Hey everyone

I Just bought my first kayak, a used current designs storm GT. I have little experience kayaking and am interested in someone to go with that is willing to put up with a newbie. I'd just feel safer not going out alone. I haven't been in the water with it yet as I need to buy a PFD first, I have everything else.

Welcome to the Site. If you ever get up Kelowna, shoot me a message. I'll take you out on the 5 cent tour.

suggest you PM mbiraman
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=4746&p=61666&hilit=slocan#p61666

or use his contact form
http://www.birchsidecustomwoodwork.com/contact.php

Thanks for the welcome. I picked up a pfd and a gerber river shorty today so I hope this weekend I will at least get out for a short paddle. I'll probably pick a small lake (cottonwood?) instead of kootenay lake or arrow lake.

KayDubbya: I will be in Kelowna on friday the 27th, but I'll only have a couple hours while my gf is at a tae kwon do thing. (5pm to 7ish). We're doing the round trip in one day.

Nootka: I grew up in Sayward, I'll probably be out that way eventually too. I have family in CR/Quadra that paddle.

If you have a chance to paddle south of the border, I'm an oldster on Lake Pend Oreille who would enjoy showing you our waters. In that eventuality, send me an alert.

got out for a bit on arrow lake. it was good, very calm and sunny.

Jimmy, if you want a wee drive, go around to the East Shore of Kootenay Lake (take the ferry from Balfour) and turn right on the dirt path at the landing strip in Crawford Bay (across from Kokanee Springs golf resort). That path will lead you to a nice, sandy beach from which you can paddle relatively sheltered water "behind" the peninsula (the thumb of the mitten). There is a store (Lakeview) about 4 km south of the beach along the East Shore (boat docks, "permanent" trailers) where you can get a beverage, snacks, etc. Just walk up the drive to find it.

Another nice paddle is out of the campground at Riondel (12 km north of Kootenay Bay ferry terminal). Just watch out for fronts coming down the lake; they are fast and nasty. Wind coming up from the south can catch you "out" once you are outside the peninsula here. Otherwise a great place to paddle about. Head on "up" to Pebble Beach which is about 4 km north of the campground. It's that bright spot you'll see along the shore to the North from the campground.

Haven't tried canoing or kayaking the West Arm (Balfour to Nelson) but it looks doable unless you are having to paddle "upstream" (Eastward) at the end of a long day. A lot of boat traffic though.