How To Kayak

Want to know how to kayak before going on your month-long summer trip to the mountains? That's not a bad idea, considering you might never have done it before and you don't want to look foolish in front of your friends. Kayaking isn't as hard as it looks, but it does take a toll on your muscles after a while. So consider how long you want to kayak while you learn how to kayak, or you won't have enough energy the next day to do it again.

Things You'll Need:

• Kayak
• Kayak paddle
• Body of water
• Life jacket
• Lots of energy drinks

1. Take several swigs of an energy drink. Because you're definitely going to need it.

2. Drive to the kayaking location. Preferably, it should be near a body of water larger than a kiddie pool. Even more desirable is a body of water near a lifeguard in case you capsize your kayak and get stuck underneath it.

3. Strap on your life jacket. No, this is not the time to get macho and go without. Yes, it is possible to rock the kayak and fall in the water. You think you can swim? Wait until you have to swim a mile back to shore in freezing cold water.

4. Hop into your kayak. You'd better not weigh too much or you might begin to sink. Consider going on a workout routine several weeks before your first kayaking trip to prevent embarrassment of not being able to fit between the slim sides of your kayak.

5. Take a few more swigs of your energy drink. But not too many. There's no bathroom in that kayak, you know. And no, that huge body of water around you doesn't count.

6. Grab your paddle. You thought you'd never get this far, did you? Push off the shoreline and begin paddling. But don't paddle like you're in a canoe. You might notice that paddle has two sides, one for each side of your kayak. Grip the paddle in the middle and push through the water, first on the left, then on the right. Rinse and repeat until you reach your destination.