Paddlesport was catching on big in America, even before the Pandemic hit and had us so isolated and apart. NJ Paddlesport is no exception. You’ll find a myriad of natural treasure you may never have attributed to the Garden State. Whether a recreational Kayak trip on the Wading or Mullica Rivers, or view Lake Hopatcong from a Canoe. You may fancy a Stand-up Paddleboard fitness session at Round Valley Reservoir. Or even watch the sunset from a sit-on-top Kayak at Sedge Island.
It’s our Sincere hope we may inspire your next Magnificent Obsession, wherever you are reading this. And that you may reap the benefits of physical and mental well-being. Because Paddlesport is universal, and can provide enjoyment in the most unexpected places! Enjoy my own experiences in NJ Paddlesport and see the exciting finds along the way you may need for your own Travel and adventures.
Fascination To Fact
Like any kid in the 1970s, I, the Harbormaster, grew up on “Sesame Street,” and the rest of P.B.S. for Kiddos. One of their presentations in their numbered Episodes showed a Kayaker on a river in action. Another featuring one of the cast(I want to say Luis)showed a kayak model up close with the word spelled out. THEN how “Kayak” can be spelled forward AND backwards!! Good to know.
But growing up in the Mid-Atlantic, being neither from New England or The South, I never thought much of participating in the Garden state. Especially when there were so many other more wide-open places with woods and flowing rivers.
An annual outdoor trade show at the Raritan Expo Center in Edison called “Paddlesport” changed my mind around March, 2008. It was the venture of a Mom And Pop, Family Owned shop called The Jersey Paddler in Brick, Ocean County, and neither disappointed!! Nor did the outdoor version each June called The Paddle Classic, at ocean County Park in Lakewood! For just $10, you could gain admission to all three days of each show. Particularly the Classic, where you could also paddle Anything that caught your eye. No doubt the best way to find a good fit!
Continued Learning and Adventure
From there, I added my first formal lessons upstate at Somerset County Environmental Education Center. As they offered an impressive slate each season of Canoe and Kayak trips, they also, as a prerequisite, trained me for those days ahead. Because no one should embark on the life without proper teaching in technique and certainly Self-Rescue procedures. It’s not a question incidentally of If, but When you will “spill.” WE ALL DO IT!! And it’s okay. So after adequate preparation taught by the most energetic and upbeat Girl in Kayaking history, Monica Juhasz, I was ready for my first trip. And it was down the earlier mentioned Wading River thru the New Jersey Pinelands!
Since then, I’ve seen a bit of everything New Jersey has to offer. For example, Picatinny Lake, where Bald Eagles nest, and the adjacent Lake Denmark. I’ve fished there, and at Sandy Hook Bay, where Fluke(Summer Flounder) and seabass visit, as well as float trips down the Delaware. And while fishing is my forte, Kayaking has been an awesome platform as well for Photography, Birdwatching, and just getting out!! And it can do the same for You! Furthermore, inasmuch as Community, no matter how or where you paddle, it’s all about Community. For ongoing Learning and SAFETY in addition to opportunity for long-term interactions and Friendships to build.
Paddle Sandy Hook, and Beyond
I had to see this for myself, as Gateway National Recreation Areas westernmost abutment, Sandy Hook, was close enough to be “for the Tourists.” After a few trips, I’m thinking, Don’t let Them have all the fun!! Sandy Hook part, also the former site of US Army’s Fort Hancock, is now on my Official List of New Jersey “Sweet Spots!” Between the Paddle opportunities afforded, Nature reigns alongside History as far back as Henry Hudson, who recorded it first in the early 1600s. The nation’s oldest extant Lighthouse resides there , watching over Shoreline of the Raritan Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.
How best to see it? By Water, of course!! And if you’re a Seasoned Paddler, or just starting out, an Opportunity for that, and then some, awaits you there. Hover over the NJ Paddlesport Category, and follow this article to find out!!
Response Magic