A New Hobby

June 2011

I hate the water.  I hate swimming.  I hate being in the water.  I hate being on the water.  So why am I in a kayak?  I was hot.  And I saw a couple of kayakers paddling by while we were stuck on a rocky shoreline in 101 degree heat.  It looked like a lot of fun.  How great would it be just to float around in a kayak, dip your toes in the water if you want, and just lay back and catch some rays?  That's where my head was at when I told my husband I wanted to buy a kayak.

So the search began for my first kayak.  I didn't even think about renting.  It's not what I do.  I like to buy things since the theory behind it is that if I own it, I'll be more serious about it.  That's the theory.  I started digesting the huge amount of advice and recommendations out there in internetland as to what to look for in a kayak.  What type of paddling will I be doing? Slow  Where will I be doing it?  In water  What's my skill level?  I have no skill  Then there comes length, beam, cockpit size, weight, skeg or rudder, hard or soft chine, fiberglass or plastic, etc.  OMG really? Can't I just pick a color, get a paddle and go?

I end up buying a "blemished" Perception Tribute in Lime Green.  Why?  Because it was lime green.  And because it's marketed as a small person/ladies kayak.  And it was one of the cheapest I could find.  As I wait for it to be shipped, I go off to a large Recreation Equipment Inc :-) store to complete my checklist of required paddling items such as a paddle.  Bought the standard clunky and heavy plastic one.  Bought a life vest that was cute if not functional.  And a bilge pump and paddle float for safety because that's what they said I needed.  Now all I have to do is wait for my new toy to come.