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Kayak Wailua -- Tips for Kayak Trips
by Damon Z. Sweet
Having recently returned from the Hawaiian island of Kauai, I was planning to write about our family effort to kayak Wailua State Park. From that article grew the basic advice about planning a kayak trip that follows.
But first, kayaking Wailua State Park:
Wailua River State Park is on the East Coast of Kauai in the city of Wailua. The river is 20 miles long and fed by the wettest spot on earth, Mount Waialeale. You can access the park, heias, and a great overlook of the river on Kuamoos Road or Highway 580. Wailua River starts at the Wai'ale'ale Crater but there are a few ways to enter it if you want to rent a kayak. The mouth of the river enters the ocean at Wailua Bay near the town of Wailua on Highway 56. Take Highway 56 north toward Wailua. Cruise boats and kayak rentals are located on the south side of the Wailua River (before crossing the bridge).
The park offers a series of sites including Hawaiian Temples, the River and the Falls.
While the scenery is extraordinary, for us the kayaking was a bit tame. There are lots of other people as well as the occasional small tour boat. Still, it was a fun experience and relatively inexpensive (wow! Hawaii is epensive!) day to add to our itinerary.
We paddled to Fern Grotto, but, while famous and quite beautiful, we found it over-commercialized for our taste. There's something about real restrooms and Hawaiian musicians serenading us that didn't quite jive with the wilderness experience.
Be sure to take the short hike from the river where the sign says "Secret Falls". While a bit slippery, you'll find a lovely place to have a picnic lunch and swim in pristine waters at Wailua Falls.
Expect a five mile round trip--an easy day if you put in by 10:00 am, enjoy a leisurely hike and picnic lunch, and figure to take out around 4:00 pm.
Pardon me for rambling, but that little kayak trip got me thinking about planning kayak trips in general.
Really, what could be more exciting than a kayaking vacation, where you strap your boat to the roof of your car and heading out for an amazing time? You have nothing but your equipment, some extra clothes, and a map that points you to white water you've never tried. It's the ultimate in weekend getaways. You could even turn your yearly vacation into a series of kayaking trips and camp out nights while you hit the spray during the day! Sounds great, doesn't it? Sure does - as long as you don't forget some important points to have a fantastic kayaking vacation.
The first thing to keep in mind is that rivers and rapids have different classifications. If you're heading out on kayaking trips with a group of people, don't choose a destination that has class V waters some of you won't be able to enjoy. On the other hand, picking class I waters is going to bore more experienced kayakers. Try to find a happy medium that suits everyone going along. If you can't, try to find an area that has some other activities nearby, such as trail rides on horses. Some can surf the spray, some can shine the saddle, and the whole gang has a great time.
Make sure your kayaking vacation has accommodations that suit you best. Decide if you're going to rough it in the bush or spend nights of luxury in hotels. Are you going to be on the locations of a tour company? If so, you may want to inquire about showers, bathrooms, meals, and bedding before thinking you'll get five-star accommodations. Some tour companies will give you a kayaking trip that rivals world class hotels but others believe it's all about living in the bush and getting back to nature.
Have you thought about transportation? It isn't enough to know how you're going to get to the river you want to conquer. You'll have to consider the trip back once you've gone down as far as you want to. Tour companies will have busses or vehicles to bring you and your kayaks back upriver, but if you're planning your own wilderness expedition, make arrangements with one person to be the designated driver. Keep in mind you can only fit so many boats on top of one vehicle as well, so if you have a group going down the waters, you'll need more than one car to bring you back up or you'll need to rent a trailer - and have a truck to pull it.
It's part of human nature that someone is going to end up leading the group and taking charge, so try to determine ahead of time who that may be. Work out plans before you arrive and don't leave anything on the comment, "We'll decide that when we get there." You may find yourself arguing by the shoreline and having problems agreeing, which isn't any fun for anyone. The leader you designate should always be the guide or the lead kayak in the group. This person should be one you trust to make smart judgment calls based on safety first and skill level of the kayakers second. Everyone should agree before you pack up for your kayaking trip that the leader's call is the only one to follow.
Expect to have plenty of beforehand meetings to talk about delegation of duties, what's expected during the trip, emergency communication, contacts, and safety discussions, separation of costs, and leadership. Plan kayaking trips as you would any other camping trip or group activity and foresee all possible situations to get the most out of the moment. That way, whether you plan to kayak Wailua, or the Ocoee you'll be prepared.
Damon Z. Sweet writes for ActiveKayak.com
(www.activekayak.com), where you will find free online basic kayaking lessons and the internet's most complete directory of schools and kayaking resources.
