ICW, Kayaking, & Rowing

While at Sunset Beach, NC (where we had a wonderful time with my family), we got a chance to take a wee kayak tour of the Intracoastal Waterway (a very short section) and a nearby salt marsh just past high tide. Quick thoughts regarding suitability for rowing:

• ICW, at least where we were, has way too many whacko recreational boaters kicking up wakes. Many were totally ignoring explicit "no wake" signs.
• It was actually quite crowded with boaters and jet skiers. Not the peaceful scene I imagined from the swing bridge. I guess the bridge really does keep boat traffic at bay. Har-har-har.
• The channels in the salt marshes, even at high tide, tend to be rather narrow. Not so good for rowing.

Kayaking in the salt marshes was really nice though. As near as I can tell, we were here. The trip did a lot to resolve my primary complaint about Sunset Beach - no ecotours on the marsh. The group was just us (brother-in-law Albert, niece Kelsey, Kathleen, and myself). Jim, the guide, seemed like an experienced kayaker and was learning the locale. He had a good attitude and was a good instructor. The singles were from a company in Greensboro. They were very enjoyable for puttering through the salt marshes. For this touring-type scenario, kayaking fits a very different niche than rowing:

1. minimize energy expenditure vs. maximize oomph to get velocity
2. narrow "wingspan" for narrow places vs. long reach with oars
3. highly maneuverable vs long strokes for straight-aways
4. seeing where you're going vs. looking at where you've been
   
5. oh, and it goes without saying that white-water kayaking is even more different.
   

Net-net = no desire to take the shell to the coast, unless we try to hook up with the rowing club in Wilmington. However, renting kayaks for the week is going to be on our list for the next time.