Paddle Power © Illustration courtesy Jerry Williams

For David Crabb and his daughters Lillian and Katherine, kayaking has been a family affair for more than 10 years. Crabb says, “Kayaking is very clean, it’s very green; it’s muscle-powered sports.” He notes that today’s kayaks are derived from boats used by the Inuit people of Greenland centuries ago, and that they haven’t changed all that much.

True. The kayak has been around for at least 4,000 years and was originally a fishing boat made of driftwood or whalebones, covered with animal skins, and waterproofed with animal fat. Driftwood and skins have been replaced by plastic, making today’s crafts lightweight and durable. Kayaks come in a variety of sizes and shapes, and they are most commonly one-person boats.

Minimal Gear, Maximum Mobility
Like canoeing, kayaking requires minimal gear: the kayak itself, a paddle, a life vest, and (per Coast Guard regulations) a whistle. You’ll also need a place to store your boat and, if you don’t live on a waterway, some way to get it to and from the water.

“If someone has seen people out kayaking, it would be a good investment of their time and money to rent one for a day,” says Matt Streib, owner of Fluid Fun, the state’s largest kayak dealer, located on the St. Joseph River in Bristol.

Rusted Moon Outfitters in Indianapolis rents kayaks and offers classes for beginners. Ron Lewis explains that the company provides all the gear and takes beginners out for a couple of hours. “Physically, people don’t anticipate how many different muscles they are going to use. We start small and don’t let anyone get tired out. We want you to have basic knowledge of kayaks and gear. We work on things that seem intuitive but turn out not to be.”

When David Crabb lit upon the idea of kayaking as the next family sport, he made sure his daughters (then 5 and 11) learned how to tip over and get out. He describes how his wife, Ellen, blanched as she watched the girls go under, but they both learned how to pop back up. Today, the Crabbs have three kayaks, which they use most often on Lake Wawasee in northern Indiana. But they and other kayaking enthusiasts point out that Indiana is rife with waters suitable for kayaking.

Indiana’s Prime Kayaking Waters
“My very favorite kayaking spot in the whole state is about 100 yards from my pillow,” says Streib. “But any river in Indiana is fairly scenic. By getting into a kayak, you can see some of the most beautiful parts of this state.” Lewis concurs. He has paddled the White River from downtown Indianapolis all the way to the Wabash River in southwestern Indiana.

Eric Stallsmith, creator of Indianaoutfitters.com and an inveterate paddling enthusiast, says that the prime waters are Whitewater River near Brookville; Sugar Creek near Crawfordsville; Blue River near Milltown; and Wildcat Creek in Lafayette. He also points to the Lake Michigan water trail that was inaugurated in the summer of 2009. Although the trail runs from Chicago to Michigan City, an especially accessible segment runs along the 15-mile stretch that hugs the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

The Indianapolis area offers many popular spots to kayak as well. Lewis recommends Fall Creek from below Geist Reservoir at 79th Street down the Fall Creek Greenway near Cathedral High School. The Coscia family puts in at Eagle Creek at Lions Park in Zionsville and paddles to the reservoir. They see wildlife, including beavers, muskrats, and ducks. Cathy Coscia says, “It’s easily reasonable for a novice kayaker. Once you are on the reservoir, you can get out at the boat ramp within the park.”

The West Fork of the White River, which runs through Noblesville and Indianapolis, is another popular blueway. The 16-mile White River Canoe Route, which passes through both parks and residential areas, has good spots to put in as far north as Hazel Dell Landing Park, Carmel, and all the way south by 30th Street in Indianapolis.

Kayaking is, indeed, all about muscle power. The only gas you’ll use is the gas it takes to get your craft to the water, and in a state laced with easily accessible waterways, that won’t be far. Eric Stallsmith points out that most Hoosiers are less than an hour’s drive from immersing themselves in the wonders of kayaking: paddling through a forest primeval, watching wildlife stir, enjoying one of the greenest adventures Indiana offers.

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