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My father and I racing, probably in the Madhatters race but I don't know if it's the same year as the above picture was taken. I think the Madhatters are still holding the race but I doubt they still attach a manilla tag to people's necks for timekeeping.

The start of the Madhatters canoe race in Northeast Ohio.

We've been wintering in Florida for the past few years and those are my first experiences with gators. We quickly learned that they want nothing to do with us. It's still disconcerting when one is swimming towards your boat and they slowly submerge while still heading towards you. It takes...

A friend of my parent's that we used to camp/paddle with when I was young. He'd let us kids drive that buggy in the hills and it's amazing it held together the way we abused it.

My mother and father. Probably early 1970's. Not sure what river.

It I don't think transport has much to do with it. Nearly all rec kayaks are rotomolded HDPE and are over 50 lbs (most closer to 60) so they're no easier to get on a vehicle roof than a canoe. They are easier to store since they're generally shorter and can be stood on their nose against a...

On the way home from Seneca, SC on Sunday we were on I40 along the Pigeon River in NC. I knew Helene was a disaster, but it's amazing how much of I40 was swept away. And the Pigeon is at the bottom of a deep canyon well below the road.

I'm not sure what switching sides has to do with symmetric vs asymmetric grips, at least it doesn't matter for me. Are some people rotating the paddle 180 when they switch sides? I've never done that. For me the very minor annoyance is that I have a 50/50 chance of picking it up wrong when...

I prefer a symmetrical grip but it's not a deal breaker. I have a cheap Bending Branches Loon that I've used and abused on shallow rocky rivers for the past few seasons and it has an asymmetric grip. It's not a big deal. But if I had the choice between two otherwise identical paddles I'd pick...

I don't have an opinion of Pelican itself, but Wilderness Systems and Dagger are good brands. I know kayaks are verboten here but I own two Wilderness Systems rec kayaks and a Dagger whitewater kayak and they are tops in their niche. I hate to see any outdoor supplier struggle.

My wife and I have paddled 89 miles so far this year. We're hoping to get one more paddle in down here in Florida so we can top 100. I enjoy paddling the mangrove mazes, tidal creeks, and springs but I'm looking forward to heading back to the Midwest next week to resume paddling the swifter...

Quick followup. I emailed Northstar and they said put a coat of 303 on it and don't worry. The UV degradation they've seen is from years of storage outside in the sun and that a couple months shouldn't hurt anything. I'm glad to hear it because I didn't want to deal with the additional hassle...

Count me in as another person who thinks the Swift weave patterns are gorgeous. Maybe they don't come across well in pictures but I love what I've seen in person.

Those videos seem to pre-date whenever rolling became a thing. These days you see people rolling canoes and I'm always impressed. I'd love to give it a try.

I've found the rules of thumb get me close, but nothing beats testing on the water with your actual boat. I kneel, so that changes the ideal shaft length vs sitting. I also found that about a 2" shorter shaft fits me better in my new Phoenix vs. my previous couple boats. But at the end of the...

Now you've got me all paranoid! I have a 2 month trip across the southern US planned for this summer and will be taking my IXP Northstar. UV damage hadn't occured to me but now I'm wondering if I should. We're in month 3 of camping in Florida with a couple of HDPE rec kayaks on the car and I...

"Themes of wellness and relaxation continue with guided movement exercises on the beach, yoga, breathwork, a sound-healing experience and forest bathing." 🤣

The level of protection is probably less important for poling than whitewater, but here is some good information on watersports helmet testing.

We all have different thresholds. I wear a PFD on lakes and swift/deep rivers but rarely on slow, shallow ones. Sometimes I'll only bring two beers along when three would have been a lifesaver.