by Luke Rovner (Kayak Hipster)

After lots of research, maybe some classes, maybe some demo days, or maybe after finding the right sale or used opportunity, you finally have your kayak at home and are ready to go. Now what? How do you move it around? How do you get it on your vehicle and transport it safely? Here’s some tips that might help.

When on the water, you need to do three basic things in your boat: go forward in a straight line, stop or go backwards, and turn. There's a stroke for all three!

If you've started planning full day-long trips, weekend trips, or multi-day trips on flat, open water, you're in the market for a touring kayak. The difficulty in selecting a touring kayak in 2022 is narrowing it down to just one. Check out our top picks to get some ideas and inspiration!

Message Board of the Week

I’m interested in a Werner Ikelos high-angle paddle, and not sure whether to get a 215 or 220cm length — or even whether 5cm will make a huge difference. Any advice would be appreciated!


Product Review Spotlights

10' Traditional

Golden Hawk Canoes

I aquired a 10 traditional canoe. I do lots of portages, hunting, trapping and fishing. It hauls me and Chesapeake Bay Retrievers around well.

Great board for paddling on lakes. Very easy to inflate and deflate with the pump it comes with. Packs down nicely in the bag for easy transport.…
Have had the Blue Jacket for a little over a year. It's a dream to wear - very, very comfortable. Lot's of adjustment points. The layered…

Help out the community by submitting a review and sharing your experience!

Trip Spotlight

Wyoming is home to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and they just so happen to contain some excellent water to paddle.



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by Aqua Bound

by Spirit Of The West Adventures

by Rave Sports

Featured Articles

by Adrian Meissner

As paddlers, we depend on pristine natural environments to enjoy our sport, and many paddlers fancy themselves environmentalists or at least environmentally conscious individuals. It is ironic that our beloved sport requires large amounts of gear, usually transported on a large vehicle, often to far off wilderness destinations. As paddlers, we should take a pause and think about what we can do to keep our waterways pristine and rehabilitate them, as well as minimize our overall ecological footprint.

Paddlers often say that we're all "between swims." Flipping is always a possibility. Do you know what to do? Take the quiz and find out.

The best inflatable SUP for you is going to be different than the next paddler, and that's okay. You have to factor in everything from your experience, planned water types, durations, budget, and preferences. So use this list as a starting point to get some ideas and read some reviews of our top picks for inflatable SUPs.

Photo of the Week

Bob Schell - Morattico Creek, Virginia

Each week a winning photo will be selected from the many pictures that have been submitted by paddlers around the world!

Featured Articles

Kayak Hipster demonstrates 3 things to try next time you're working on your forward stroke. The forward stroke is our main way of moving our kayak, so any little thing we can do to make it more efficient can help us in the long run.

by Adrian Meissner

Before I was domesticated, I spent more than a decade working paddling gigs between paddling trips. The transition into family-life inevitably eroded my regular dose of wild adventures and I feared spiralling into insanity. I made it my mission to raise a family that would love canoe trips. What follows is a short guide that compiles 12 years of lessons on how to have a great time with your family on the river.

Ryan Lilly with Old Town Watercraft takes you through the different factors to consider when choosing your first or next fishing kayak.



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Touring Kayaks

AIRE
Packrafts

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Sweepstakes

  • Win a ADVANCEDFRAME® Inflatable Kayak from Advanced Elements
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All April Sweepstakes winners have been contacted and will be posted on the Sweepstakes Winners page.

Explore the Message Boards

This was cold water safety week for the National Weather Service Boston office this week. Interesting fact - 135 recreational boating deaths in MA (112) and RI (23) from 2010 - 2020, most attributable to cold water. That seems about right based on what I hear in the news. More info on their cold water page.
I’m hoping that my kayak brothers and sisters can help me out. I’m considering a neoprene skull cap for cold water protection... Is there one that’s comfy…maybe 1 mm or 0.5 mm? I’m just looking for a little cold shock protection
I am looking to upgrade my current kayak (heavy plastic Old Town) to a lighter (35 pounds or less) design. Right now, I never get out because I can not transport my kayak. Any suggestions for a good touring or recreational kayak that is reasonable in price?

Featured Articles

by Adrian Meissner

For whitewater canoeists, having the right paddle will maximize your skills for the best performance on the river. The material your paddle is made from determines many of its characteristics. Having a good blade with the characteristics you value enhances your skills and makes the activity that much MORE enjoyable.

by Luke Rovner (Kayak Hipster)

We’ve all been there before. All through the cold months we dream of putting the heavy coats and extra layers away. So, when Spring finally comes around, we’re eager to get back outdoors immediately. But paddling in the Spring can prove to be the toughest time of the year to dress appropriately for our environment.

by Adrian Meissner

Be ready when the ice melts and make the most of this paddling season. Spring is the time to take inventory, check, repair, and replace your gear, and to check in on yourself, so you are ready to paddle when the ice melts.

Product Review Spotlights

Amazing touring inflatable! Very stable and rigid yet very fast. Tracks well in a straight line. Can fit a good amount of gear with bungee cords in…
Well here it goes. I have several paddles and you don't know how glad I am that I listened to Greg Fishell’s of Fishell Paddles recommendations…
I don't have a lot of experience with other PFDs, this is only my second. But I've been happy with it. It's comfortable and fits well. Totally…

Help out the community by submitting a review and sharing your experience!

Featured Articles

Kayak Hipster demonstrates 3 things to try next time you're working on your sculling draw. An efficient sculling draw will help reduce wasting energy to move your kayak around.

Without a Paddle is a canoe film about snowboarding, that blends a 140km winter paddle from the foot of the Mica Dam to the top of the Revelstoke Dam with the history of the upper Columbia River.

Ken Whiting answers the big question for new paddlers - Do you go for a canoe, a kayak, or a stand up paddle board?

Recent Articles

With good technique and a little practice, regardless of size or strength, most people can perform a…

After lots of research, maybe some classes, maybe some demo days, or maybe after finding the right sale…

As paddlers, we depend on pristine natural environments to enjoy our sport, and many paddlers fancy…

Rob Stehlik from Blue Planet Surf teaches you how to paddle more efficiently with a smooth catch and a…