Kayaking with kids

I have had great experiences kayaking with my kids. We go one-on-one or all together. Most kids get the basics down pretty quickly, and can get their kayak to go where they want. I would say five (my two year old loves the tandem kayak ) is an acceptable age to start if your kid is enthusiastic. By seven or eight most kids can get in the boat and just go with very little instruction. Kids love cooling off in the water and the independence of being in charge of their own boat. It's nothing like sitting in the front of a canoe that is being paddled by an adult.

The development of kayaking gear for kids in the past several years has really made kids kayaking possible. It can be very expensive, but it does not have to be. It just depends on how advanced you might want to take it. You can get a kids sit-on-top kayak with a paddle at Walmart for $100, then add $20 for a life jacket and you are ready to get out on a sheltered lake or pond the same day. We take a lunch a small fish net and usually have a three or four hour activity. You could probably use this setup for several years and sell it for $60, so they whole thing only costs you $20 a year for three years. If you really enjoy it, you can spend a lot more money upgrading to a more performance set up for white water paddling or maybe a fishing set up. Of course you will need a kayak as well. This activity can take a lot of time especially if you do not live close to water. It's not like rolling a few bikes out of the garage and going down to the park. You have to load and unload the boats and gear (twice) in or on your vehicle, and you must be present for every minute on and near the water. You can't email work from your Blackberry, but that's the point. Wear a hat, take it easy and enjoy. Someone once told me "kids spell love like this: TIME"......time with their parents.