Paddling Education

Kayak, Canoe or Paddleboard? Explore Your Options
Which boat should you buy: a kayak, canoe or stand-up paddleboard? All are wonderful options depending on where, how and with whom you want to paddle.
Packrafting Skills Session: Whitewater Safety
Whether new to whitewater and packrafting or looking to shake off the complacency cobwebs, getting out to practice whitewater safety skills is a fun and valuable time on the river. Here are five skills to get you going!
Essential Tips for Big, Tall and Heavy Kayakers and SUPers
We firmly believe that paddling is for everyone! Just as we want to see people of all ages and ethnicities out on the water, we want to see people of all sizes out on the water.
Our Best Content on Kayaking with Children
Kayaking, canoeing and paddle boarding with your children is the very best way to introduce them to the wonderful world of paddling. Here, we’ve collected our best content about paddling for families with young children, whether it’s kayaking, SUPing (stand-up paddle boarding) or canoeing.
When To Wear a Kayak Helmet
A kayak helmet, while not the normal piece of gear most recreational kayakers think of, is essential for a few specific types of kayaking. Anytime kayakers, canoeists or packrafters are in intense paddling situations a helmet is a wise idea, and could even save your life.
Aqua Bound’s Quality Assurance Process
Here at Aqua Bound our top priority is to be sure every kayak, stand-up or canoe paddle we sell is of the highest quality. That includes three main factors: cosmetic appeal, light weight and durability.
Bikerafting New Zealand’s Hurunui River [Video]
Bikerafter and filmmaker, Deane Parker, co-led a crew of mostly first-timers for a bike and packraft trip down New Zealand’s Hurunui River.
Our Most-Viewed Content of 2021
At Aqua Bound, we love a good adventure and enjoy providing content that prepares people to enjoy more time on the water. We rounded up our top posts full of product details, safety tips, trip recommendations, and more.
Reading Rivers with W.O.R.M.S.
The conservative line? The gnarliest line? Looking at a section of whitewater can be overwhelming at first, but breaking down what you see into W.O.R.M.S. can help simplify scouting. From class one to class five, this tried and true mnemonic provides a straightforward method of thinking and talking through reading a river to safely pick your line.
Dry Bags for Kayaking: What You Need to Know
Dry bags are one of the kayaker’s most convenient and useful gear items whether you’re on the water for a couple of hours, a full day or a multi-day trip.
Packrafting Adventures on New Zealand’s Waingaro River
Deane Parker, filmmaker and outdoor adventurer, joined a few of his mates for a hike-in packrafting trip down the Waingaro River in his native New Zealand.
Use GoPro to Film Your Own Kayaking Adventures
Expert kayaker and Aqua Abound ProStaffer, Ken Whiting, shares his tips and strategies for filming your own kayaking adventures with a GoPro action camera in this video.
Need Gift Ideas for Your Kayaking Kids? Here are 13
Do you have kids on your gift list who love to kayak, canoe or paddle board? Here are 13 fun gift ideas for them to enjoy on all their paddling adventures.
What to Wear Kayaking: Dress for Immersion
When you’re considering what to wear kayaking, one of the most important safety tips to keep in mind is: dress for the water temperature, not the air temperature. Dress as if you’ll be in the water…just in case you end up in the water.
Skills Session for Whitewater Packrafting
Getting bored of the same whitewater runs and want to improve your skills? Head to your local river for a skills session! You’ll fine tune techniques like boat angles, body positioning, and balance points to work them into muscle memory. Here are a few skills to get you started.
Paddle Logger App: Track Your Paddling Adventures
Paddle Logger is an iOS app designed by paddlers for paddlers to track your water routes and miles, give you safety features and more. This app helps add even more value to all your paddling adventures.
Packrafting the Grand Canyon: Adventures & Tips
Winning a follow-up permit lottery from Grand Canyon National Park allowed Johnathan and Hannah Shininger an opportunity of a lifetime: to packraft 90 miles of the Colorado River through the Canyon.
Inflatable Kayaks 101: What to Know
Inflatable kayaks have been increasing in popularity in the past couple of years. What should you know about them so you can make a good buying decision? Let’s take a look at a few of the main factors.
A Packrafting Power Couple
Healthy relationships take trust, commitment, and dedication. This packrafting power couple takes the importance of these elements to a whole new level.
Packrafting the High Sierras
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.
Book Review: “The Bikeraft Guide”
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.