This past Sunday was “Take your girlfriend kayaking” day. Heck, why not, they have a day for everything else! (Did you know that November 1st is National Men Make Dinner Day…..look it up!) So in honoring a new tradition of taking your girlfriend kayaking day, I did just that. Let’s review the steps to make such an outing memorable and fun. Obviously you start with a gorgeous day, not to hot or cold and with a slight breeze; check that one off! Then I needed to decide do I put her in her own kayak or get a tandem? It was an easy decision as she didn’t have any prior experience kayaking, so I went with a tandem. Not owning a tandem kayak, I asked my friends at Everything Kayak about demo choices and being the Hobie ambassador that I am, wanted a Hobie option. I was thrilled when they told me they had the new Compass Duo in their rental fleet! I’ve been wanting to try one out and this was the perfect opportunity to do so. Back to the girlfriend and her first kayak trip. Comfort is important, thus a supportive, comfortable seat is needed and I’m happy that the Compass seat came through for me on that feature. Also it’s important that your trip is scenic and not a physical burden as to length of the trip and pace. Make sure they are dressed appropriately for the weather and activity and always insist they wear a PFD as should you. The Compass set up also allowed for me to carry a Yeti bag with drinks to keep us hydrated. With any newbie that you are taking out, check in often with them to make sure they are having fun because the goal is to make them want to continue to grow in the sport that you love. I’m happy to report that we are still together after our kayak adventure and I even got a “when can we do that again?”…..it was a great day!
I encourage you to find a friend or loved one that has never been kayaking and introduce them to this wonderful sport . Stop by and see my friends at Everything Kayak as they will work with you to get you and your guest in a kayak suitable for your outing.