Story and photos by Darl DeVault, contributing editor
Oklahoma’s senior paddle sport enthusiasts, guided by the expertise of veteran boaters, have navigated through the wettest year in recent memory. These seasoned boaters now caution that our rivers may not be safe. In a rare year when mid-summer does not see any drought conditions in Oklahoma, the extreme rainfall has turned many of our large rivers into dangerous places to kayak and canoe.
“We have seen so much rain, we have no idea what is under the surface, even on our favorite rivers,” said Rob Walker, retired Hurricane Kayaks representative. “People need to remember our local lakes are a much safer bet for having fun on the water.”
Often, magazine and television ads portray ocean, river, and whitewater kayaking as the most common uses, but the most common use among our senior community is actually in lakes. Flatwater kayaking (also known as recreational kayaking), which involves lightweight plastic touring boats, canoeing, rowing, paddleboarding, sailing, and other recreational activities, dominates in Oklahoma.
Walker is cautioning a new generation of senior boaters to consider inexpensive, flatwater kayaks with dynamic control and lightweight construction as the safest way to go. However, he is currently recommending the lakes around Oklahoma City as the best option until the situation on the Oklahoma rivers stabilizes.
All boats, kayaks, canoes, and paddleboats on Oklahoma City waters are required to have a city boating permit and follow boating regulations for each body of water. Oklahoma boat registration is also required, except for kayaks, canoes and paddleboats. Boating permits can be purchased at Accela Citizen Access. You can buy your Parks Fishing, Boating, and other permits online. Using this system, you can purchase and print your permits from the convenience of your home or office 24 hours a day with your Visa, Mastercard, or Discover card.
All OKC Lake hours are 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., except for permitted activities, such as motorboating and fishing. Permits allow use of the lakes any time or day.
Lake Hefner Ramps: Boat ramps are at the City Boat Harbor and the Lake Patrol Station on the southwest side of the lake.
Lake Overholser Ramps: Boat ramps are located on the east side of the lake, behind the boat house, and on the south end of the lake, near the dam.
Lake Stanley Draper Ramps: Boat ramps are at the Lake Draper Marina near SE 104th and Lake Stanley Draper Drive.
RIVERSPORTS OKC. Oklahoma River between Interstate 35 and Portland Avenue, south of Interstate 40 in downtown Oklahoma City. Ramps: Boat ramps are near the Lincoln Avenue Bridge, on the Exchange Avenue Bridge and at SW 15 and Portland.
Stinchcomb Wildlife Refuge is at NW 51 and N Stinchcomb Avenue and offers no direct ramps inside the gated area. Water access to the refuge is only available from Lake Overholser.
Crystal Lake, located at 6625 SW 15th St., does not provide ramps.
“With extreme rain and intense storms leading to flash flooding earlier in the year, Oklahoma boaters need to know about where to seek info about their sport,” Walker said. “Intense rain can sweep even mature trees into the river or lake, and depending on the current, it can turn just below the surface, to suddenly have a large branch come to the surface to interfere with safe boating.”
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather Service data is a crucial resource, presented and interpreted on numerous websites, providing paddlers with ample information to plan a safe trip. The National Water Prediction Service – NOAA provides information on Oklahoma rivers, lakes, and rainfall. Paddlers can often set their social networking and social media tools and services to access this information. The weather service provides these links to help promote its weather awareness activities.
If seniors are venturing into rivers, an excellent resource for kayaking conditions is the Illinois River – GRDA website. It features a link to a map of the Upper Illinois River, which graphically predicts the flow rate and its impact on recreation for the next 48 hours, based on data from the National Weather Service. Forecasts are updated daily, except during periods of flooding, when updates occur at least three times daily.
The growth of paddle sports in Oklahoma means seniors with high-end fiberglass or Kevlar kayaks, as well as wooden and skin-on-frame home-builts, can occasionally be seen on our rivers. However, locals usually opt for rotational-molded plastic boats on our lakes.
With the control and balance provided by these smaller, wider boats, many novice senior boaters have been enticed to try the sport. These newcomers enjoy the stability and ease of boarding these recreational boats.
It is this sense of control and balance that attracts many seniors to the sport, where they can relax more in a kayak than in a canoe, allowing them to drift lazily along in a lake. This is the scenario most recommended for the rest of the summer in Oklahoma.
In the new water, SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT. It’s crucial to keep this in mind as we navigate these potentially hazardous conditions.
Boaters need to remember it was raging water that carved the rivers into the landscape. Even in higher-than-normal levels in lakes, they need to take extra precautions.
Boaters should always have a tether on their paddle, ensuring they can easily retrieve it if it gets lodged in something at an unfamiliar takeout or put-in point. Equally important is having a spare paddle on board for added preparedness.
This is normal whitewater kayaking. So, it should be normal for today’s high water flat-water kayaking. Wear a robust, properly fitted USCG–approved PFD with multiple attachment points for D-rings. A boater can then tether their boat with a long rope on the forward or aft points.
Even on a lake they are familiar with, it may not look like the take-out point they’ve been used to because of high water. This is why maintaining a high level of caution, even in familiar settings, is crucial. Extra caution is the name of the game, even on lakes.
