Traveling with kayak or SUP – a fantastic extra way to experience travel!
By Patrik Vuorio, Stockholm, Sweden (@AirOnTheWater on YouTube)
White water on the River Vilnia in Vilnius, Lithuania.
I’m one of those people who loves travel, having travelled extensively for 20+ years and in 80 countries to date. Like many others, I treasure the experiences that come while “expanding one’s personal map”. In mid-2021, I found another interest that surprised me through the new world it opened—paddling. Kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding are fantastic ways to see nature or a city from different angles, wildlife up close, iconic buildings from unique perspectives, etc.
As I’ve later come to combine these two passions, travel and paddling, I was intrigued to note John McFadzean’s Facebook posts and website, with the same interest, but much more extensively realized – John’s goal of SUP paddling in every country in the world is ambitious, to say the least! I was curious to see the extensive paddle list and the adventures.
My paddling list is not quite as impressive yet—it encompasses Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Spain, and Djibouti—but there’s no limit to the future paddle plans, with several countries being looked at for this year. My related project is paddling in 100 cities; I’ve had very rewarding experiences in 20.
Purchasing my first inflatable kayak was unplanned—I was at a sports store looking for gear for my bike, bought an inflatable kayak instead, and got hooked immediately. Now I own a whole fleet, in addition to two stand-up paddleboards. Life on the water is fantastic, and the portability of an inflatable kayak or SUP gives you the freedom to paddle wherever you want!
As my paddling journey has now progressed beyond the first 1000 km and 100 trips, I’ve found that combining travel with paddling is a fantastic way of enhancing the exploration experiences—bringing a kayak or SUP along on journeys abroad or to other cities (or renting while there) adds to the experience. Seeing turtles or rays around my kayak in Africa, paddling to and visiting an island castle in Lithuania, or stand-up paddleboarding in the quite challenging waves offshore of Barcelona –some good memories there!
After getting in touch with John, following his kind invitation to post a guest blog post on his website, www.suptheworld.com, I thought this made a lot of sense, as we share the same interest in discovering the world through the lens of our paddle. My paddling adventures (mostly kayaking but also some SUP paddling) are featured on my Air On The Water channel on Youtube. There’s also a paddle traveling series – Traveling With My Kayak, showing tourism by paddle in different countries.
The River Neris in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Vilnius, Lithuania
I thought I’d share the first traveling videos I made, where I became inspired to start this series following a paddle in Vilnius, Lithuania. I carried my ultra-lightweight Advanced Elements Packlite kayak (1.8 kg / 4 pounds) from my hotel to the Bridge of Užupis, inflated it, and climbed down a few stairs to access the water. I paddled with the current through a beautiful autumn landscape in the park on River Vilnia, passing the Gediminas castle and then moving westward with the current on the larger River Neris. Being October, mine was the only craft on the water, so having the river to myself was an amazing experience! I got some friendly waves from people on land and curious looks from the many bikers and rollerbladers going at high speed along the riverside. There’s some whitewater on the Vilnia to look out for, and in the warmer season, there would be boats to avoid on River Neris. Still, I highly recommend the River Neris as a SUP paddle experience! But be prepared. There’s a strong westward current.
Here are two videos from the paddle on the @AirOnTheWater YouTube channel:
The River Neris in Vilnius, Lithuania.
