Getting Started - Paddling Texas

Oh, hi there... nice to see you out here on the water. (I think that is the right amount of cheese to get this blog started)

My wife (paddlette) and I (Paddlee) decided that we needed we need to better chronicle our kayaking adventures. I suppose we'll try to remain anonymous since the internet has a way of getting creepy in a hurry. Our intent is that this blog is for personal recollection of conditions when planning future trips but if others can benefit from our experiences, all the better! Surely there will be instances of our friends (the yakers) who drop in from time to time. It has been our intention to get them all bought into the kayaking world, whether to fish or tour around it doesn't much matter to us.

While we live in the city of Austin, TX, our mindset is typically faraway on the water, on trail, or in the back country. This drive is going to lead us (hopefully) from the Rio Grande to the Red River, Caddo lake to Lake Meredith, sprinkle in some coastal adventures, and we'll be masters by the end.

I am well trained in kayaking through my profession and carry an American Canoe Association (ACA) for kayak instruction. Paddlette has recently joined me in her kayak instructor certification. I had never considered myself much of a master paddler, but these past few months have shown me that I can surely hold my own. I try to stick with my comfort zone and grow steadily from there. 

I suppose I'll start by mentioning our gear. This was the first purchase of kayaks for the paddlette and I. Asking ourselves "what do we want to do with our kayaks" helped drive our purchasing decisions. Recognizing that a big fish (pictured below) caught from a cheapie kayak in rural Canada helped spur on the desire to own boats and led us to a sit on top, fishing style kayak. Length of said boat was the next consideration... short and sporty or long and leisurely?  We split the difference. Knowing that we wanted to be able to navigate rivers and spend the occasional weekend at the coast led us to a 12 foot kayak. Eight foot boats can pass through rapids with ease but rarely go straight... 16 foot boats will take a few paddle sweeps before the nose begins to deviate it's course. Why sit on-top? Mostly for comfort. With a pinched nerve in my lower back and peddlette's fear of getting trapped inside a boat when toppled over, a sit inside meets both our needs. So, we ended up with the Perception Pescador 12. We have since been very happy with our choice. It's a quality boat from a good manufacturer. The accessories are solid but has fewer bells and whistles than the much more expensive that its cousin, the Wilderness Systems Tarpon. 

Northern Pike, caught on a wacky rigged worm

Kayak in Action at Guadalupe River State Park in Nov/Dec 2013.

Our paddles have recently been upgraded to the Werner Skagit. I am a tall-ish person (6' 1") with long arms. This means that a long paddle is ideal. Also the long paddle blade allows for "low angle" paddling meaning I grab more water with my paddle face without having to dig deep in the water. This is best for shallower waters of Central Texas rivers and the higher seat that a sit on top boat provides. Low and high angle paddling is a reference to the angle of the shaft of your paddle against the water when you take a stroke. In the above photo my paddle is at a high angle, mostly because I am using it to anchor in one place against the current. 

That's it for now, no specifics on our trip this past weekend, but that will change soon. That is after all our reason for posting! 

-Paddlee