Paddling Education

Filmmaker Hank Leukart wanted to backpack Ansel Adams Wilderness, and he wanted to be able to paddle the many lakes they’d encounter on their trek. So he convinced his two friends to bring packrafts for this adventure into the High Sierras.

Kayaking on rivers is amazing—but current has some hazards you need to know and think about. Join Aqua Bound ProStaffer, Ken Whiting, as he goes over in this video how to paddle with confidence on rivers and in current.

Celeste Ireland and her family started kayaking together regularly during the lockdown year of 2020. After an overload of kayaking photos on her personal Instagram page, she decided to start a new public page devoted to their kayaking adventures.

Minnesota canoeist, Jim Gallagher, has been on more than 20 wilderness canoe trips above the Arctic Circle in Canada and Alaska. We wanted to hear Jim’s story about how he got into wilderness canoeing and what he loves about paddling in the Arctic. Here’s our conversation...

The Bikeraft Guide is the “ultimate how-to guide, history of and wild adventures stories about bikerafting.” Written by our friends Lizzy Scully and Steve “Doom” Fassbinder, and with a foreward by bikerafting icon, Roman Dial, this new book is a must-have for all aspiring, and even experienced, bikerafters.

Inflatable kayaks have been getting very popular, and for many good reasons. But they also bring up several questions you don’t have to answer with a hardshell kayak. In this video, Aqua Bound ProStaffer Ken Whiting talks about what you need to know about inflatable kayaks:

Aqua Bound ProStaffer and filmmaker Jacob Kastrup Haagensen documented a packraft trip in northern Sweden with a group of friends. Their demanding route hiking to and packrafting the Kaitum River became the film Earning a River.

Kayaking is super fun and super healthy. But it has its challenges, the first of which is how to transport your kayak to the water you want to paddle.

There are seven members of our Shred family of whitewater paddles, each ready for your next epic paddling adventure.

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is a world-class sea kayaking destination on the world’s largest freshwater lake—Lake Superior. Kayak camping here is spectacular.

We paddlers know that one of the special things about water is that it’s never the same. One can be on a body of water innumerable times with vastly different experiences. So how do you decide where to go next?

In this video, Paddle Tales’ Ken Whiting explains the differences between a basic sit-on-top kayak and a higher-end sit-on-top kayak.

Filmmaker and outdoor adventurer, Hank Leukart and his buddy, Jake Jenkins, take a packrafting trip down the Colorado River through Horsethief, Ruby and Westwater Canyons. They tackled up to Class IV rapids on their epic packraft adventure.

Most sources teach you how to get in and out of your kayak using your paddle. We recommend you learn how to enter and exit your kayak without your paddle.

Lake Huron, with its 3,827 miles of shoreline (6,158 km) and 30,000 islands, is a world-class freshwater sea kayaking destination. Its 23,000 square miles (59,570 sq km) make it the second largest of the Great Lakes and the fifth largest freshwater lake on the planet.

“Paddling on busy waterways is like swimming in shark-infested waters. You’re immediately in the food chain at the bottom!” says Ken Whiting, host of of this PaddleTales episode.

(July 2021) Aqua Bound has partnered with PaddlingMaps for a chance for you to win one of our Tango Fiberglass straight shaft kayak paddles!

As a kayaker, you’re one of the smallest boats on the water, especially in big water. One of the best ways to be seen by other boaters is to use a kayak paddle with high-visibility blades along with bright-colored clothing and gear.

Nevada-based kayak outfitter, Blazin’ Paddles, does one thing and does it well—they take their guests kayaking on the Black Canyon stretch of the Colorado River.

As with all paddling sports, safety needs to always be top-of-mind for packrafters, whether they’re beginners or experienced paddlers.

The Great Lakes, containing 84% of North America’s fresh surface water, are a world-class sea kayaking destination. In this article we’ll explore the shores of Lake Michigan and let you know the outfitters ready to take you there.