Last summer, I found myself floating through a narrow slot canyon on the Colorado River, the red rock walls towering 1,000 feet above my kayak. The silence was broken only by the echo of my paddle strokes and the occasional cry of a canyon wren. That's when it hit me - after 20 years of […]

Introduction The morning mist was still clinging to the Wailua River when I pushed my kayak into the jade-colored water for the first time. That was twelve years ago, and I'd just moved to Kauai from Texas, thinking I knew a thing or two about paddling from my weekends on Lake Travis. Boy, was I […]

I'll never forget my first real sea kayaking experience off the Dorset coast. There I was, paddling what felt like a toothpick through 3-foot swells, wondering if I'd bitten off more than I could chew. That was 15 years ago. Since then, I've paddled everywhere from the glassy waters of the Sea of Cortez to […]

The first time I paddled around the corner at Ke'e Beach and saw those 4,000-foot cliffs rising straight from the Pacific, my jaw literally dropped. I'd been kayaking for years – from Alaska's glacier-fed waters to the mangroves of Florida – but nothing prepared me for the raw majesty of kayaking the Na Pali Coast. […]

Last summer, I found myself standing knee-deep in the Little Miami River, watching my buddy's kayak float away after a botched launch. As we scrambled through the shallows trying to catch it, an older paddler glided past and chuckled, "First time on Ohio waters?" That moment taught me two things: always secure your kayak, and […]

The first time I paddled the Hocking River, I nearly missed the Natural Rockbridge entirely. There I was, focused on navigating a tricky bend near mile marker 5, when my buddy shouted from behind, "Dude, look UP!" Towering 50 feet above us was Ohio's largest natural bridge, and I'd been so fixated on my paddle […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]