Last summer, I launched my kayak into Tomales Bay just as the morning fog lifted, revealing a pod of harbor seals playing in the glassy water. After 20 years of paddling California's diverse waterways - from the rugged Lost Coast to the desert lakes of SoCal - I'm still discovering new favorite spots. The Golden […]

Bottom Line Up Front: Two documented cases show kayakers being temporarily engulfed by humpback whales—one in Chile (2025) and another in California (2020). Both paddlers survived unharmed, and experts confirm whales cannot actually swallow humans due to throat size limitations. Here's everything you need to know about these incredible encounters and how to stay safe […]

The first time I paddled into Painted Cave on Santa Cruz Island, my headlamp died halfway through the 1,200-foot cavern. There I was, in complete darkness with only the sound of water lapping against ancient volcanic walls. My guide's voice echoed from somewhere ahead: "Just follow the sound of my paddle." That moment of pure […]

The sun was barely peeking over the treeline when I slipped my kayak into Miller's Farm Pond last spring. Within ten minutes of working a weightless Senko parallel to the cattail edge, a 5-pound largemouth exploded on the surface. That fish taught me something I'd been missing after years of chasing bass on big lakes: […]

The first time I paddled into that pitch-black limestone mine, my headlamp cutting through 100-year-old darkness, I knew I'd discovered something extraordinary. Cave kayaking in Kentucky isn't your typical weekend paddle – it's like entering another world where rainbow trout follow your LED-lit kayak and underground waterfalls echo through chambers that haven't seen sunlight since […]

The morning I launched my first V-hull sea kayak into 3-foot chop at Galveston, I learned a hard lesson about kayak hull designs. My buddy in his flat-bottom fishing kayak looked like he was riding a mechanical bull, while I sliced through those waves like they weren't even there. That day changed how I think […]

Last summer, I finally hit my breaking point. My garage looked like a kayak graveyard with boats stacked on boats, paddles scattered everywhere, and my wife threatening to park my truck outside if I brought home "just one more" fishing kayak. Sound familiar? That's when I decided to build my own kayak storage shed. After […]

Last April, I watched the morning mist lift off the Kentucky River as limestone cliffs towered 300 feet above my kayak. A great blue heron stood motionless on a rock ledge, waiting for breakfast to swim by. After paddling in 38 states over the past two decades, that moment in the Palisades still ranks in […]

Last Memorial Day weekend, I watched in envy as a parade of kayakers glided past my picnic spot at Lighthouse Point Park. Their colorful boats dotted the calm waters of Morris Creek like floating confetti, and that's when I knew – I'd been missing out on one of Connecticut's best-kept secrets. After spending the entire […]

Last Friday at dawn, I sat in my kayak watching the mist rise off Lake Travis, completely still except for the gentle drip of water from my paddle. That's when it hit me - the quote my grandfather used to say: "The river teaches what books cannot." Twenty years of paddling later, I finally understood […]