Note: New Jersey law requires the wearing of a PFD from November 1 through May 1.

Turtles

Eastern Painted Turtle

You'll find these medium-sized turtles in any body of water. You will often find them sunning themselves on any convenient perch, watching you. Get too close, and they drop into the water. Rarely, you may encounter a released pet that is tame.

Conga!

-- Wikipedia

Pond Slider

Red-Eared Slider

This is a non-native turtle that is also frequently found. The pet trade has spread them far outside their native range in the mid-west.

-- Wikipedia


Snapping Turtle

Usually, this is about as much of a Snapping Turtle as you'll get to see - coming up for a breath of air. While they do have a very strong and potentially damaging bite, and can be aggressive at times, a kayaker would have to do something incredibly stupid to have a problem.

Since they spend most of their time lying on the bottom in murky water, a kayak is not the best way to see one of these. They are better observed from a bridge or a dock.

-- Wikipedia


Stinkpot Turtle

Another common little water turtle. These will also snap at you, notice the careful way this one is being held.

-- Wikipedia


Spiny Softshell Turtle

This is an introduced type that can be found as far north as the Raritan River watershed. If you do run across one of these, leave it alone, they defend themselves aggressively and have a strong bite.

-- Wikipedia


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.