Pink Kayak!

I have been wanting to purchase a kayak since last summer, when I tried out a friend’s for a three-night solo camp on the river. Camping on the Missouri is our main recreational activity in the summer–it’s a huge blessing to have a wild stretch of the river right nearby, and we make use of it when the days turn steamy.

I wanted a small and lightweight craft I could handle. Generally, Harry and I take the heavy aluminum Grumman canoe, but I can’t carry that beast by myself, never mind load it on a vehicle.

This one is about forty pounds–a reasonable weight for loading and portaging. This model doesn’t have the bow storage hatch, so I’m getting the kit to install it.

I think the guy at Sportsman’s Warehouse was a little taken aback by my directness. I walked in, found the kayak I’d planned on buying, and started trying on life vests. He came over to ask if I needed assistance, and I said:

“Yes. I’m going to buy that kayak,” and I pointed at the pink boat, “and I want you to throw in this life jacket.”

He looked surprised and amused. “For free, you mean?”

“Yes. It’s a twenty-five dollar life vest. It’s a five hundred fifty dollar kayak. Can you make that deal?”

He laughed and said, “yes I can.”

And we made the deal. By the way–I wasn’t being imperious with the guy, I was being cheeky and smiling.

Nice thing too is that Ocean Kayak gives one percent of their sales of these Venus models to the Breast Cancer fund. That’s a cool thing–and that’s why they make them in this shocking and fabulous special color.

Now, I can’t wait to see how it handles on that water.

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