The first place outside of Hawaii that paddleboarding became
prevalent was in California, naturally. Today, paddleboarding is
still one of the top watersports of places like San Diego, Santa
Barbara, and Coronado Island. There are also a ton of places to
catch a SUP tour in Florida, such as Key West. What better way to
explore the mangrove forests than standing up on a paddleboard
and sliding through the calm waters?
Not going to be able to make it to the Florida shores or the California coast? That’s okay. Paddleboarding is popular on lakes and
calm rivers as well, so try Canada or even Seattle, where they
offer tours along the waterways.
CANOEING
& KAYAKING
It can be hard now-a-days to tell the difference between a new canoe and a new kayak, especially the ones that are used for sporting events, such as the Olympic Games. Canoe
sprinting was officially named a discipline in Berlin
in 1936, and today, both kayaks and canoes are used
for the events. Further, we learn that the kayak originated from the Eskimo people, where the word kayak is rooted to “man boat,” and was used by the men who ventured
out into the icy waters to fish. The kayak was made with animal
skin stretched over top of it, which enclosed the deck, except
where the paddler sits inside of the vessel itself. This was so that
the freezing waters did not enter the boat. Therefore, in essence,
a kayak is a type of canoe.
Canoes, on the other hand, have been around for hundreds of
years, and were used for everything from transportation to warfare. A canoe is designed with an open deck, or “hollow,” in which
the paddler sits on a bench. In modern sporting events, these
classic differences can sometimes be hard to notice, so the main
defining characteristics have become the paddles themselves.
A canoe paddle has a single blade and is used in a switching motion to paddle forward. A kayak’s paddle has two blades, one on
either end, with which the paddler will rotate through the water.
Kayaks are also built for moving through more treacherous waters, such as saltwater and rapids, though some skilled paddlers
still prefer the canoe.
For the ultimate canoe trip, take a journey to Buffalo National River, in northern Arkansas. Buffalo River is protected by the National
Park Service, and is over 100 miles long. The river offers a variety
of different intensities, but stay away from the upper sections if
you’re a beginner. The upper sections are very difficult to master, and are suitable only for experts and guided trips. Campsites
can be seen along the riverbank, and paddlers are welcome to
travel the entire length of the river, making for a remarkable dual
camping and canoeing adventure. To paddle through the entire
river would take nearly ten days, depending on water levels and
personal skillsets.
104 Summer 2016 Adventure Outdoors