"Kathy" wrote in
:


http://www.kayakshops.com/

While this is a good idea in theory, the fact the it is a commercial site
that charges shops to be listed severely limits the number of shops listed.
For example, when I selected New York state only one shop was listed. There
are two shops just in my own (relatively small) town and I know of 3-4 more
within a two hour drive, none of which are listed.

In this case, Google is your friend. Entering paddling related terms
(kayak, kayaking, paddle, etc) along with a a state name has always produced
a number of links to paddle shops in an area I'm looking at. I understand
the OP (original posters) problem finding local paddling shops and paddlers
due to being in a sparsely populated area (I am familiar with the Smith
river area as I was born in Northern California). When I started to paddle
7 years ago or so I expressed the same concern and I live in a much more
densely populated area. There was only one place within a radius of a
couple hundred miles that sold kayaks and no local clubs.

A couple of more suggestions.

Keep reading the group and other paddling forums (is Boatertalk still
active?).

The NRS catalog is probably one of the best mail order catalogs available
(www.nrsweb.com)

Subscribe to paddling related magazines (Paddler, Canoe & Kayak).

Join the AWA (http://www.americanwhitewater.org/) which includes a
subscription to their magazine.

Look for "collection of link" type web sites that other paddlers have
created. For example, mine:
http://mayfly.mannlib.cornell.edu/paddle/index.htm

It has one of the most complete list of kayak vendor links I've come across.