An important part of our company’s mission is to provide opportunities for people to get on the water and paddle. This, of course, includes the opportunity for training, teaching and group paddling. This is all part of our definition of Kayak-Kayak as a center for the kayaking community. We plan to have an orientation class once per month beginning in June of 2009 for the summer to provide basic orientation to kayaking.

We work at providing a communication vehicle through the store, this web site and the related bulletin board. In essence, we are providing an organic bulletin board that is maintained and updated by the community and us at the store. We hope this will become a useful and more frequently used medium of communication and community building.

During this year several people have become a greater part of our paddling community and have made substantial contributions to our activity. Jeremy and Jen Werner powered me through much of the Grand River launch and paddling sites including up Crockery Creek in their john boat so we could map those paddling areas and now we have westerly Grand River paddling maps around Grand Haven in addition to the Pigeon River, Black River in South Haven and the Kalamazoo River. Because of Jen and Jeremy’s  good work and help we now have good local mapping for paddling these great rivers.

Our Thursday night paddles grew in popularity particularly in August. One night we had a special paddle to the lotus blossom fields in Spring Lake; a very impressive paddle. Brian Walker became a regular on those trips and was a great help. He will be taking a lead role in our Thursday River paddles next year.

Carl Arendsen rested his golf clubs and got into a kayak to join us for Tuesday afternoon paddles and then helped us shlep kayaks up at Drummond Island during our four day paddle trip there. We have a kayak convert and good friend in Carl.

Many others have contributed to the paddling community like Rick and Craig  Heald who are always coming up with interesting paddling suggestions. Then we have Brad Shook who when he is not building kayaks is offering to lead lake trips.

On Thursday nights we gather at Kayak-Kayak at 5:45 pm and leave at 6 PM sharp to some local river where we will paddle for two hours and then return. We will haul the boats on our trailer. Paddlers can car pool to the location. There is a $10 organizational fee for the Thursday night paddle.

See our Trip's page for other activities!