Starting this thing off

To start things off this blog is meant to be a way for me to chronicle the outdoor adventures my family has.  We don't currently get out to do as much as we used to and I hope that things will change this summer.  For the most part these "adventures" consist of my oldest son, Jordan, and I kayaking the local rivers and lakes while doing some fishing.  Or maybe it's fishing the local rivers and lakes while doing some kayaking...

Anyways we started out kayaking late last summer when I bought a Flex Vertex 85 Kayak from Dick's Sporting Goods in Johnson City, TN.  Our first time down was on the Watauga River from Hunter Bridge to the park in Blackbottom in Elizabethton, TN.  Jordan didn't have a kayak so I towed him on a tube.  Although it was a lot of fun, we both knew we needed more than just the tube for him.  Not to mention at some point the tube sprung a leak so he spent over half of the trip down river blowing air back into the tube while I towed him with my kayak.

That same weekend Jordan decided to take a little of the money he had earned over the summer at his job to buy a Kayak from Wal-Mart.  It is a WaterQuest 10 which he is pretty fond of and still using today.  We spent the rest of last summer kayaking down the Watauga River, putting in either at Siam Bridge or Hunter Bridge.  We had some great times and caught a ton of trout.  I would hate to even try and guess how many hours and miles we spent on the river last year.  It was worth every minute though.

This summer's kayaking season was kicked off with a bang.  As in the sound of my kayak going "bang" as it hit the ground after coming loose from the roof top carrier on my wife's Volvo wagon.  I just about cried when I saw the 3 inch gash down the aft rudder where it smacked the asphalt. 

Luckily I was already thinking about replacing the Flex Vertex with a new one.  The Flex was a great little kayak but lacked a few of the nicer things on most kayaks, such as foot pegs, thigh pads and a padded seat.  Also with my 6'4" frame it was a little tight to crawl in and out of.

I did a good bit of looking and came down to either the Perception Rhythm 10 or the Old Town Angler 10.  I really liked the Old Town but the $100 difference in price didn't justify the 2 rod holders and anchoring system which probably would never be used. I ended up purchasing the Perception Rhythm 10 and absolutely love it so far.

Hopefully we will be able to get back out on the water soon.