IK Daydreams – Thinking of Sunnier Days…

As I sit here in front of my computer in my sweat pants, sweatshirt and wrapped in a blanket I can’t help but feel extremely tired of the cold weather and the falling snow outside. Beautiful yes but I am at that point in winter where I am dreaming of sunshine and warmer days.

It is right about now that it would be perfect to take off to somewhere warm, exotic and fun but big vacation plans are not in my cards this winter. So instead I sit here with my cup of herbal tea and my homemade banana loaf and count the days until I can get my inflatable kayak out on the water again. I miss the feelings of peace, exhaustion, adventure and fun that always accompany my paddling trips.

Paddling season this year is going to be tinged with sadness as well as excitement for me…

Sadness because I tragically and very unexpectedly lost my mother a few months ago who was not only my best friend and business partner but also my favourite paddling buddy. We spent countless hours exploring different waterways and kayaking across Okanagan Lake together. The love and enthusiasm she had for kayaking was infectious and it saddens me greatly to think of no longer enjoying this activity with her.

However on a happier note I am very excited to have friends in my life who have expressed excitement over kayaking with me this season and investing in an inflatable kayak themselves. They completely understood the convenience of an inflatable kayak and felt it would work perfectly for their lifestyle. Being able to share my paddling experiences and fun with them is going to be awesome! It is always a wonderful feeling to introduce those who have never kayaked before to the sport.

The great thing about kayaking is that it can be enjoyed by any person of any age. Even if you have a disability or health problem you can always paddle in a tandem kayak and have your paddling partner do all the work… if they are willing.

For one of my friends an inflatable kayak is going to be an ideal way for him to enjoy the lake again as he used to as a child with his own son and his step son. For another friend she wants an easy way to transport a kayak to her cabin which is four hours away and on a lake. I know that both of them will benefit greatly from owning an inflatable kayak as I have in my own life.

I now have to remind myself to stop daydreaming of sunnier days and enjoy the moments I have now (something I sometimes find hard to do). I guess time passes quickly enough and for now I will bundle up and enjoy the snow.

If you are looking to get a head start on the season, or even better live in an all year round sunny place, check out our top 5 inflatable kayaks for the most popular choices.

Family, Dogs, Fires and Kayaking – Summer Begins

I love the summer. I feel very lucky to live in a place where I get to experience all of the seasons and I enjoy every one of them. I am especially fond of the summer months however as there is just no better feeling than a hot summer day.

So far my start to this beautiful season has been fairly eventful. My first few weeks of summer included family visits, a lost dog, forest fires and of course paddling in my inflatable kayak.

Week 1 - My Brother Visits from Singapore

I have an older brother, Aaron, who has been living and working in Singapore for the last eight years. Normally he comes to visit us in the winter so I was especially excited that he was making his way out here this summer as I was determined to rope him into kayaking with me.

He has never expressed any great interest in it but I was sure he would love it once he was out in the water. We headed out one morning to Okanagan Lake about fifteen minutes from my home.

As he didn’t have any water gear with him I had him decked out in my Mom’s lifejacket, my hat, my Mom’s scarf, etc. lol. We actually had a really fantastic time and luckily he was a natural at paddling. We did get caught in some high winds and some heavy waves but true to form my Sea Eagle 380X was totally stable and secure.

We rode the waves and paddled as hard as we could into the wind then let the wind basically push us back to where we started. Being the overly safety conscious person that I am, I wouldn’t let us venture too far from shore in those winds but we still had a great time.

Have you Been to Singapore?

While we were kayaking I was trying to convince Aaron that the next time I come to Singapore we need to go out kayaking. I have never kayaked in Singapore.

If any of you have ever been to Singapore or possibly live there then you know how ridiculously hot and humid that place is. To be honest I find the weather to be almost intolerable and really unpleasant for any outside activities… although I think if you live there you likely get used to it.

I am convinced however that it would be great to kayak over there and am going to make it a priority when I go next year. Aaron on the other hand was not so convinced that I would enjoy kayaking in the extreme humidity… I think my complaining is still all too fresh in his mind from my last visit!

So my question for anyone reading this post is… have you ever kayaked in Singapore? I am curious to know your experience.

After a great visit I realized one very important thing… I need a second inflatable kayak!!  With family visiting it is impossible to get everyone out on the water at the same time.

Week 2 – I Found a Lost Puppy

While out for a walk a couple of weeks ago I found the most beautiful puppy wandering the street with no collar, tag or tattoos. She was beyond adorable and I’m guessing a cross between a beagle and a lab (see picture).

After knocking on several doors and not getting any response I found a very nice lady who gave me a massive chain leash that I could use to take her home with me.

During the twenty minute walk home and the hour I had her at my house I completely fell in love with her. I took a few pictures, as you can tell, and I had all sorts of great visions of her becoming my trusty paddling partner.

After my last dog passed away a couple of years ago, I had decided I wouldn’t get another dog for at least a few years. However lately it has become all I think about and I have become a little too obsessed with checking the SPCA listings every day. I thought perhaps this puppy was meant to be mine.

Anyway of course I had to take her to the SPCA. I spent the night agonizing over whether or not her owners came to get her all the while shopping online for a doggy pfd and planning how I would train her to go kayaking.

The next morning I called first thing and of course her owners came and got her and she was back home. Apparently she’s a digger and had dug her way out of the backyard. After a few days of sadness I am back on track and planning for a new dog next year… at which point this site will likely be inundated with pictures of my dog hopefully out kayaking with me.

Week 3 – Forest Fire

One of my biggest complaints about the area I live in is that it gets so extremely dry that every summer we are plagued with awful forest fires. I have been lucky enough to never have been directly affected by these fires but it is a given that at certain points of the summer outside activities get put on hold because there is too much smoke in the air to breathe.

The fires have started early this year and already we had a major fire close to town that unfortunately did a bit of damage.

Consequently kayaking this past week has been out of the question which has made me very unhappy. Luckily the fire is now over and we have had some heavy winds that have blown the smoke away.

So we are excited to be heading back out on the water this week and have a few exciting water destinations planned for the coming weeks ahead.

All in all an eventful first few weeks of summer. Heading into the middle of July there is no more family visits (for the time being), lost dogs or fires… it is back to normal with just me and my inflatable kayak.

Side Note: The particular deer in the picture above was nowhere near the forest fire.  He was simply peacefully watching us pass by.

Be sure to check out our many reviews of all the different inflatable kayaks.

Spring Paddling in my Inflatable Kayak

Finally the weather has cleared and my inflatable kayak got some paddle time this past weekend! We had a very mild winter but any real sunshine and warmth had been eluding us this spring here in the Okanagan. The last month has been nothing but wet and unusually windy.

After taking a road trip down South and hoping to spend my days kayaking, I was instead bombarded with more rain and extreme winds… ugh. However this past weekend was beautiful and much more like the dry, warm weather we are used to here.

My inflatable kayak and gear had been sitting in the trunk of my car for almost a month, ready and waiting to go. Last weekend my mom and I packed up our sunny weather essentials and headed to the lake.

View more of our kayaking pictures on Flickr.

The Joys of Spring Paddling

The water was as calm as glass. In fact it was absolutely beautiful as the vibrant trees along the shoreline reflected in the water and created some beautiful scenery to look at.

It was perfect spring weather… not too hot, not too windy and totally refreshing.

I inflated my kayak and as always marveled at how quickly it sets up. We tossed our gear, lunch and bags into my Sea Eagle 380X and off we went. Within minutes we were both breathing deep and feeling far away from the busyness of our daily lives. The whole day was peaceful, calm and utterly relaxing.

At the end of our paddling there were a few things that I noticed:

1. My arms were tired. They always get tired at the beginning of kayak season and I realized that perhaps I should start lifting some weights to get them back in paddling shape.
2. My two new additions to my inflatable kayak were 100% worth every penny (see below).

My Two New Paddling Additions

I bought two new things this year for my inflatable kayak…

1. The first thing I purchased was a couple of pairs of YakGrips kayak paddle grips. These are little padded grips that go on the kayak paddle to help stop blisters and calluses on your hand while paddling. What a difference they make!!!
   
   My hands used to always get really sore after paddling for some time and consequently I usually wore paddling gloves. In the heat of the summer however I didn’t like to wear the gloves because my hands would get too hot.With the YakGrips my hands were completely comfortable and there was no indication whatsoever of any calluses or blisters. I was extremely happy with the comfort of the YakGrips and would highly recommend them to anyone who has ever suffered from sore hands while kayaking.
2. The second thing I purchased was a waterproof camera. I bought the Fujifilm FinePix Z33 waterproof camera. It wasn’t a very expensive one but I thought it would work great for kayaking.
   
   It was actually quite thrilling to be able to put my camera in the pocket of my PFD and use it at any point while kayaking with absolutely no concerns of it getting wet. I am really impressed with the quality of the pictures it takes and it is such a relief to not have to be concerned with ruining it (as I have with two previous cameras).I know that I am going to have a lot of fun with this waterproof camera and am really happy with the purchase.

All in All a Great Day

The day ended with tired arms, a little sunburn (oops… I didn’t think I needed sunscreen), some great pictures and a couple of happy girls.

I can’t wait to get out again and start exploring some new areas. Happy paddling everyone!

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