Human powered sports, travel, and adventure.
Articles about kayaking.
Power Island is located six miles north of Traverse City, Michigan in West Grand Traverse Bay. While it lies only one mile offshore from the Old Mission peninsula, kayaking to Power Island is a three-mile paddle from the DNR boat launch at Bowers Harbor to the island itself. Once owned by Henry Ford, and known …
Symposiums are a great way to learn kayaking skills. Taught by experienced paddlers, typically, ACA or BCU certified coaches; one can learn an incredible amount of useful information in a fun, safe, hands-on environment. 32st Annual WMCKA Symposium Montague, MI 27nd TO 30th, 2022 Port Austin Kayak Symposium Port Austin, MI TBA Door County …
Paddling under the Mackinac bridge and through the Straits of Mackinac in general can present several dangers. Currents in the straits can be very treacherous!Do not attempt this without an appropriate sea kayak, proper safety equipment, and training! A few years ago, on our return from the Great Lakes Sea Kayak Symposium and a side …
Beaver Island is an amazing sea kayak destination. With the addition of the new Beaver Island Water Trail, it just gets better! It’s rather special to me since it is where I had my first sea kayak lessons. Being a remote island in Northern Lake Michigan, the water is clear (and cold), the scenery pristine, …
My Valley Nordkapp RM has little spare room for big feet. In the summer, this hasn’t been too much of a problem but during dry suit season, finding footwear that can accommodate the extra bulk of socks and the dry suit is a challenge. My solution is the NRS Freestyle wetshoe. Its not just a …
Stuff. Lots of stuff. Kayaking involves plenty of stuff. Carrying all this stuff from your car to your kayak and vice versa can be a logistical juggling act that even Tenzing Norgay would subcontract out. Since Sherpas and kayaking don’t really go together let us consider something a bit more practical, the IKEA Frakta shopping …
After having taken sea kayak classes and rented kayaks for a few summers, I decided it was time to buy a kayak for my very own. What I was looking for was a British design touring kayak. I also had a budget in mind so roto-molded boats were in, fiberglass versions were out. I settled …
Years back, before I had any formal training in Sea Kayaking, I found myself in Lake Huron with three other friends. We had a great time on that trip but in retrospect we made so many mistakes that could have been easily averted. Lake Huron’s Thunder Bay is located near Alpena, Michigan. Known for its …
After enjoying ourselves and learning so much from Ken Bruland of Inland Seas School of Kayaking, we decided to return the following year and take more lessons and explore more of Beaver Island. (note: Ken has since retired and the school is now closed) On this trip to Beaver Island, we took advanced classes covering …
“Look, there’s a kayak school in the middle of Lake Michigan!” I said to my wife. We were looking for something to do for our summer vacation and I had often wondered what Beaver Island had to offer. I had seen the island on the map before and wondered what was there. So after a …