A great event for paddlers of all skill levels, read all about it right here:
(all information courtesy of OhioRiverway.org)

7th Annual Ohio River Way Paddlefest
Coney Island, June 27 & 28

Celebrate the Ohio at the 7th Annual Ohio River Way Paddlefest

Paddlefest is moving this year to Coney Island (link and map). It’s a great venue for our Kids Ex-Stream Paddlefest Expo and our Ohio River Music & Outdoor Festival on Friday, June 27. Plenty of parking, a beautiful view of the Ohio and lots of camp sites along the river!

Our races and “Paddle the Ohio” Float Trip will start at Coney Island on Saturday, June 28 and end 8.2 miles downstream at our Finish Line Festival at Cincinnati’s Serpentine Wall.

Register today. Spread the word. And join us for the largest canoe and kayak festival in the Midwest. 

Looking for more canoe, kayak and paddling events and races? Check out the BornToPaddle.com Kayak Events and Races Page.

Have an event to suggest for our Events & Races page? Click here to use our Contact Page.

We’ve talked about racks on this kayak blog briefly before. We specifically tauted at the time, the Handirack Inflatable Car Rack. While the inflatables are good in a pinch, you may be thinking more long term.

That’s where I am right now. Need a rack. Gotta get my kayak to the river somehow. So, I dug in for a bit of car rack research - here’s what I found out, hope it helps you choose the right canoe or kayak rack or carrying system too.

Choosing a Roof Rack System

If you don’t have a trailer than you will have to carry your kayak or canoe on the roof of your vehicle. If your vehicle has factory installed roof rails and crossbars (roof racks) all you might need to do is to pick out your kayak or canoe accessory mount to complete your rack system.

If your vehicle does not have a factory installed roof rack then your still in luck because Thule Racks and Yakima Racks carries a wide selection of roof racks and mounts for kayaks and canoes that can attach to your roof.

The Thule and Yakima rack systems are very similar but also different.

Thule Racks load bars (crossbars) are square to prevent the rack and rack accessories from shifting and rotating.

Yakima Racks crossbars (load bars) are round for strength and adjustability. Round bars allow you to rotate and flatten rack mounting accessories.

Thule and Yakima have made selecting the proper roof rack system very easy. All they need to know is the make, model, year of your car and if there is a factory installed roof rack.

Enter that information into their roof rack selection finder and they will show you all the equipment you need to properly fit your roof to carry your kayak or canoe.

Before you make your decision on the roof rack and mount system that will carry your kayak and canoe make sure you take the time to explore all your options.

There is a wide selection when choosing a mounting system for your kayak or canoe. Investigate them all and find the right mount that’s best for you. Remember, this will be an important and major investment right up there with purchasing your boat.

Click here to use the roof rack selection finder for Thule and Yakima roof racks and mounts.

If you don’t want to make a big investment of roof racks and mounts for your vehicle to carry your kayak or canoe, and/or you don’t travel very far with your boat, there are other options like the aforementioned
Handirack Inflatable Car Rack by Malone. This inflatable roof rack costs much less than metal roof racks, stores in the trunk when not in use and has a universal fit for most vehicles.

The roof rack finder for Thule and Yakima was really helpful for me. I’m pretty much decided on what I need to get my kayak to the river, I hope the information here was helpful to your decision making process as well.

For even more roof rack options, mounts, accessories, etc., check out our Choosing a Kayak Rack page and our Shop for Racks & Carrying Systems page.

New Event for Canoers and Kayakers!

Here is a great opportunity to explore Georgia’s beautiful Altamaha River.  This event was sent to us from Heather Altman at the Wayne County (GA) Board of Tourism:

16 mile family paddle on Altamaha River - one of Nature Conservancy’s last great places. Paddle begins at Paradise Park in Wayne County, Ga and ends at Altamaha Regional Park in Glynn County, Ga. Lunch stop at midpoint Williamsburg Landing. $10 for ages 11 and over. Tee shirts available for $10. Shuttle leaves Altamaha Fish Camp at 7:30 for 8:15 start of paddle. Beautiful river, unforgettable scenery - well worth the trip!

Click here for more info about this event.

Click here to see a map of the Altamaha River’s location in Georgia.

Click here to download a free Canoe Trail Map of the Altamaha River (PDF).

Thanks Heather for alerting us to this great event!

For more canoe and kayak events and races around the country, please visit our Events and Races page.

To find places to paddle in your area, or anywhere in the United States, please visit our Places to Paddle page or check out our Whitewater Kayak Parks page.

If you would like to suggest a canoe or kayak event or race to BornToPaddle.com, please contact us with date and event information.

Just came across this story at the Times On Line website. What an awesome image and a once-in-a-lifetime experience for these two paddlers. I’m going to have to look into a kayak trip to Hawaii…soon! Check it out:

Kayaking couple are caught in path of huge humpback whale

Story by: Francesca Steele (courtesy: Times Online)

These two kayakers got more than they bargained for on a trip to spot sea turtles off the Hawaiian island of Maui - winding up in the path of an anxious female humpback whale, surging out of the water to protect her young.

The female adult flapped her fin at the passers-by to warn them off, before coming up out of the water as the kayakers quickly escaped. Neither was hurt.

Humpback whales are not aggressive, but adults can reach up to 16 metres in length and 36,000 kilos in weight.

About 60 per cent of the population of North Pacific humpback whales migrates to Hawaii every winter to mate and to give birth to calves conceived during last year’s breeding season.

What makes the waters so welcoming is their relatively shallow depth. The maximum diving depth of a humpback is about 180 metres, and the plateau linking the Hawaiian islands doesn’t get any deeper than that. (more…)

With the paddling season approaching our thoughts turn to kayak basics. If you are new to paddling or even if you are a river veteran, the task of choosing a new kayak can be daunting. Kayaks, like most other things in life, have become so specialized that it is hard to discern exactly what type of boat you need.

We have devised a basic guide for choosing a kayak to help you make the right decision. Choosing the right kayak for your paddling style and goals is critical to having an enjoyable kayaking trip.

 Click here to have a look at our easy 4 step solution to your kayak choosing needs.

 As always if you have a story to share or suggestions for information you would like to see on BornToPaddle.com, please send it to us using our handy contact form.

 Happy paddling!