(201) Gold Coast May 2016 | Page 27

Health and Leisure Pick Up a Paddle Kayaking offers a sightseeing workout WRITTEN BY JENNIFER L. NELSON ON THE WATER: DANIELLE P. RICHARDS/THE RECORD; KAYAK: COURTESY OF TARGET; CAMERA: COURTESY OF BEST BUY; BOOK: COURTESY OF LITTLE CITY BOOKS T ON THE WATER Kayakers on the Hudson are dwarfed by the New York City skyline. The Hoboken Cove Community Boathouse offers free kayaking experiences, starting in early June through mid-September. Places to Paddle here’s no better way to experience the New York City skyline than on the Hudson River. With just a little bit of instruction, anyone can enjoy one of the most popular summer water sports this season: kayaking. “People love getting out on the river because it gives them a great way to explore both the New York and New Jersey waterfront…and all while getting a great workout,” says Jon Miller, acting president of the Hoboken Cove Community Boathouse, a nonprofit community volunteer organization that provides on-water recreational programming and classroom learning experiences to the public. The boathouse is stocked with a full fleet of kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, canoes and outriggers for public use, and provides instructors and guides certified by the American Canoe Association. Kayakers can paddle from the sandy beach within the protected cove or venture out a little bit further with the organization’s river excursions. The organization also hosts free kayak and stand-up paddleboard days at Maxwell Park Beach on select Saturdays and Sundays until September. “It is a fun way for paddlers of all ages to experience the Hudson River from a unique perspective,” Miller says. “Paddle sports are a lifelong recreational activity that can be enjoyed by adventurers of all ages.” ◆ Olympus TG-870 16.0-megapixel waterproof digital camera Best Buy, Jersey City $280 Hoboken Cove Community Boathouse Intersection of Frank Sinatra Drive and Maxwell Place, Hoboken hobokencoveboathouse.org Resilience Paddle Sports Pier 13, 1301 Sinatra Drive, Hoboken (800) 979-3370 Paddle Out Kayak and SUP 11 Marin Blvd., Jersey City (201) 424-9530 Weehawken Cove West bank of Hudson River, between Hoboken (south) and Weehawken (north) The Meadowlands: Wilderness Adventures at the Edge of a City Little City Books, Hoboken $16 WANT TO BUY AND NOT RENT A KAYAK? Nomad two-person inflatable kayak Target.com $384 (one-person available, $191) (201) GOLD COAST MAY 2016 25