September 1, 2022
Okay folks, you better sit down. Have I got a story for you. First of all, if you didn’t know, I’m not much of a water person. I do not know how to swim, even though I have had swim lessons. I do not mind being in the water. One thing I learned from my Carmel Fire Department days is that I am comfortable in deep water while wearing a PFD (Personal Floatation Device). Feeling adventurous, Nancy and I rented a couple of kayaks. I wanted to give it a try. It looks like a lot of fun. We also got a nice discount on the 24 hour rental. We picked up the kayaks at 2:00 PM and headed to Bismark Lake. The kayaks were inflatable Tahe Beach SUP-YAK. They are 11.5 feet long and 3 feet wide. It is a combination Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP) and sit-on kayak. They come packed in a back pack. In the pack you have the sup yak, manual air pump, two seats, two foot rests, two double paddles, and two paddle handles to be used for the paddle board.
We got to the lake and started to unpack and inflate the kayaks. It took quite some time to inflate both, even though the pump was a double action. It was tiring for the arms to inflate and then to try and paddle. We launched from the boat ramp and paddled around the lake. We were on the lake for about an hour and decided it was time to call it a day. We still have tomorrow morning to use them so instead of deflating we decided to just put them on the back of the truck and strap them down.
The picture of the map is the lake and the line is the approximate route out and back for my very first time kayaking. I enjoyed the experience. I had issues with the seat. I couldn’t really lean back because the seat did not feel sturdy enough. More to come tomorrow.
