On a trip "back east" to visit relatives (I live in New Mexico), I managed to get both my brother into my kayak and later another relative from North Carolina too. These two fellows seemed to genuinely enjoy the experience, but it wasn't all that easy to get 'em to try it for the first time.
Whilst visiting my brother, in the Gastonia, NC area, we took some
time to bring my boat down to Lake Wylie. It's just across the NC-SC
state line and only a half hour away from his home. It was
mid-morning and still quite foggy when we arrived. A marina and
parking area on the northwest side of the lake made an ideal place
to launch.
Now there are a few things you have to point out to new kayakers, before you turn them loose out onto the lake. You have to describe the process of getting in and out of the boat without getting wet. Kayaks are a bit tippy until you get seated. Once you are settled into the seat the boat is quite stable, but that first few seconds can see unsettling to a novice. We launched from the shore in shallow water.
Then, I feel compelled to explain the process of self-rescue and how to use the paddle float to stabilize the boat after capsizing. Of course I emphasize the LOW probability of a paddler actually rolling the boat and having to self-rescue, but prudence demands basic instructions. Why is it that I feel people don't hear the "LOW Probability" part? It really is extremely low.
Well, finally I got my brother afloat and watched him try his hand. Now I know that he is no stranger to small boats, for we both grew up on a New Hampshire Lake and were totally at home in and around the water. Yet I wanted him to take it easy at first, at least until he acquired a sense of how the boat handles and maneuvers. I called out to him, saying "Stick closer to shore. Don't head out into open waters yet!"
Wouldn't you know it, but that's exactly what he proceeded to do. He
headed straight out across the lake and about disappear in the
morning fog. I watched him go for the opposite shore, about a mile
away, and lost sight of him for a while. The fog was lifting and the
morning sun began to poke through holes in the clouds. Soon I spotted
that white kayak and my paddling brother coming back toward me. Well,
I mused, he's still afloat and paddling nicely.
He was having fun and I got the sense that we should have brought two kayaks, for I doubted if he'd relinquish my boat so I could take a spin. He did. I did, and in fact he took a couple more trips before we called it a day. Great fun for us both. I wondered if I'd made another convert to this terrific sport.
Our second stop in North Carolina to see relatives included a delightful visit my wife's cousin and husband in the Raleigh area. I managed to get Bob into my kayak at a nearby lake, just outside Durham. He was not a total stranger to the sport, but had never tried a sea kayak like mine. We enjoyed a few hours on that lake and I know that Bob took to this sport even better than my own brother did. I actually expect to hear one day soon that Bob has bought his own boat.
Now that's what zealots like me want to hear.
Have you tried it, dear reader??