Last month at Lake Travis, I watched a guy turn his $1,500 fishing kayak into Swiss cheese. He'd gone drill-happy installing every accessory imaginable – rod holders, fish finder mount, anchor trolley, the works. By the time he hit the water, his kayak was taking on more water than the Titanic. The kicker? He'd drilled […]

The morning mist was still clinging to the New River Gorge when I launched my kayak at Sandstone Falls last June. Within minutes, I'd spotted three bald eagles, navigated my first Class II rapid of the day, and remembered exactly why West Virginia had stolen my heart five years earlier. After paddling over 300 miles […]

I'll never forget the morning I first paddled out onto Sylvan Lake in the Black Hills. The granite spires reflected in the crystal-clear water looked like something straight out of a fantasy novel. After 15 years of kayaking in South Dakota, I've discovered this state holds some of the best-kept paddling secrets in the Midwest […]

The first time I paddled into Emerald Cave at La Jolla, I knew San Diego had ruined me for kayaking anywhere else. Where else can you spot leopard sharks in the morning, grab fish tacos for lunch, and finish the day surfing your kayak back through gentle waves? After spending the last decade exploring every […]

Last March, I watched a manatee surface three feet from my kayak in the crystal-clear waters of Silver Springs. The gentle giant's whiskers broke the surface as it munched on eelgrass, completely unbothered by my presence. That moment – paddling through 72-degree spring water so clear I could count individual scales on bass swimming beneath […]

I'll never forget my first overnight canoe trip on Lake George. After paddling all day, I was so exhausted I could barely set up camp. Then came the real challenge - trying to sleep on rocky ground with just a thin foam pad. I tossed and turned all night, woke up with a sore back, […]

The afternoon wind picked up faster than weather apps predicted on Lake Travis last spring. My buddy Mark, who'd insisted he was "totally fine" after a marathon week at work, suddenly stopped paddling about two miles from our launch. His face said everything – exhaustion had hit like a wall. That's when I reached for […]

Last summer on Lake Travis, I watched a guy load his sit-in kayak with two coolers, camping gear, and his 80-pound golden retriever. The kayak sat so low that water started pouring over the cockpit rim before he even pushed off from shore. That expensive fishing kayak became a submarine in about 30 seconds flat. […]

Last Saturday morning on Lake Marion, I was setting up for what should have been a perfect sunrise paddle. Glass-calm water, fish jumping, not another soul in sight. Then the invisible army attacked. Within minutes, I had welts up and down my arms that itched like crazy. No-see-ums had found me, and they were hungry. […]

I'll never forget my first time paddling into Sunny Jim's Cave. The morning sun lit up the sandstone walls like they were made of gold, and a curious sea lion popped up right next to my kayak, close enough to spray me with his exhale. That was twelve years ago, and I've been hooked on […]