propulsion.

I’m definitely not a marine engineer, and I’m figuring out a lot of this through research, experimentation, trial and error, and occasionally breaking expensive things.

I’d genuinely love some community input, especially from anyone with experience in marine engineering, hull design, composites, electric propulsion, or hydrofoils.

A few things I’m exploring:

Hull shape and modifications to improve stability, efficiency, and eventually support a trimaran configuration.

Affordable electric motor and propulsion options beyond conventional trolling motors.

Aluminum versus carbon fiber reinforcement and lightweight structural design.

Hydrofoil and V-foil configurations, and whether they’re even practical at the speeds and power levels I’m targeting.

Any creative engineering ideas I haven’t thought of yet.
I’m approaching this in phases because I want to understand what works and why before moving on to the next challenge.

I’m not trying to pretend I know what I’m doing. Half the fun is realizing I don’t, learning something new, and then figuring it out.

Suggestions, criticism, crazy ideas, and engineering advice are all welcome.

Ultimately, I’m just a guy turning a kayak into something increasingly absurd because the process of learning how to build it is as much fun as actually using it.

There was hardly any wind and the water was like glass. On a tributary to the South River in Annapolis, Maryland. The second photo was taken from the tributary looking across the South River.

River Tees: Barnard Castle to Winston Bridge Grade 2/3 Autumn Paddle

Great to be back on white water in sunny Devon in the River Dart Loop after a very dry summer 🌞🏝️

#goprohero

I've seen a few posts about this, with folks asking about cartopping, so I thought I'd share what I do. There are things NOT to do, but I've observed quite a few different setups that look great.

Here's what I do on my factory roof racks:

Malone J pro 2 racks - I prefer fewer moving parts so I didn't opt for the folding ones with plastic gear teeth. I've had them, and decided to stick with these J hooks. I frequently have 2 kayaks up there, so even with solo trips I just use these and put it upright. Never a problem, but for solo trips I might snoop around for the cradle type that keep a boat upright and not on edge. It doesn't hurt anything, but may reduce drag.

Malone straps for the main ties. I feel it's important to emphasize that these aren't just strapped to the J racks. I put them under the roof rack. It might work for some to secure it just to the J rack, but I sometimes have the kayak up there for hundreds of miles. I just want that added bit of security as a failsafe.

Bow and stern lines - a couple of thoughts. Sometimes I'll leave these off if I'm going the 5 minutes to the lake in town and not going highway speeds, but most of the time I tie them in town and EVERY time I'm going highway speed. Some regions have mandatory laws for them so I'm usually safer than sorry.

I never tie soft attachment to soft attachment, that is strap to rope. I always have a carabiner separating the two. This avoids the rub and eventual snap of the line or strap.

The bow and stern lines are tied with a modified truckers hitch with a half hitch to lock it in place. I grew up on a farm, and I was a truck driver. Thousands of trailer ties and NEVER had it fail. Any extra passes or knots are just to use up extra line and "get rid of rope" because I never cut the rope extra off. Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

The hood loops are homemade and secured to the car frame and tuck in when not in use. They are very handy for roof loads of any kind, and I feel better about it being right on the frame vs friction fit by closing the hood.

I do have a cockpit cover rated for travel (not shown) and it's great for reducing drag while allowing some stuff to be transported inside the kayak if I need to.

Lastly, when I'm solo, I put the kayak on the passenger side. If I have to check straps or lines at the side of the road, I'm not standing in a live traffic lane to do it.

There are many good and bad ways to do any of these things, but that's my method for moving the kayak around. Thousands of miles now, and never an issue of any kind.

Paddle on!

From all I’ve found in my google searches, I can see that generally low head dams are something you stay away from. So I’m starting to wonder the motives behind this man trying to take me over one..
I’ve never gone kayaking but I’d been talking to this guy for a while and this was the second or third time I went with him. On the river we were kayaking he said that we were going to go over a dam, but that it was something he did all the time. As we were getting closer to it I was noticing the warning signs and red flags, which he continued to brush off. We were getting closer and at the last minute I panicked and paddled away to get out of the water.
But my concern is that I noticed he still didn’t go over the dam. After I got out of the water he got out of the water too.. but he was gonna let me go over it until I changed my mind. I’d assume that if it’s something he does all the time then he’d just keep going and wait for me. But then I’m not sure.
So now I’m wondering if this is a real thing that people do.. in all of the research I’ve done I see article after article about low head dams being DROWNING MACHINES and how unsurvivable they are.
I’m sure that some people do kayak over them regardless of that.. but what I’m trying to figure out is exactly HOW dangerous something like this is and if the man I was with could’ve been intentionally putting me in danger, or if he was truly just being EXTREMELY reckless. Regardless I’m not seeing the man anymore, but it’s something I’m concerned about in hindsight.
Is it plausible that this is something he actually does regularly and really just didn’t think would go wrong because he’s done it before??? Or is this generally not a thing that people do..?

EDIT: For all concerned, this man will not be seeing me again.. and certainly not on the water ESPECIALLY after these responses! This was not a recent incident, but something I recently thought back on. This relationship is LONG fizzled out!!!

Looking at a plastic P&H Virgo and trying to decide between the MV and LV. I'm 5'8" with about a 30" inseam, and I'm currently 180 lb, aiming for 160-165 lb.

I think the LV is too small for me and the MV is the right fit, but I haven't been able to sit in either one. I know the obvious answer is "go sit in one," but the nearest retailers that carry P&H are a long drive from me, so I only want to make that trip if I know they'll have the right size on hand to try. I'm hoping to get a rough sense of sizing first so I can call ahead with confidence.

Anyone with a similar build paddling a Virgo? How's the fit in the thigh braces and cockpit, and do you have any regrets on the size you picked? Any tips on what to ask a shop before driving out are welcome too.
Thanks!

Hello!

I like my Wilderness System Cape Horn except one thing: the backrest is a bit too high. I want to be able to keep it lower than the desk. Same time I like the construction with foldable and adjustable backrest, just wish the lowest position be deeper down.

Any advice on how to do it with minimal modifications? Maybe some low-profile replacement exists?

I understand I can remove it completely and set some foam blocks instead but don't want to do it yet.