First Trip

So you just impulse-bought a new kayak at Walmart. Now what?

Don't take it someplace hairy for your first trip. Pick a place that is easy - shallow enough to stand up, no tides, no wind, no waves, no motorboats, no currents, no cold. Find some nice inland lake, I have quite a few of them listed. Learn how to get in and out of the boat, how to paddle, etc. Get a feel for things before you head out into the big water.

Also, figure out how to secure the boat for transport. The pool noodles and twine that you used to take the boat home from the store on the roof of the car are not suitable for the highway. Get whatever racks and tie-downs you need and figure out how to set them up properly. I always use a minimum of two completely independent tie-downs, even for the most local of trips. On the highway, double that.


Laurence Harbor
( 40.45105, -74.27258 )

  1. Lake Lefferts - Matawan ( 40.41563, -74.23362 )
  2. Raritan Bay - Cliffwood (E) ( 40.45089, -74.22033 )
  3. Raritan Bay - Cliffwood (W) ( 40.45216, -74.22269 )
  4. Raritan Bay - Cliffwood (Whale Creek) ( 40.45090, -74.22274 )
  5. Raritan Bay - Keyport (W) ( 40.43921, -74.20160 )
  6. Raritan Bay - Laurence Harbor (E) ( 40.45877, -74.24622 )
  7. Raritan Bay - Laurence Harbor (W) ( 40.46223, -74.25482 )
  8. Raritan Bay - South Amboy (N) ( 40.48343, -74.27059 )
  9. Raritan Bay - South Amboy (S) ( 40.47946, -74.26831 )
  10. Raritan Bay - South Amboy Ramp ( 40.48401, -74.27416 )
  11. Raritan River - Perth Amboy ( 40.50057, -74.27712 )
  12. Wagner's Marina - Matawan Creek ( 40.43540, -74.21416 )

Much of this part or Raritan Bay is fenced-off because of lead pollution from the industrial slag used to build jetties and seawalls in the 1970s. Supposedly, most of it has been cleaned up, but the whole area remains 'off-limits'. Since the toxins leach into the water and are carried off by the currents, you really have to wonder about the entire bay. A quick search online will reveal more on this subject than you ever wanted to know.

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