I'll never forget the first time my tabby, Captain Whiskers, jumped into my kayak at the boat launch on Lake Travis. There I was, trying to load my fishing gear, when this furry little adventurer decided the cockpit looked like the perfect napping spot. That spontaneous moment launched a three-year journey of paddling together that's […]

Last July, I paddled out from Edgewater Beach just as the sun was painting Cleveland's skyline gold. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame gleamed in the distance while freighters cruised past, their wakes gently rocking my kayak. That's when it hit me – Cleveland might just be one of the most underrated kayaking destinations […]

Last Saturday morning on Lake Travis, I watched my friend Sarah, seven months pregnant, gracefully paddle her sit-on-top kayak across glass-calm water. "I feel more comfortable here than walking on land," she laughed, patting her bump. That moment perfectly captured what I've learned after talking with dozens of pregnant paddlers – yes, you can kayak […]

Last summer on Lake Travis, I watched a paddler's sit-in kayak slowly disappear beneath the surface after he forgot to replace his drain plug. As he treaded water in his PFD, waiting for his buddy to paddle over, I couldn't help but think about all the misconceptions surrounding kayak flotation. That incident sparked countless conversations […]

Last April, I was paddling across Lake Fork in Texas just as the sun cracked the horizon. The water temp had just hit 62°F, and I knew the big females would be moving up. Twenty minutes later, my drop shot got crushed by a 7-pound largemouth in 8 feet of water. That's when the light […]

Last spring, I watched a friend struggle for hours in his brand-new 17-foot sea kayak on our local lake. He'd bought it because it looked "professional" and cost twice as much as the recreational models. Problem was, he couldn't turn the thing to save his life – spent more time doing three-point turns than actually […]

Last April on Lake Travis, I watched a massive largemouth ignore every lure in my tackle box for two hours straight. She was sitting on a bed the size of a truck tire, maybe three feet from my kayak in gin-clear water. Just when I was about to give up, I noticed something – every […]

Last summer in Milford Sound, my paddle blade sliced through water so still it mirrored the 5,000-foot cliffs above. A fur seal popped up next to my kayak, rolled onto its back, and stared at me like I'd invaded its living room. That's when it hit me – after paddling in 47 countries, I'd finally […]

Last Saturday morning at Lady Bird Lake, I watched a guy struggle with every stroke, his knuckles constantly banging against his kayak's gunwales. His paddle was way too short. After 20 minutes, he paddled over to me, frustrated and asking why kayaking felt so difficult. That's when I realized how many paddlers are using the […]

The crack of glacier ice hitting water echoed across the bay like thunder. My paddle froze mid-stroke as a house-sized chunk of Aialik Glacier crashed into the sea, sending waves rippling toward my kayak. After two decades of paddling from Texas to Tasmania, nothing prepared me for the raw power of kayaking in Alaska. Last […]