Summer & Fall The Best of Upstate New York
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Kayaking Offers Fun and Camaraderie Kayak club organizes kayak trips throughout the season By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
B
efore 1999, Kathy Kitt of Syracuse could not have imagined herself as the co-owner of a kayak shop and founder of a kayak club. But dating Tom Kitt took her life down an unexpected fork in the river. “He was into kayaking and I had never kayaked before,” Kitt recalled. “I didn’t want to, but he convinced me to try. I liked it and it went from there.” After they were married, she worked with him at his store, Camillus Kayak Shop. Many customers purchasing equipment wanted to know where to kayak in the area and if local kayak groups existed. Those new to the activity wanted further knowledge on kayaks than the initial instruction Tom Kitt gives to customers. In 2000, the couple decided to start
10 • Summer Guide — The Best of Upstate 2013
a club to help teach new kayakers and improve safety: CNY Kayak Club. The organization now boasts more than 150 members. “Several couples have met through the club and are now married or in relationships,” Kitt said. “People often meet through the club and socialize at other times in the week.” The club enjoys flat water kayaking, “not the whitewater kind where you go fast and wear helmets. This can be as effortful as you want it to be, but the people in the club are into socializing.” They plan weekly outings and post details on their website, www. cnykayakclub.com. Members pay $10 per year, which supports the website and helps purchase safety gear shared
by the club and funds their kick-off dinner each spring. Members are required to wear a life vest and carry a whistle while on the water. Rick Phillips of Liverpool is the current club president. Kitt and her husband enjoy teaching others to help improve safety and make kayaking an pleasurable pastime for others. “There’s no ambient noise other than birds, frogs, and ripples of water,” Kitt said. “I enjoy nature. You don’t have to worry about filling up the boat with gasoline. With a kayak, paddle, vest and whistle you have all you need.” For ideas on where to kayak in New York, visit visitoswegocounty. com/the-great-outdoors/canoeingkayaking-rafting or www.paddling. net/places/NY. Kayak Safety – The Oswego County Tourism website, visitoswegocounty. com, offers the following safety tips: • “NSYS law requires that all boaters have access to a personal flotation device which should be worn at all times. • Remember that all water is dangerous. Exposure to cold water may be life-threatening. Standing up in a canoe is not advisable. • Do not approach dam areas too closely on either the upstream or downstream sides. You could be pulled into the sluiceway or otherwise lose control of your canoe if the gates were opened unexpectedly. • Do not use intoxicants while boating. • Respect the rights of property owners and obtain permission before crossing private lands. • Remember that once you reach your destination, you may have to paddle your canoe just as far in the opposite direction, perhaps against the wind or heavy current. Plan ahead! Hungry, thirsty, cold, tired, and after dark canoeing may be more of an adventure than you had anticipated. • Know your limits and your ability. Use good judgment at all times.”