> I am 50, from Oslo, and used to kayaking in 4 Celcius. My ambition is to
> rent a kayak and go around Manhattan, spring/summer. Any advice, pro/con.

> Thanks!

> Thor-Erik

It's a great trip. A friend and I did it summer '98. We put in underneath the Brooklyn Bridge on the Brooklyn side, and headed north. It took us about 8 hours, paddling continuously. It's crucial that you consult a tide chart and time your trip accordingly. We didn't hit the tides perfectly, but we did well enough.

As someone else has noted, the waters can get pretty choppy around Battery Park. The last leg of our journey (when we were dog-tired), from the southern tip of Manhattan back to Brooklyn, across ferry and barge traffic lanes, was harrowing. I'm glad I did it, but wouldn't do it twice, unless it were a group trip. The reason is that some portions of the trip are pretty unremarkable. There's not a whole lot to see from the Harlem River other than Yankee Stadium.

Whether you circumnavigate the island or not, I definitely recommend getting out in a kayak while in New York. You can see Manhattan (and the Statue of Liberty, etc.) from a vantage point that is truly unique.

One last thing: I would try to do it on a weekday. We went on a beautiful weekend day, and there were a lot of yahoos out in rented powerboats.

--Will