Outdoor Media Awards Best Print Publication

Paddling Mag Wins People’s Choice Award for Best Print Publication

Paddling Magazine has been named Print Publication of the Year in the People’s Choice category for the second year in a row at this...
Sam Shoemaker in his mushroom boat entering the Port of Los Angeles on August 5, 2025. | Image: Jordan Freeman / Courtesy Fulcrum Arts

Artist Creates Mushroom Kayak And Crosses The Catalina Channel

On a recent summer morning, sculptor Sam Shoemaker was paddling a mushroom kayak 20 miles off the coast of Los Angeles when the hallucinations...
Rutabaga Paddlesports

Iconic Midwest Paddling Shop Rutabaga To Close

Rutabaga paddlesports owner Darren Bush announced that he will close the Madison, Wisconsin, paddling shop at the end of the year to pursue a...
Paddlers gather using Rally Crew app.

RallyCrew Launches To Unite Whitewater Paddlers

RallyCrew, a new free online platform, offers a unique space for the whitewater paddling community to connect, share experiences, and explore new rivers. Designed...
A raft on the Colorado River below Havasu Creek in Grand Canyon National Park

In Brief: News The Paddlesports Industry Is Talking About

To date, 2025 has seen what could be called a dramatic divergence from the status quo for the paddling industry, and with it, stark...
Kayakers are rescued in the San Juan Islands. Feature Image: USCG Petty Officer 1st Class Steven Strohmaier

12 Kayakers Rescued In The San Juan Islands

On Thursday, August 14, 2025 the US Coast Guard (USCG) issued an urgent marine broadcast after being notified via VHF channel 16 that 12...
Gear salvaged in the aftermath of the Tracy Arm tsunami. Image courtesy Billy White.

Kayakers’ Camp Washed Out By Tsunami In Alaska

On day 78 of kayaking the Inside Passage, a trio of sea kayak guides and instructors woke at 5:45 in the morning to a...
Sam Wilson takes the gold in Men's Kayak Squirt competition 2025

New Champion Crowned And World Record Set In Men’s Kayak Squirt Final (Video)

The 2025 International Canoe Federation Canoe Freestyle World Championships concluded in Plattling, Germany in June 2025, and Sam Wilson of the United Kingdom took...
US Coast Guard reports increase in SUP deaths.

Alarming Trend Shows Increase In Paddleboarding Deaths In Latest Coast Guard Report

The U.S. Coast Guard recently released the 2024 Recreational Boating Statistics, and while overall boating deaths are at a 50-year all-time low, paddlesports are...
two people paddleboard across a fjord in East Greenland, with small icebergs nearby

Chris Christie Dodges Icebergs In East Greenland

We awake early in the tent, mentally prepared for the daunting crossing of the Sermilik Fjord. My partner, Julie, and I dismantle the polar...
overhead photo of a canoe paddled down a river in the Barren Lands

100-Year-Old Barren Lands Canoe Expedition Mystery Solved

When a husband-and-wife paddling team set out on a 1,000-mile, 64-day unsupported canoe trip through Canada’s northern Barren Lands to solve a century-old mystery,...
packrafts travel by flashlight through subterranean tunnels in the Grand Canyon

Packrafting Beneath The Grand Canyon

It’s a brilliant November morning in the heart of the Grand Canyon, and the ribbon of cold, clear sky framed by mile-high walls is...
Former Adventure Kayak editor Virginia Marshall paddles her sea kayak in front of a harvest moon

In Uncertain Times, Relief Is Closer Than You Think

I hit power on my phone and braced myself. After a dreamy week paddling the north shore of Lake Superior (spent eating oats on...
two men dressed in drysuits stand beside packed touring kayaks on a rocky shore with misty water behind them

The Joy Of Being Uncomfortable

I wake up and go straight out for a cold-water swim—the best way to start the day on a trip. It’s a crisp morning...

Reader Favorites

Column Spotlight

Jeff Jackson
Jeff Jackson
Jeff Jackson has been teaching kayaking since boats were long and eddy turns were nervous. And yes, he used to be cool. Rapid contributor since way back in 1999. Guiding on rivers has taken him from the Yukon to China, and his Alchemy column explores the values and lessons life on the water brings. When not teaching outdoor education at Algonquin College, he spends his time guiding, fly fishing, building mountain bike trails and conducting risk management research.
overhead photo of a pair of vans hauling many many river kayaks

Wave Theory: Is The Classic Kayaker Greeting Making A Comeback?

I used to drive a Volkswagen Westfalia van. Just out of college, kayak on the roof, Tevas on my feet—I thought I was pretty...
overhead shot of a group of whitewater paddlers performing a complex rescue aided by a thorough knowledge of knots

The Essential Rescue Skill Outdoor Programs Stopped Teaching

I was not much of a reader as a kid. In third grade, I won the Most Improved Reader award, which makes me think...
a group of whitewater rafters go over some rapids on a paddling dream trip

Dream Trip: How To Turn Your Paddling Fantasies Into Reality

I have a friend who loves to plan trips. The ratio of trips planned versus taken is probably 10:1. Whether remote expeditions in foreign...
paddler man whitewater rafting through rocks and rapids

Why Portaging Doesn’t Make You Less Of A Whitewater Paddler

One of the loneliest places in the world is in the slow drift leading into a stiff rapid. The quiet and calm, the river’s...
Behold: The meaning of life. | Photo: Justin Bailie

Why River Trips Give Our Life Meaning

Jeff Jackson has the answer to every and any existential crisis.

Editor’s Choice

on the left, two women paddle a blue tandem sit-inside kayak, while on the right a woman paddles a red solo sit-on-top

Sit-On-Top vs Sit-Inside Kayaks: Which Is Right For You?

It’s hard to say what the best kayaks for recreational paddlers are: sit-on-top or sit-inside. With more than 30 years of experience working in...
group of kayaks of different sizes lined up outside a building

Choosing The Right Size Kayak For You

The size of a kayak plays a huge role in determining its performance characteristics, and whether it’s the right kayak for you. If you’re...
man stands and paddles a beginner paddleboard

Best Beginner Paddleboards For 2025

The best paddleboard for beginners depends a lot on personal preferences and what you hope to do with your paddleboard. Are you looking for...
Paddling Magazine digital editor Joe Potoczak paddles an inflatable tandem kayak with a friend

Best Inflatable Two-Person Kayaks For 2025

In all my years paddling, I've spent many days in kayaks and in rafts, but some of the most enjoyable times on the water...
a perosn sits on a tailgate wearing Astral Loyak water shoes

Best Water Shoes For 2025

Among the checklist of what to wear paddling, solid footwear is not to be overlooked. The best pair of water shoes will keep you...
photograph of a wolf howling on tundra

How To Photograph A Tundra Wolf

Dream of capturing the photo of a lifetime? Use the recipe below to photograph a tundra wolf, barren-ground grizzly, caribou or muskox. Though not...
person fillets fish on a wooden board at a camp site

How To Fillet A Fish

If you’re not fond of bones or skin, you’ll want to fillet your fish to prepare it for cooking. Follow these five simple steps...
woman paddling away from the camera along a rocky, wild shore

A Paddler’s Guide To Finding Yourself

Long trips, short trips, any trips out on the water are money in the Bank of the Soul. We can catch a sunset paddle, make...
kid poses in a kayak with map

Kayaking With Kids

A t the end of a school year, I was surrounded by parents and their kids—my children’s cohorts in grade one and preschool. We were...
man standing on a rocky shelf above rapids lines a canoe without having to portage it

How To Line Rapids In A Canoe

After you line a canoe the first time around that usual portage, your watch and back will thank you for the discovery. Using guide...
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A kayaker on a river with green vegetation on either side

The Best Places To Paddle Near You

Whether you're an expert or a beginner, there's almost always somewhere to go kayaking, canoeing, rafting or paddleboarding near you. Finding that perfect location...
La Vérendrye Canoe Camping

Canada’s Largest Canoe Camping Reserve Is Hidden in Plain Sight—And It’s Not Algonquin

Boasting more than 800 kilometers of maintained routes traversing rivers, reservoirs and some 4,000 scenic lakes, Réserve faunique La Vérendrye is one of North...
kayaking over the Grass River in Michigan

Best Rivers To Kayak In Michigan

Michigan is home to crystal-clear blue waters, sandy beaches and wild rivers making it the perfect place to kayak for everything from a casual...
two people paddle out of a mangrove tunnel in Southwest Florida

This 190-Mile Water Trail In Florida Passes Through Mangrove Tunnels, Pristine Beaches, And Historic...

Whether you're seeking solitude in Southwest Florida's wild landscapes or craving a lively day on the water, the Great Calusa Blueway paddling trail offers...
Man paddling an inflatable kayak on river.

The South Coast Of Oregon Holds More Wild Rivers To Paddle Than Anywhere Else...

If you were to drop a pin in the center of Curry County, Oregon, along the border of the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, you...