Paddling on Town Lake

Have you been on Town Lake lately? Like many places in Austin, the lake is alive with the colors of the fall -- bright yellows, flaming reds, and lush greens. Leaves gently fall from the sky, twirl, and land in the clear, blue waters, creating small ripples. The trees reflect off the water, like the sun off a mirror.

Town Lake is a calm and placid lake that divides the northern and southern parts of the city of Austin. At the west end of the lake is Red Bud Isle and Tom Miller Dam. At the east end of the lake is "Bird Island" and Longhorn Dam. Between the two dams lies an approximately 10-mile stretch of the Colorado River. The lake is home to several species of fish, as well as numerous birds.

Town Lake is one of the premier places to paddle flatwater in the city. The lake is perfect for canoeing and kayaking. You can leisurely paddle your canoe or kayak, race your sprint boat, play kayak polo underneath the Mopac bridge, fish from your boat, or practice your freestyle canoe maneuvers. The temperature of the water around this time of year is about 70 degrees or so. Located in the heart of downtown, it's easily accessible from several put-in spots:

• Festival Beach boat ramp (East)
• IH-35 boat ramp (East)
• Austin High boat ramp (West)
• Red Bud Isle (West)

I like to teach at the IH-35 boat ramp, but paddle for fun around Red Bud Isle. Each spot has its own unique features. At the IH-35 boat ramp, you're in the heart of the city, surrounded by buildings and bridges. (And you're near a great outfitter, Salamander Adventures (www.salamanderadventures.com).) At Red Bud, you're in the wilderness of the city, surrounded by tall cliffs and lush vegetation.

Want to figure out where you are on the lake? Here's a good map that shows the lake and the hike and bike trail that winds around the lake: http://www.alienscooters.com/pdfs/maps/townlake.pdf. You can find out about lake conditions by visiting the Lower Colorado River Authority site (http://www.lcra.org/water/river_report.html).

Happy paddling this fall!

Figuring out what type of boat to get

So many times I am asked, "What type of boat should I buy?" The easy answer is, "One that fits you well and that you'll enjoy paddling." But really, how do you know if the boat fits well and you'll enjoy it?

I've been thinking about creating a program of some sorts to provide a good answer to folks. This program would ask a series of questions, churn a bit, and then spit out an answer. (Kinda like the quiz you take to determine what kind of dog that you are -- http://www.gone2thedogs.com/ -- click the WHAT DOG ARE YOU? link to see. I'm a SCHNAUZER (GIANT).) Anyway, here are some of the questions I'll ask:

• What type of water do you want to paddle? (for example, small lakes or ponds, large lakes, bays, coastlines, easy rivers, difficult rivers)
• What type of paddling do you want to do? (for example, fun and enjoyment, fitness, fishing)
• Do you want to travel down a body of water or do you want to stay in one place?
• Do you want to go on overnight or multi-day trips?
• Do you want to paddle year 'round (even in cold weather)?
• Is the weight or the size of the boat an issue?
• How tall are you and how much do you weigh?
• How much money do you want to spend?
• Do you want a brand-spankin' new boat without any scratches or a boat that has some stories to tell?
• What... is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?

Once I know the answers to these questions, I can point you in the right direction. Be thinking about your answers. In the meantime, check out the latest issue of Canoe and Kayak Magazine (http://canoekayak.com/features/current-issue/decembertoc/). It's their annual buyer's guide, and it's choc full of good information.

What to do when you can't paddle

So, here I am, hobbling around on crutches for the last few weeks. And will be hobbling around for another week or so. Beautiful weather, a new boat in the garage, changing leaves, slalom races, and a strong desire to get back out on the water. But my foot's in an air cast, and the incision hasn't healed from my moderate bunion surgery (see a cool animation at http://www.drmoy.com/faq.htm -- click on the procedure animation link). What to do?

Well, I've managed to stockpile about a year's worth of canoeing and kayaking magazines -- Sea Kayaker, Paddler, and Canoe and Kayak. (If you're not familiar with any of these magazines, check them out at your local outfitter.) For one reason or another (mostly related to triathlon training), I've not taken the time to read the magazines when they arrived. Since I've had a little extra time to read now, I've been slowly catching up on the news of the paddling world.

I've also started a wish list of the new kayaking videos. As an instructor, I like to buy and view kayaking videos. I always learn a teaching trick or two from the pros. Here's a list of the ones I'd like to get:

• All About Kayaking (Kent Ford, www.performancevideo.com) - Kent Ford is one of the best sources of instructional kayaking videos and books. This video covers different types of paddling, including kayak fishing.
• Whitewater Kayaking Basics for Women (Anna Levesque, www.watergirlsatplay.com) - This is Anna's second video in her "Girls at Play" series. The first video, "Girls at Play," covered an intro to the sport of whitewater kayaking. It's different from other kayaking videos in that it dives into the minds of women boaters and explores our fears and triumphs.
• EJ's River Running: Basics and Advanced (Eric Jackson, www.jacksonkayak.com) - EJ's a freestyle kayaking world champion and superb paddler. These two videos cover the basics, reading water, and running difficult rapids.

If you like videos and you want to start a collection (or add to an existing collection), here's what I recommend:

• Kayaking for Everyone - This video should be sold with every new boat that is sold. It's geared twoards the recreational kayaker and covers all the basics to get started.
• Kayak 101 - Joe Holt classic that's good at illustrating basic strokes and river-running techniques.
• Essential Boat Control - A classic video on river running by one of the best, Tom DeCuir.
• The Kayaker's Edge, Breakthru!, and The River Runner's Edge - A collection of whitewater videos by Kent Ford.
• Whitewater Self Defense - Recommended for anyone who runs rivers.
• The Kayak Roll - Superb video for learning and teaching the "Sweep-to-C" roll.
• Learning the Kayak Roll - Tom DeCuir's classic for learning the "C-to-C" roll.
• Performance Sea Kayaking - Covers the basics, as well as surf techniques. Another Kent Ford video.

So, while I can't be out on the water right now, at least I can dream about it... by catching up on magazines and videos!