During my time on the Fox River yesterday, I happened across about 10 kayakers on the Fox, all launching from the back of Geneva Kayak for the introductory class. Ryan, owner, was taking the new kayakers through the trials and tribulations of being in a 22 inch wide boat on a moving river with nothing more than a stick of plastic for a paddle. I can see from the paddle strokes which ones are more experienced than others. It brought me back to the first few times I was in a kayak: the tippiness of it all. The feeling that one could roll over at any moment. I wish I had an introductory class to teach me about high and low braces, the proper forward stroke, specialty strokes like the sweep, the bow and stern rudders, et cetera. I may not have been a swimmer as often had I taken a class; I certainly did learn wet exits on my own. Geneva Kayak was not yet open at the time, but I have subsequently bought two of my kayaks from Ryan. A great resource in Geneva, IL.
