Page 140 - 2022-08-01 Paddling Magazine

KAYAKING

“YEP, THERE’S DEFINITELY A
BULKHEAD IN HERE.”
PHOTO: BRENDAN KOWTECKY

CHECKOUT
Frequently Asked Questions

Seriously, these are the top five most common queries about kayaking, according to Google by brian day

THE INTERNET IS A MIRACULOUS PLACE. The sum knowledge of With so much information at our fingertips, it’s no surprise people
the human experience is at our fingertips and with a few clicks we can find turn to the web for questions about kayaking. Fortunately for us, Google
answers to all of life’s most common questions. How many ounces are there compiled the most popular queries. Here are my serious answers to what
in a cup? Eight. Is it safe to feed your dog onions? Nope. What’s the best way seem like stupid questions.
to get wine stains out of the carpet? Add a tablespoon of dishwashing soap
and a tablespoon of white vinegar to two cups of warm water, blot gently.
1 CAN KAYAKS SINK? 2 DO INFLATABLE 3 CAN YOU PADDLE A PEDAL

KAYAK? HOW FAR?
KAYAKS WORK?
All boats can sink. Heck, ships
Pedal drive kayaks are great for
sink. If Lake Superior can sink the
Perhaps it’s not sur-
730-foot-long Edmund Fitzgerald
capable of carrying a load of iron ore prising this is one of scooting across the water hands-
free, using the stronger muscles
the most commonly
26,000 tons more than it weighed empty, it certainly asked questions when Amazon’s top of your legs to propel your craft. They’re especially
can sink a 15-foot kayak. result for the search term ‘kayak’ is the popular as fishing kayaks (page 56) because anglers
However, kayak designers go to great lengths to inflatable Intex Explorer K2. Do inflat- don’t have to fuss around with the paddle when cast-
keep kayaks afloat. At a minimum, a kayak should able kayaks work? Sure. So long as we’re ing or landing a fish. Of course, if you want to fuss
have some foam in the bow and stern to prevent not talking about the glorified pool toys around with the paddle you can, but pedal kayaks
it from sinking completely. However, sinking isn’t at the SuperSaverMart. Many are as du- get pretty big. Some pedal kayaks are up to 44 inches
usually the problem to worry about. Instead, you rable as an inflatable unicorn and move wide and weigh more than 100 pounds—they've
need a kayak to float high enough in the water when through the water like a limp iguana. gone to pedals to move this big stable platform for
swamped so you can paddle to a safe spot and empty Quality inflatable kayaks perform well a reason. You can paddle them as far as you’d like, I
out. Bulkheads with properly sealed hatches allow for and pack away conveniently for transport suppose. For those who want to make miles solely
this but aren’t features found in the cheaper kayaks and storage. You’ll find them in your local by paddle power, consider a longer, sleeker and more
on the market. paddle shop and on page 176 and 190, efficient touring kayak, capable of circumnavigating
not where you get your groceries. continents (page 172).

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