There's almost another two full months until the first day of spring, and even then it won't really be warm for a while. Even the hardcore paddlers are getting tired of how cold and windy this winter has been, and it's easy to lose the desire to get out there. Time to get inspired again and go paddle! Here's a look at some ways to find some motivation.
Paddling with a group of friends (or soon to be friends) is more likely to get you on the water. Here in the Tidewater area there are several choices of paddling groups. One group is the Hampton Roads Kayaking Meetup group. They are a very active group, paddling various places in the Hampton Roads area year round. The outings last from a few hours to multi-night camping trips. Another group is the Cheseapeake Association of Sea Kayakers, or CASK. They also schedule local outings of various lengths. If you are interested in competitive paddling, or paddling for fitness, take a look at the Mid-Atlantic Paddler's Association (MAPA.) MAPA has paddles scheduled every Sunday and Wednesday every week of the year. In addition, MAPA puts on kayak and canoe races in almost every city in the area.
Another motivational tool for paddlers is to set some goals. Here are a few ideas, and there are plenty more. One goal could be to paddle a certain number of miles this year. You can get a GPS to help you keep track of how far you paddle. Another possibility is to set your sights on a long paddle later in the year and then work toward doing it. If you paddle from Munden Point Park through Virginia Beach you will paddle 28 miles! Another popular goal of many local paddlers is to cross the Chesapeake Bay. This is definitely not for the beginner, but can be worked up to in a season as long as you understand tides, currents, navigation, channels, signaling, rescue, and you have the appropriate boat and equipment.
Fear of the cold and cold water keeps many off the water this time of year. A friend told me years ago, "there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing." For the most part, it's true. There seem to be three schools of thought on dressing for the cold.
The first, and the worst, is basically "I don't flip in the summer, I won't flip in the winter, so I won't wear anything special. For their sake, let's hope they don't flip their canoe or kayak in cold water. The next group of paddlers dress for the air temperature, and carry spare clothing in dry bags to change into if they need to. This approach is still a bit reckless. Dressing for possible immersion according to the water temperature is the way to go. This means either wearing a neoprene wetsuit, or a drysuit with insulating layers.
Go get the right clothing, wear your life jacket, and enjoy paddling Hampton Roads' waterways year round!
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