Brad Selers answers:

No

Brad Selers answers:

Order one off of ebay or another online store. You can customize it to the price of your liking.

Brad Selers answers:

Most of the rivers I know about in WV are class IV and up (it's so mountainous) though there is plenty of good camping and hiking in the Monongahela National Forest. How about southwest PA? The Laurel Mountain area centered on Ohiopyle an hour east of Pittsburgh has the Youghiogheny River with some Class I to III sections and you can rent kayaks at a couple of outfitters. Lots of mountain biking, hiking and camping in the area, too, definitely a relief from pancake-flat Ohio.

Brad Selers answers:

I have flown alone several times. Out of all the times I did fly on my own I enjoyed Frontier the most

Brad Selers answers:

Down so the air flow pushes it against the roof and not lift if up beside if it rains the weight could do damage to the roof and make the car top heavy

Brad Selers answers:

It's almost always per-trip. A typical trip is $20-$50, depending on how long the run is. You can get in 1-2 trips per day. If you are lucky, you can get a tip from $5-$20 per passenger, but you can't count on it.

Work is definitely seasonal, and it's not consistent. It's also not that easy. This is not something that's easy to make a real career out of (even running a rafting company isn't very lucrative). It's really a labor of love for most people.

Brad Selers answers:

Http://www.rei.com/

Has some of the best camping and Kayaking equipment I have ever seen. All top of the line too, they are expensive but in most cases it is well worth the extra money.

Brad Selers answers:

Here is the best site for finding stream, creek and river levels. Oddly enough, it is brought to us by our governement (looks like they can do something right)

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ga/nwis/rt/

This is the specific site for GA, but if you click on the usgs symbol on the upper left, it will take you to the main page, just click on the state on the map of the US and it will take you to the water monitor site for that state as well.

Happy paddling.

Brad Selers answers:

#1 spot is the Abel Tasman National Park, near Nelson. Top of the South Island

http://www.seakayaking.co.nz

#2 Marlborough / Picton – The Marlborough Sounds - http://www.destinationmarlborough.com

#3 Queenstown – Milford Sounds, http://www.fiordland.org.nz

#4 Lake Wanaka - http://www.lakewanaka.co.nz/index.cfm/Home

Brad Selers answers:

Whoa! Kayaking is a group sport. One safety rule states: Never kayak alone. A minimum group is three boats. In case of accident one boater can stay at the site or with the injured and the third can go for help. Trips are arranged from put-ins to take-outs. The usual practice is to put one car at the take-out and then use the second car to get back to the put-in. Some runs host commercial trips. And their drivers may offer rides back. I have known boaters to drop a bike off at the take-out and use it to get back to the car at the take-out. Please take a lesson or two...kayaking is a dangerous sport.

Brad Selers answers:

In they key some where around Marithon their are little places you can rent a kayak and go kayaking its nice

Brad Selers answers:

Hello
There is Canoe Escape

http://www.canoeescape.com/

Despite the name you can rent Kayaks as well
They mainly do trips down the Hillsborough River

Canoe Outpost

http://www.canoeingfun.com/

Again despite the name they do rent Kayaks as well
The mainly go down the Little Manatee River
but also do trips to Cockroach Bay (horrible name, nice paddling) & Braden River

Also, it's not in Hillsborough county
but
Fort Desoto does Kayak rentals

http://www.best-of-st-pete-beach.com/kayaking-fort-desoto-park.html

If your looking to do saltwater this is your best bet.

A lot of the state parks will also rent out kayaks if they have them.

Also check with outfitter stores and see who they suggest

http://www.flintcreekoutfitter.com/

http://www.billjacksons.com/kayaking.php

Make sure to have fun and Wear Sunscreen!!!!

Brad Selers answers:

Keep your plans for the outdoor activities. Even if there is a hurricane in the area. It is not guaranteed it will hit here. Most hurricane predictions cover a very large area and there will be plenty of time to adjust your plans if it does come your direction.

Brad Selers answers:

I don't know if the age is 16 or 18. You need a license to fish in Florida anywhere. Don't get caught without one. The penalties are very strict. One license covers both salt and fresh.

Brad Selers answers:

The Weeki Wachee River happens to be one of the places that the website paddling.net did a complete trip review on. Here's a link to the review below. You can also check out the site for day trips on the river as well as hundreds of other paddling trips. They'll also link you up with all the places you could want, and give you detailed instruction about the skills needed to paddle there.

Enjoy your trip.

Brad Selers answers:

Don't be frustrated-- you've only been out on the water for one day. Try to find a calmer venue for now while you're getting acquainted with your new boats, somewhere away from the boat wakes and on a day with no wind. And definitely go take a lesson. Besides getting essential safety training, you'll pick up a lot more technique working interactively with an instructor than trying to figure things out on your own.

Brad Selers answers:

I assume you are talking about sea kayaking, the odds of you being attacked by a shark in a kayak are less than being struck by lightning. Paddling in open water you should develop an awareness of your surroundings, meaning developing your paddling skills and as well learning all you can about the marine animals and marine mammals in the area you are paddling. There are certain things you can do as well to lessen an encounter in open water that would aid in lessening a possible chance encounter. Sharks primarily fed at early morning and early sunset. As well most sharks seem to fed more so at night. You can avoid shark encounters in most waters by staying well clear of fishing boats and piers. Especially when fishing piers seem to have more than an abundance of "chum" in the water to attract different species of fish.
I have paddled all over the world, and on more than one time seen the distinctive fin of different sharks on different waters. Remaining calm, paddle away from the area cautiously and with a watchful eye to the species you see. Sharks are by nature curious but I have yet to hear of an kayaker being attacked by leopard sharks. In fact the only attack I have ever heard of was one in Africa 2250 miles up the Zambezi river by Mud Sharks.having paddled with sand tiger sharks, mud sharks, and reportedly areas where great whites exist I have yet to have a dangerous encounter. As a diver, I have dove with sharks and studied them in awe.
Primarily I love paddling the Atlantic, and i think the concern should be developing skills for open water and remember that you should never paddle alone, equip yourself with the proper emergency equipment to recover from an upset, carry a marine band radio, you may want to look into purchasing a "SPOT" Satellite Emergency device .(Findmespot.com) and as well , know that even the most experienced paddlers are sometimes called upon to re-enter their kayaks after an upset.
Study the tides and charts, weather reports, learn to read the water, the waves winds and currents, weather indicators. Enjoy your paddling and as well I hope you will share your paddling experiences here with us, Enjoy..........................

Brad Selers answers:

Rod, reel and lures, paddle and life jacket, sunscreen and suntan lotion,water, food, and a fish stringer. Add a large brim hat and sun shades and you're ready to fish.Sounds like you're going to have a lot of fun.

Brad Selers answers:

Contact phone Charles ( phone 214-941-1757 ) at the following company. They arrange river boating, kayak and other types of excursions in and around Dallas area rivers.

Trinity River Expeditions
304 Lyman Circle
Dallas, Texas 75211

It may not be like river rapids in Virginia .... Nevertheless, it still is good.

Brad Selers answers:

Take lessons, carry appropriate rescue gear, don't go out in bad weather, learn good paddling skills, don't depend on the steerable rudder to turn your craft, wear an immersion suit, carry a pump or bailing bucket and sponge, carry a cell phone in a sealed plastic bag, always wear your PFD, don't offset your paddles (this is only for racing), use a craft that is no longer than you need, try a sit on top kayak as they are basically unsinkable (except for the ones with storage hatches that could come loose) and it compels you to wear an immersion suit, and if you go over it's bum first, feet last to get back on, and finally, tell someone where you are going and when you will be coming back, and try not to make long open crossings where you can't see the shore. Oh yeah, one more thing, obtain and learn how to use a GPS system and keep it in a sealed plastic container.

Brad Selers answers:

Ok, I don't have stats for that area, but here in Florida, in the past 50 years or so, alligators have been responsible for about 26 human fatalities... Compare that with dogs, which kill more people every year, and really, alligators aren't too much of a threat at all...

What time of year do you plan on going? Just to be on the safe side, I would avoid late March through May, due to courtship and territorial issues... Most "attacks" on canoes and kayaks are misunderstandings... Gator is hanging out on the bank, paddler comes around a corner too close, scares the gator, gator makes a break for deeper water and bumps the bottom of the boat on it's way, ~however~ during that time of year, all a gator cares about is the fact that there is something else as long (or longer) than it "swimming" through it's turf, when real attacks on kayaks or other small craft do occur, they are usually during that time frame. (early this year an 11 footer attacked a kayak on the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge... Luckily it was shallow water and the gator was more concerned with the kayak than anything else)

Fed alligators pose a special problem... They don't recognize the specific people who feed them, they just recognize the basic shape... I know of several boat ramps here in Florida that have had trouble due to people feeding alligators (or "improperly disposing of fish cleanings") where every small boat that was launched would be bumped by large alligators... Again, I don't know the stats up that way, but I'm sure it's similar... 95% of attacks by alligators here in Florida link back to the gator being fed.

My suggestions? Avoid being out on the water at dawn and dusk... Alligators are crepuscular, most of their hunting takes place during these times.

As inviting as it may be, don't decide to go swimming if it's not in a designated swimming area... You're in their turf, the very few "unprovoked" fatal attacks here in Florida have been on people swimming in remote areas and the attacks were all by extremely large alligators.

Stay back from overgrown shorelines... Just because most "attacks" on kayaks are bump and runs, doesn't mean that some surly gator won't wreck your 'yak any time of year... If there's a bunch of cover, assume there's an alligator, and give it plenty of room so it knows you're not a threat... Try not to make them feel trapped (remember, alligators are more comfortable and feel safer in the water than out of the water.)

Don't feed them... This includes "incidental feeding" If you're catching fish for shore lunch, don't throw your cleanings back in the water... Catch a trash fish? Treat it like it's a game fish and let it regain it's strength after a fight and swim off on it's own rather than just tossing it back... Tired injured fish that have been caught and released are an easy meal for alligators, and they ~do~ know what a person with a fishing pole means.

Pick as open of a bank as you can find when going in to camp... Cattails and other clumps of vegetation are ambush points for alligators... You want to be able to see as much of the shoreline as you can, and not that I think an alligator would come up into your campsite and bust into your tent to get you, but set up camp as far back from the water as possible...

While alligators deserve every scrap of respect you can give them, they aren't out to get anyone... However, if you do find yourself in an unlucky position, just remember that people who don't fight back don't get loose (not promising that everyone who fights back does get loose, but if you don't try, you've got no chance)... Gator bumps your 'yak? Bump him back with your paddle if it's not a bump and run... Heck, drop your anchor on his head if he gives you a chance and you need to... There aren't many soft spots on these animals, but if you're in the position where you need to use them, you need to know them... The fleshy spot where their nostrils are, eyes, and if you're unlucky enough to be in a position to take advantage of it the glottis (the flap at the back of the mouth that keeps the water out if they open their mouth underwater)... You find your hand in a gator's mouth, you grab for whatever you can get inside there if you've got any movement in your hand anymore.

Something else that I'm reminded of from when I was working on the tour boat... Had a family from Louisiana on and they were commenting on how much bolder alligators here in Florida are than they are up that way... Louisiana has a much more extensive public hunt than Florida does, and alligators that way know that people are bad news... Here in Florida people are more likely to feed them than shoot them, so ours are more.... "friendly" (please note the quotation marks... They're not really friendly at all...)

Main thing is just to give them room if at all possible.

Have fun, and wear a PFD.

Brad Selers answers:

I would say with a water temp that low, you may consider a dry suit (they are expensive but it's life verses death in some cases.) Also check out a video on self rescues that way if you are tipped you can get back in without struggle. Getting back in is harder than it appears, while many kayakers think under 5 minuets is a realistic goal for getting back in, it could be 28-30+ minuets if you aren't familar with entering on open water. Make sure you have packed paddle floats also.

If you cannot afford the dry suit, wear a wetsuit ($30 at Sam's Club or $60-$90ish in a chain sporting goods store. Furthermore, make sure you have an appropriate lifejacket. Even though it seems like a given, you may need it more than you know.

Also, consider layering for warmth. (especially if you don't have a splash guard.

PS-We were just out on Lake Erie on Sat.
Have a great trip!

Brad Selers answers:

Vermont, and Maine would be great for this sort of vacation. Think of the scenery in the movie On Golden Pond.

Astrobuf

Brad Selers answers:

The answer is of course you can make it to the Arctic Circle from Canada. Much of Canada is north of the Arctic Circle and not just the northern islands.

Brad Selers answers:

I am a kayak instructor. Yes it is scary(But don't be scared), the life vest rated level 3 is a life saver. Yes it is simple to tip a kayak, but there's a secret to it. Let yor hips go as loose as Elvis when you get in. If you can rock the boat using your hips like Elvis and keep the top of your body straight up and balanced, you have it down. Try this out in waist deep water (Not shallow water, the head hits bottom when you roll and the mud stinks!) Get wet and enjoy the process. Keep the hips loose and don't force anything. The kayak will do as you want it as long as you know how to keep loose and dont lean. DONT LEAN OVER! Yes this is a mighty funny thing to watch people do! You lean you get wet-it's a rule. Don't reach out for the dock or anything next to the boat either. This will surely show you fish up close! Keep your center of gravity in a straight line upward. But don't be stiff and scared. On a dock entry, don't try to step into the boat. Sit down next to the boat and slide your legs in first. Then slide your butt in as you hold onto the dock. If you enter in on sand, get the boat to the water where the front floats and the back is grounded. The boat will try to tip to one side, let it tip. Get in as it is tipped sideways. You will be ok. Then have someone GENTLY shove you in, or do the crow hop. The crow hop is when you lean forward and jut your hips forward until the boat scoots into the water by itself(remember -loose hips) enjoy it. Bring a towel and keep it and the dry clothes in your car. Bring sunblock, LOTS OF WATER and snacks. Bring a whisle to alert other boaters and wear bright attire! Have fun!!!!!