Seems many people I’ve come across in the paddling community (myself include) all go through a very similar kayaker’s journey of going from casual to recreational and then a more intentional form, like sea kayaking.
I’ve had a few boats (one recreational, one touring I bought used off Craigslist) for 20+ years but I only paddled recreationally in sheltered waters on warm summer days. Then through a series of accidents and a couple of deliberate decisions, in 2023/2024, I did eventually get into sea kayaking when I signed up for every formal instruction course offered and then joined Rough Riders group at the BayCreek, our local paddling shop.
Current Routine & Focus
During the summer, I’m generally out on the water 1-3 times a week when in addition to weekends I’ll go before/after work or sneak away for a long lunch. In the spring/fall shoulder season mornings are colder and evenings are darker and so my frequency slows down a bit.
You’ll often find me at the BayCreek shop on Irodequoit Bay as that’s only 15 min from where I live. But then we are lucky to live in Rochester NY, with so many other paddling locations including Lake Ontario, the Erie Canal, various creeks and then the whole Finger Lakes Region.
Let’s Paddle Together
I’m always on the lookout for local paddling partners. If any of the following sounds like you, don’t hesitate to reach out! Best way to find me is through Facebook. I am a member of the ROCkin the Paddle LifeFB group or send me a DM via FB Messenger App.
- Skill Building: Looking for someone to drill with, especially if you are working on your roll.
- Shoulder Season / Winter: Open to meet people crazy enough to paddle during the months when majority of paddlers put away their equipment for the season. I’ve been out in December before the lake or the bay froze over. I don’t paddle alone in the cold, but with a partner, we can keep an eye on each other.
- Open Water: Seeking partners for longer lake paddles or conditions where having a skilled buddy (or two) is essential to support each other.
- Longer Paddles: So far my longest paddle has been half the length of Seneca Lake (18+ miles). Still on the bucket list to do the other finger lakes and possibly someday compete the entire ADK-GVC PTFL Challenge
My Other Side Projects
Paddling Community
Rochester has a great paddling community, but it can feel a bit small and fragmented. Outside of the 7-week Rough Riders season in August and September, I’ve tried (and still trying) trying to connect local sea kayakers for year-round paddling, practice and trips through a private mailing list.
I put together a concept landing page for it but I haven’t bought an actual domain for it and not sure how I feel about the name. Presently that page isn’t very visible or discoverable.
Sea Kayaking Atlas
I have a dormant but public Sea Kayaking Atlas concept website. I picked that up at the time in part because I wanted a reason to experiment with and learn AI programming tools for my day job
The premise behind that site is that I began looking for other instructors, coaches, communities, events and symposiums outside of the local area specifically for sea kayaking and I discovered these things are really difficult to discover and you find them, you have no idea how far they are from where you live.
Having spent several months doing my own searches, I was thinking of building a place where I can just start by publishing and sharing my own findings.