Catawba River Kayaking

Beautiful Sunday to get out on the water and kayak for a few hours. We showed up to the brand new outfitter (NC Flatwater Outfitter, right on the river), and because it was the first official day of business, the kayak rentals were free! Normally it's $5 per hour. Which is still a deal! We sign the liability waivers, get fitted for our PFD's, grab our paddles, and go to pick out our kayaks. By the way, the equipment is nice, it's brand new, modern, and comfortable. We both pick "sit in" kayaks over the "sit on tops". I just have a more comfortable and stable ride in a "sit in" vs. the on tops. So, I hop into my orange "sit in" and gently glide into the water to wait on Boo. I start paddling around to get reacquainted and comfortable with the kayak. Boo, who is like a fish in the water, skims by in his yellow kayak and does a quick, sharp, I've-been-doing-this-forever turn in front of me. (If you've even seen a skier flying down the mountain and then all of the sudden turn and skid into a complete stop, this is what Boo does, but on the water and in a kayak.) He is instantly comfortable on a kayak, it's pretty amazing.

Off we go to tour a section of the Catawba River. We pass under a few bridges and I can smell the exhaust coming off the cars. From this angle, the bridges look pretty neat. Boo, being the engineering marvel that he is, stops to check out how the bridges are constructed. I paddle on, admiring the coastline, the sunshine, and the breeze. After an hour of kayaking, we enter a little cove area to explore. (By the way, we just around the bend from the US National White Water Center in Charlotte, NC.) We spend a good 1/2 hour paddling around in water so shallow that a small fish tries to jump into my kayak! hahha! I catch a glimpse of a huge blue heron just chillin' on a branch watching us float by. We decide to head back to the outfitter b/c our time slot is almost up. Well, this is when the workout begins. We are now paddling against the wind and my arms are killing me! Just when I think my arms are about to fall off, we round the bend and see our destination. With sweat trickling down my back, I begin to paddle faster and harder, knowing I am almost there. I sail onto the shore, drop my paddle and let me arms just hang there for a bit. One of the outfitter employees comes up to let me know it's ok to leave my PFD, paddle, and boat right there on the shore. Then, he extends a hand out and helps me out of the boat like a gentleman. What a great day to be out on the water, I love Spring time. Can't wait to come back and explore more of the Catawba river. Til then, GET OUTDOORS!