Quote:
Originally Posted by cheese_cakes
Nice places. Are they free or do they have a fee?
These ones that I'm seeing for 250 dollars, do you think they are decent quality? (is that the normal price?)
Also is there any running costs with a Kayak?
The Carolina Kayak Club sounds good but I wouldn't want to embarrass myself being a newbie!
Thank you for the replies!
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Some places charge a launch fee, others don't. Jordan Lake has both free & pay access sites. Farrington Point is probably the most well known free one at Jordan, but you can Google for others. The county parks usually charge a couple of bucks. If you think you'll be going to state parks often, it might be worth buying an annual pass. You can launch at Harris Lake for free if you do it from the county park. The Three Rivers area (launch from Red Mill Road in Durham) on the Eno is really great, and free.
If you are talking about a new $250 kayak, you're likely looking at what's called a recreational kayak. It'll be around 10 feet or so, wider & stable. It's great for a beginner, but many people wind up moving up. I skipped buying a rec boat, did a lot of research and bought a Wilderness Tsunami 140 (14'). It's considered a day tourer, or cross-over/hybrid kayak. If you think you will be serious about kayaking, I'd recommend getting at least a 12' boat.
There are no running costs once you get the gear you need other than park entry fees or launch fees.
The Carolina Kayak Club is great, but definitely more geared towards experienced paddlers. They will be having a weekend kayak symposium later in the spring, which will offer a variety of classes including those for beginners. You would need to bring your own boat (or borrow/rent one) Check out the kayak Meetup groups, especially if you get a rec boat to start.
Great Outdoor Provision Company (GOPC) will be having it's first demo day at 4pm on 4/17/14 at Lake Crabtree. This is a great way to try out a variety of boats and ask questions about gear. Be careful though, you may fall in love with a boat which is how I wound up getting my second one (16.8" sea kayak).
If you take a little drive to Greensboro, you can visit Get Outdoors. They have a HUGE showroom and the staff is super helpful. That's where I bought my first kayak. They sell used/demo boats at good prices. GOPC sells demo units as well.
Frog Hollow Outdoors is a great local company. They offer kayak rentals and tours as well as classes. I highly recommend their beginner class -
Intro to Kayak Instruction. Lots of great information about safety, paddle strokes, and gear. I took their intermediate one as well.
REI also rents kayaks, and the price is VERY reasonble (rec boats only).
Craigslist is a great source for used kayaks and also roof rack parts. Check out Malone roof racks - the quality is very good, and the price is much less than Yakima or Thule. I've used their Sea Wings and AutoLoader racks. If your roof rack has cross bars, you can get either the Sea Wings or AutoLoader from Amazon for around $100-$120 ($94.24 today). Don't be afraid of buying a used kayak from Craigslist either - many people buy a kayak and never use it. Just try to find one that was stored inside - prolonged exposure to the sun will damage the plastic.
This is a great area for flatwater kayaking (as opposed to whitewater). I fell in love with kayaking the first time I got in a tandem up at Falls Lake. Now not only do I have two boats, but on Saturday I'm headed to Belize for a week of kayaking & snorkeling!
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