Has anyone taken a very young kid kayaking? My wife wants to try it this summer but I'm not sure what to expect. Should I be looking into tandem kayaks or is there a specific kid boat? We'd be on calm lakes only. Is this actually doable or are we setting ourselves up for frustration?
Check if your area has any kayak places that do family rentals. They usually have smaller boats and better advice than the big chain places.
We took our 2yo kayaking last summer. Realistic expectations: he sat in a puddle of water in the middle of the boat, cried about wanting to go back after 15 minutes, and ate a bug. 10/10 family memory.
Three is actually a decent age for this if you do it right. Skip the multi-hour trip idea completely. Think 30 minutes on calm water, life jacket that actually fits, and maybe a tandem kayak so you can keep an eye on him.
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My honest take: rent a tandem kayak where your 3yo sits in the middle with you, do it on a super calm lake, keep it short, and have a beach cleanup plan ready because he'll probably get bored. It's doable if your expectations are right.
Which lake were you thinking? Some around Portland are way better for kids than others. Lost Lake is pretty protected if that helps.