I've heard of one called Central Arizona Paddlers, but I don't think it really matters where you live all that much, if you join the Tucson club you can still go on the trips.
Oh, well, here's the website for Central Arizona Paddlers: ( dead link removed )
I don't know anything about that group, but it does look fun. You should also check out this resource website: ( dead link removed ) It lists a bunch of teachers. Some of these teachers do teach the more advanced skills you'd need for white water, such as bracing, Eskimo roll, rescue skills, etc., etc.
Another good resource, the REI of paddling, is Northwest River Supply,
http://www.nrsweb.com They have lots of good info, a free email magazine, and sell everything you would ever need to go kayaking or rafting. Good folks.
One thing is clear: there are
many types of kayaking. I got started last fall, took a class at Arizona Western College in Yuma. Yuma is great for easy, flat-water kayaking, because it has the Colorado River and many lakes along the river. The class used "
sit-on-top" kayaks, very easy to use for beginners. Then hubby and I bought a tandem recreational kayak. Recreational kayaks have a big, open cockpit, but are more like a real kayak than a sit-on-top. So we used that a lot all winter in Yuma and had a blast.
I do have a WW kayak, so one of these days I might find the time and money for the lessons. I'd have to drive to Phoenix, and the lessons ain't cheap. When I checked it out earlier this year, one guy's lessons, starting in his pool, were $50 an hour. He said after I caught onto the roll and bracing techniques he would then take me to the lower Salt (the tubing run) for further instruction. It sounds very fun but I can't afford it. I found the guy's name on that canyons and coastlines info site.
Then there is
sea kayaking which is also known as
kayak touring. This is fun because you can go on long trips along the coast or out in the Channel Islands or to Lake Mead or Lake Powell. These boats are very long, and have a rudder in the stern which you turn with a pedal with your feet. And, like any other sport, there seem to be beginner boats and more expensive expert boats.
(Speaking of pedals, don't get misled into buying a gimmicky contraption which pedals like a bicycle and has a sort of paddle wheel. That is NOT a real kayak! That's a tourist gimmick!)
Then there's
play boating. I've seen this on the Upper Salt (past Globe, Salt River Canyon area). I've been on a number of white water rafting trips there during the spring run-off, March and April. I see these guys with these very short, teensy little boats. They don't so much as run the river, but stay to play in certain rapids. They turn somersaults and surf and do all sorts of neat stuff. That looks fun, too, if you are a good swimmer and don't mind being upside-down!
Then there's
kayak surfing, which is done a lot in San Diego. Surf kayaks come in different shapes also, depending upon the level of expertise and cost.
Then there are
inflatable kayaks, also known as "
rubber duckies." I have thought about buying one of these. They are used for big white water, and are very forgiving of newbies, so it's a way to experience whitewater without having to learn the roll, etc. Commercial outfitters such as
http://www.raftthesalt.com sometimes run trips on the Upper Salt in late spring, when the water level is below 1000 cfs.
I had canoed before, but when I got into a kayak for the first time I felt really at home. I wish I had time to pursue it more, but right now I don't. Hubby and I will likely take our rec boat to the little lakes around here pretty soon, though.
Oh, yeah, one other thing: Tandem (two person) kayaking is a skill all unto itself. It is very tricky to learn, and we had to practice a lot. I went on the internet to ( dead link removed ) which is a forum, and asked about tandem techniques. I was told that tandems are referred to as "divorce boats" in the kayaking community! ;) We worked hard to get it down, and it took some practice, but we got the hang of it, more or less.
So, this gives you lots of resources to check out. And it seems to me that maybe there is a shop in Phoenix that sells some kayaking gear, maybe Arizona Hiking Shack?? Anyway I think there is one. I know we have some other kayakers on here, jump on in, you guys!
