Lessons From a Free Kayaking Class

One of my goals is to kayak at the Apostle Islands in Northern Wisconsin.  I have never been kayaking or to the Apostle Islands, but both are something I’ve wanted to do for a while.  Having never been in a kayak and knowing next to nothing about the sport, I was excited by a photocopied flier at our local fitness center advertising a free kayaking course.  I signed up immediately.

When the day finally arrived I wasn’t sure what I would be getting myself into.  I was glad to have my girlfriend and another couple of friends taking the course with me.  There was a brief introduction into the different types of kayaks available and the cost associated with each.  After the introduction we were able to get to the meat of the class; test driving them.

The first boat I tried was a whitewater boat, which is small by design but too small for me.  After trying a variety of different boats of varying types, lengths and styles I finally found one that seemed suited for what I desired from a kayak; ease of use.  I won’t need to use a whitewater kayak for my trip to the Apostle Islands and I didn’t need an ocean kayak.  I had settled into one somewhere in the middle.

When I was searching for kayaks before taking this class, I was clueless that there was any difference in kayaks except that some where longer than others.  As a typical consumer I had always just assumed that bigger was better.  Luckily I learned that it wasn’t so simple by taking this course and now I know the differences between kayaks.  If I would have purchased a kayak before this course I would have ended up with something much too large for my needs and would have probably hated kayaking because I was using the wrong equipment.

At this time I have no plans of buying a kayak, but still hope to be able to accomplish my goals of kayaking at the Apostle Island sometime this summer.  I’m sure I will be able to find a place to rent one that fits my needs.

What is the moral of this story?  Do your research before making a major purchase.  Even if you aren’t able to participate in a course that allows you to engage in hands on learning, the internet is a great place to do research.  There are many websites about whatever you are interested in.  A lot of these websites have a knowledgeable community willing to answer any questions you have.  Get involved with these communities, they are a wealth of information.

Don’t buy blind.  If I would have bought that kayak a year ago, I would have regretted my decision each time I used my kayak.  Don’t make a decision based on an assumption you hold but have no evidence to support your assumption.  Educate yourself before making a major decision, not only when making purchases, but also in your daily life.

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