|
Kayaks and canoes seem to be everywhere these days - strapped on top of cars, lying on shores, and spotted in local waterways. Kayaks and canoes are portable, light enough to carry to waterways, and relatively easy for beginners to use.
How to get started, and where to go to paddle, and who to turn to for guidance; that is the question.
Resources can be found at the Onondaga County Public Library, on the Internet, and with local paddling organizations.
Books and Videos
Magazines
Websites
Events
Regional Resources
Renters & Suppliers
Groups and Associations
Subject Headings to use when you search:
Paddle
Paddler
Paddling
Kayak
Kayaker
Kayaking
Canoe
Canoeing
Books:
Squires, Dennis. New York Exposed: The Whitewater State, Volumes 1 and 2, 2003
Stuhaug, Dennis. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Canoeing and Kayaking. 2004
Essentials of River Kayaking. 2004
Glickman, Joe. The Kayak Companion. 2003
Mattos, Bill. The Practical Guide to Kayaking and Canoeing. 2002
Knapp, Andy. The Optimum Kayak: How to Choose, Maintain, Repair, and Customize the Boat for You. 2000
Hayes, John. Quiet Water Canoe Guide, New York: Best Paddling Lakes and Ponds for Canoe and Kayak. 1996
Adirondack Mountain Club Canoe and Kayak Guide, East-Central New York State: includes selected waterways of Western New England. 2003
Foster, Nigel. Open Canoe Technique: A Complete Guide to Paddling the Open Canoe. 2004
Freeman, Rich. Take a Paddle: Finger Lakes. 2004
McGuffin, Gary. Paddle Your Own Canoe. 1999
Kuhne, Cecil. Kayaking. 1998
Mason, Bill. Path of the Paddle. 1995
Ehling, Bill. Canoeing Central New York. 1982
Videos
Kayaking Basics: Paddling with Olympic Champion Greg Barton. 1991
Practical Kayaking. 2004
Classic Solo Canoeing. 2000
Complete Guide to Canoe Trips and Camping. 1991
Introduction to Canoeing
Canoe & Kayak Magazine
Canoe & Kayak features adventure paddling destinations, equipment reviews, paddling techniques, health and fitness, conservation, the paddling environment, and the people, ideas, issues and events that shape the growing sport of paddling. Available at some libraries in the system.
Messing About In Boats
Twice a month we arrive in your mail with interesting articles, many from our readers, about dreaming of, designing, building or restoring, sailing, rowing, paddling, and adventuring in small boats. Plus readers' letters, Bolger on Design, featured columnists, advertising from boatbuilders, restorers, suppliers of plans and materials for small boating, and free subscriber classified ads.
Paddler Magazine
Whether you're a beginner or seasoned canoeist, whitewater kayaker, sea kayaker or rafter, Paddler magazine is guaranteed to get your paddling juices flowing year round. Each issue is filled with exciting stories on places to paddle, skill enhancement, gear reviews, environmental issues, industry updates and profiles of leading paddlers. Readers can expect high-quality photography and topnotch journalism in every issue. Our mission is simple: to make you want to dust off your paddle and get back out on the water.
Boundary Waters Journal
Every issue of The Boundary Waters Journal contains 12 in-depth articles for everyone who wants to learn more about the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW), Quetico Provincial Park, and surrounding Superior National Forest. Topics include wilderness canoe routes, camping, fishing, resort/cabin vacations, hiking, hunting, photography, cross-country skiing, wildlife, conservation and resource management, equipment field test reviews, outdoor cooking, area history, regional lifestyles and personalities, fictional essays plus many special features. The Boundary Waters Journal is designed to help you enjoy the BWCAW/Quetico area to the fullest.
Outfitters and Instruction
Kayaking in New York - Your online kayaking resource.
Find a great paddling route, a kayak outfitter or store, a kayaking school, rental shop, or tour guide.
Adirondack Exposure
Your guide to great vacation planning, kayak trips and paddling instruction.
Paddling in New York
Information on canoeing and kayaking trips in New York. Links, books, outfitters and more, all from New York. [Includes] reports and descriptions of places to canoe or kayak in New York.
St. Regis Canoe Outfitters (and kayaks)
Canoeing and kayaking in the Adirondacks - vacations, trips, tours, rentals, fishing and more.
Go Paddle Paddlesport Outfitters
Canoe, kayak, raft, and tube paddlesport providers in New York. The most comprehensive directory of paddlesports outfitters on the internet.
Old Forge, New York
Under 'Local Links' find a listing of boat and canoe service and rental places in Old Forge, NY.
Education and Entertainment
Canoeing and Visual Art
Website for Becky Mason's instructional DVDs. Her father, Bill Mason, is the 'grandfather' of paddling instruction. Their instructional films are the original, and still the best, how-to-paddle DVDs on the market.
Young Gun Productions
Produces paddling videos, and the founder, Rush Sturges, was recognized as one of Outside Magazine's 'Cool People Now'.
Whitewater Video
Lots and lots of books and videos, including Bill Mason's classic "Path of the Paddle" series, and Becky Mason's "Classic Solo Canoeing", both in DVD.
Pete and Ed Books
Offers a wide selection of books, maps. videos, and magazines on outdoor recreation, and links to canoeing, kayaking, and rafting clubs around the U.S. (by state) and around the world (by country).
Equipment and Accessories
Spring Creek Outfitters - catalog available online and in print.
Piragis Northwoods Company - catalog available online and in print.
Northwest River Supplies (NRS) - catalog available online and in print.
Events
Mountain Man's Spring Adirondack Paddlefest
Adirondack Museum's Wooden Boat Expo and No-Octane Regatta
"AWA - Adirondack Watershed Alliance"
Your source for Canoe & Kayak Race information in the Adirondacks.
Fall Moose River Festival aka "Moosefest"
Contact local canoe and kayak suppliers
(see below), as they often sponsor demo days and test paddles.
Clubs
Kanawake Canoe and Kayak Club
Club members wrote many of the paddling site evaluations in the ADK and Finger Lakes paddling guides. They are dedicated to: Promoting recreational paddling, instruction, safety, protecting and improving our natural environment and supporting related groups and programs.
CNY Kayak Club
The CNY Kayak Club brings people together to enhance the pleasure of flatwater kayaking. The club provides group opportunities for all levels of experience, from novice to expert, to share, learn, and have fun, while navigating the many waterways of Central New York.
Rental and Boat Suppliers
Eastern Mountain Sports
530 Towne Center
Fayetteville, NY 13066
(315) 637-9250
Dick's Sporting Goods
3649 Erie Blvd. East
Syracuse, NY 13214
(315) 449-2232
Northern Outfitters
380 Oriskany Blvd.
Whitesboro, NY 13492
(315) 768-1568
Mountainman Outdoor Supply Company (Old Forge)
2855 State Route 28
PO Box 909
(315 369-6672
Mountainman Outdoor Supply Company (Inlet)
221 State Route 28
PO Box 659
Inlet, NY 13360
(315) 357-6672
Tickner's Moose River Outfitters
State Route 28
Old Forge, NY 13360
(315) 369-6286
Can email them at:
tickner@capital.net
Whitewater Challengers
Route 28
Old Forge, NY 13420
(800) 443-RAFT
Oak Orchard Canoe and Kayak
1350 Empire Blvd. (Rte 404)
Rochester, NY 14609
(585) 288-5550
Adirondack Mountain Club
ADK is a 35,000-member nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection and responsible recreational use of the NYS Forest Preserve, parks, wild lands, and waters. ADK employes a balanced approach to outdoor recreation, advocacy, environmental eduction, and natural resource conservation. There are 27 local chapters throughout New York and in New Jersey and Massachusetts.
Northern Forest Canoe Trail
The Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT), after years of effort from dedicated paddlers, became a reality in the summer of 2006, and established a [linked] water trail tracing historic Native American travel routes across New York, Québec, New Hampshire, and Maine.
Fingerlakes-Ontario Watershed Paddlers (FLOW)
The Finger Lakes Ontario Watershed Paddlers' Club was founded by a group of paddlers who wanted to provide a local club committed to serving the needs of a diverse paddling community, from those seeking the solitude of the back country to those craving the crashing of the waves. Our goal is to spread the rewards of paddling through educational programs and opportunities, provide interest specific services to paddlers and encourage paddlers to meet, learn, and teach each other.
St. Lawrence Valley Paddlers
SLVP is a not-for-profit club formed in 1993 and incorporated in 1994 and is open to anyone with an interest in paddlesport. The club is an active force in the development and promotion of canoe and kayak racing in the St. Lawrence Valley and the region.
USA Canoe and Kayak Organization
The national governing body for the United States Olympic team.
The American Canoe Association
Education - Recreation - Stewardship. Dedicated to helping people enjoy the outdoors using kayaks, canoes and rafts, since 1880. They also offer kayak instruction and instructor certification.
New England Canoe and Kayak Racing Association
A volunteer run organization dedicated to advancing the sport of canoe and kayak racing to paddlers of all skill levels. Professionals and recreational paddlers work together with a broad program of races, newsletters, and publicity, to promote the enjoyment of our sport.
The National Organization for Rivers (NORS)
NORS is a national organization for canoeing, kayaking, rafting, fly-fishing, river conservation, river access, and river navigability law, including river running, river trips, raft trips, whitewater trips, float trips, wilderness rivers, and Wild and Scenic Rivers. NORS is working to assert public-trust ownership of thousands of miles of rivers that are presently treated as private. This movement helps conserve these rivers and riverside lands, and ensure public access non-destructive recreation.
The Rideau Canal Waterway
Trek a little farther north to Canada and The Rideau Canal, which runs for 202 km (125 miles) from Kingston to Ottawa, connecting boaters and visitors with an earlier time when canal building was a means of improving trade and defending a growing nation. Today the canal offers the perfect setting for relaxation and recreation, particularly for the paddler. The Rideau system encompasses 47 locks, 24 lock-stations, historic building, and two large watersheds: The Rideau and the Cataraqui.