6 hours of driving + 2 hours of research = 1 nap

I recently found out that the worst type of kayak you can use in the Adirondack Canoe Classic is a short, fat one - aka my recreational kayak. This was some discouraging news. Looks like another chunk of money I'm gonna be spending. So, I hit the road on Saturday before my husband was even out of bed and made it to the canoe/kayak demo in Farmville, Va in three hours.

Though I drove around the little town for 20 minutes, I finally found the poorly marked entrance to the top of Wilkes Lake. The parking lot... err, field was starting to fill up. I made my way over to the boats, signed in and got fitted with life vest. The shore of this lake, which would be considered merely a pond in NY, was lined with all different types of kayaks and canoes. The angler crowd was there, white water kayakers, first time boaters looking for a rec. kayak or canoe, there were surf kayaks, kayaks with sails and catamarans. It was your basic one-stop-shop for self propelled water craft. I seemed to be the only one looking for a boat to complete a marathon paddle.

After wandering for a bit, I finally got the attention of staff member. Nice guy. Can't remember his name. He was from New Hampshire and I was glad that he'd actually heard of my 90-miler. He told me some war stories of friend of his... I really didn't need to hear about his friend, in great shape, who couldn't finish the race. Anyway, he was stoked to help me out and showed me a great touring kayak - the Wilderness Tsunami 165 (though he said the 160 would be better for me since I have a smaller frame). This boat has some nice bells and whistles that my current kayak can't even dream of. Adjustable seat, thigh and hip support, and a ratcheting backband to keep your posture on point. I was impressed.

He told me to ditch my Teva's. Asked me if I minded stepping onto the mucky bottom of the lake. And steadied the boat as I slipped down the bank and stepped into the kayak. Everything about it felt more comfortable then what I'm currently using... except the crappy paddle.

Note: If you go to demo a kayak BRING YOUR OWN PADDLE! It makes a huge difference and is just as important a piece of equipment as your boat.

The Tsunami weighs a heft 65-lbs and I could feel the difference a bit as I paddled. Because the lake was so small I couldn't really get a good reading on if I was cutting through the water efficiently or not. Plus, I had to dodge all the other people on the water. Many of them didn't know how to steer and a touring kayak doesn't turn like a rec. kayak. There were no collisions.

After 20 minutes or so I headed back to shore. I climbed out. Was glad that I didn't tip her since I'm not used to the narrow design. I was then directed to the P&H kayak dealer. These boats are classified as sea kayaks and are lighter (55-lbs) and more narrow than the boat I just left. Didn't have the same great adjustable options as the Tsunami but is supposed to be made of a layered plastic that's more ridged. This info is a bit lost on me cause I'm not at that level yet. Getting it out on the water I could feel how much less stable I was. The kayak wobbled in the water with each stroke. I grabbed a worse paddle than before and it seemed to be welded with the blades at too great an angle from one another. I had an annoying 15 minutes in the water veering left. I felt like a total novice.

That wrapped it up for me. I was wet (not sure how all that water got in the kayaks before I tried them out), hot from paddling in blazing sun, and not looking forward to the three hours back to northern Virginia. I don't think I found "my" new kayak at the demo day but talking to the staff there I have a much better understanding of what I need to get. Now it's time to surf the net and find the boat of my dreams... or a boat I can afford. Either one will do :)

Quest for a New Kayak

Well, I'm just about to head out the door to Farmville, VA to check out Demo Day 2009. I'm wisely driving my compact car the 3-hours south-west and not my husband's truck. That would have been too tempting to throw a kayak in the back of.

I'm also just about a week away from receiving the application forms for the Adirondack Canoe Classic. I've been finding some folks online who are blogging about the race. I'll post those links in the coming day or two.