April Showers Brings May Kayakers

By Mia Coen

Hello, CBI readers!

It’s been a long, cold, and dreary winter, but May is here!! I’m a New Englander, people, so this is exciting and long-anticipated. When you get a few months off from shoveling, raking, or cleaning up the mess after winter, the reward is getting to sit back and enjoy life for a bit.

For me, May means a lot of things: flowers, sunshine, warmer temperatures, lighter and more comfortable clothes...but it also means that the weather is bearable enough to go to the beach! I consider myself lucky to live by the seaside and couldn’t imagine not living near the ocean, as it’s a main source of recreation, relaxation, and fun during the summer months.

Since I was a kid, I’ve always loved to hike, bike, swim, and play, but my affinity is for the beach. The ocean captivates me in a way that I’ve never experienced with any other piece of nature. Pair that with a kayak, and color me happy. Kayaking is a great sport and I urge everyone to try it at least one time in their life. It’s a sport that you can modify, depending on your mood, location, or overall goal.

There are days when I really want the workout. I’ll go on a windy day when the white caps peak along the shore during a high tide, which means I have to crank it. I’ll engage my arms, abs, back, and even my legs just to fight the wind and current. It’s such a thrill!

There are days when I want to be leisurely, and I’ll drop the boat in a remote marsh where I can coast along, enjoy the scenery and wildlife, bring a bag lunch and even cast a fishing line. It’s a great way to relax!

Then, there are days when I make a day-long event of it—I’ll invite friends to pack up the kayaks with sandwiches, chips, drinks, beach toys, towels, umbrellas, radios—even chairs or a portable grill! (You’d be surprised what a kayak can tote.) We might race out to an island or remote sandbar where we can unload for the day and just enjoy each other’s company. Never short of fun!

So, now that the summer season is in view, I urge everyone to gear up, and get out and play!