How far to kayak in a day?
 

Lord Nerd on High wrote:
Just wondering what the average distance one could kayak in day, or rather
eight hour period? Nothing too intense and under normal weather conditions.
With hiking it's about 10 miles, biking is about 40 miles. Is kayaking
somewhere in between?

Both of the figures seem very low for an eight hour day. Hiking, one can
typically cover 2 mph or so at a moderate pace. Your cycling speed is
only 5 mph, which is incredibly slow. Even a relatively unfit cyclist
can pedal at 12 mph and 15-17 mph is within the realm of anyone who's
even reasonably fit.

My friends and I were thinking of kayaking on Lake Champlaign in Vermont this
summer and part of the plan would be to kayak up to some of the norther islands
that allow for camping. I guess I'm just trying to figure out how far south we
have to be to provide a good day's journey, though nothing that would wipe out
inexperienced, yet fit, 32 year olds.

If you're paddling at a relaxed pace with occasional stops, figure on an
overall average of 2.5 - 3 mph. Depending on how much paddling you do,
you simply may not be able to - or want to - paddle for eight hours, so
plan your trip accordingly. If it's convenient for you, I'd suggest
planning on paddling for no more than 4-5 hours, plus breaks. That would
work out to 10 - 15 miles. If you're strong paddlers and can handle
longer time on the water, a distance of 30 miles would not be
unreasonable. Just remember that you still have to set up camp when you
arrive at your destination. You can't just flop on the couch with a
pizza and a beer. ;-)

How far to kayak in a day?
 

I am 58 years old and when touring I cruise about 4 miles per hour with
a loaded boat. I am considered very physically fit by the people I
participate in outdoors sports with and I can do 40 mile days but there
is no fun in it. There is no time to look around and no time to relax
in camp, etc. I usually plan my days on the water to start about 7:00
a.m. in the morning and end by noon. This means I plan my camps around
15 miles of kayaking a day. This way I get into camp, setup, have a
lunch, then hike or take out my empty (lighter) kayak and spend time
exploring the local area. You tour to have fun not see how far you can
go in a day.
--
Bill

Brought to you from beautiful Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, Alaska.
N 53° 51.140' W 166° 30.228' (WGS 84)

Lord Nerd on High wrote:
Just wondering what the average distance one could kayak in day, or
rather eight hour period? Nothing too intense and under normal
weather conditions. With hiking it's about 10 miles, biking is about
40 miles. Is kayaking somewhere in between?

My friends and I were thinking of kayaking on Lake Champlaign in
Vermont this summer and part of the plan would be to kayak up to some
of the norther islands that allow for camping. I guess I'm just
trying to figure out how far south we have to be to provide a good
day's journey, though nothing that would wipe out inexperienced, yet
fit, 32 year olds.

How far to kayak in a day?