Rainy Day Kayaking
“Do you still kayak if it’s raining?” It’s a question we get asked all the time at Black River Outdoors. The answer is complicated…
Sometimes we don’t have a choice in the matter. While the weatherman is pretty good here, he’s not perfect, and I can tell you several stories of tours that ended in torrential storms that were not on the radar when we started. The term “Paddle Faster” is not just for banjo music, it also applies to freak thunderstorms!
If we know there are thunderstorms headed our way, we don’t paddle. Paddling in a thunderstorm is a generally bad idea. Being in a little boat on the water with a big paddle pointing up in the air is not the ideal way to experience the awesome power of Mother Nature!
If it’s just going to rain, with no lightning, then we have some options. I personally love kayaking in the rain (in warm weather), and the heavier the rain the better! It’s nice and cool, and when you watch rain hit the water from a kayak, you can see each individual raindrop almost bounce off the water when it first hits, and the whole river appears to be dancing. It also seems to bring out the wildlife. Fish start jumping, frogs start calling, and even the birds sometime come out to enjoy a nice cool shower. If our guests are up for an adventure and don’t mind getting wet, we are happy to paddle in the rain. Of course, if you don’t want to paddle in the rain, we understand and will happily reschedule your tour for a drier day or give a refund if the timing doesn’t work out.
Raindrops on the Waccamaw