Commuting by Kayak (For Real)
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto 
on 03.19.08
We previously got taken in by a spoof site about a kayaker who paddled 52 miles to work in Los Angeles. Not this time; we got it from a reputable source, the Sun. Ricardo Assis Rosa works at an architectural practice in near Bath; he kayaks the two miles to get there in 35 minutes. Mr. Rosa told the Sun:
"Canoeing takes longer than going by car, but it is a lot more pleasant. I find the fumes and the noise and traffic can put me in a bad mood all day, but after a gentle canoe into work I feel really relaxed and full of energy. There are swans and ducks and animals along the way, and it's a great way of getting fit and breaking the routine. It feels like you're on holiday."
We don't know why they call kayaks canoes over in the UK, nor do we know how the Sun figures out that a boat going two miles per hour takes 35 minutes to travel two miles, or why Ricardo is so slow (it should take about half that time) but love the idea nonetheless. ::Sun via ::Splurch
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There's a canal that runs right next to my architecture firm. I sometimes run on the path that follows it, but I never thought to kayak it.
I'm going to post this article throughout the office.
maybe he's going upstream on the way to work?
If the kayak goes two miles per hour relative to land, shouldn't it take an hour to go two miles? In other words, shouldn't it go two miles in one hour?
With a kayak commute, a considerable amount of time would likely be spent changing clothes and loading and unloading at either end of the journey. That may account for some of the disparity in the claimed timeline. I've considered trying to commute by paddle myself, but the logistics make it very impractical... about 9 miles either area, with access at home subject to the tides and water access at work restricted by security patrols, and no good place to stash the boat there anyway. The route is more suited for an amphibious bicycle, but I haven't got around to building myself one yet.
Well... he might travel 2 miles by ground, but going downstream he would travel a smaller distance by water, and in the upstream direction he would paddle through more than 2 miles of water. I doubt that's what they mean (since it cancels out)
Yeah - that math does not add up, and it is not even complicated math:
"travels at no more than two miles an hour" + "35 minutes to canoe two miles" = WTF?
Regardless, 2 miles and hour would be an unacceptably slow pace. It would be faster to walk. The reporter must have screwed up.
i thought about this, but it still would leave me 12 miles from destination (work)!
"Not this time; we got it from a reputable source, the Sun"
You're joking right?
HAHAHA!!!
Look at the picture! Look behind him! UhHo!! Small waterfall or high rapides?
This is a joke right? So has to get him after work... AND where's is helmet?
When I go kayaking, I do get wet.... I guess he vasoline himself!
HAHAHA!!!
The numbers in the Sun article don’t add up but the stereotypical Sun reader can’t add, so no problem.
I typically saw the following times during three years of kayak commuting: 10 minutes driving 6 km to the shore, 7 minutes launching, 35 minutes paddling 4 km across the lake, 7 minutes landing and lockup, 10 minutes walking 1 km. The total time was roughly 1:10 and the trip back about the same. Skiing in winter in place of paddling took about 45 minutes end-to-end. The paddling time could be under 30 minutes flat-out or over 40 minutes bucking a Force 6 headwind, but varied surprising little with conditions. Driving the whole way (29 km) was usually 35 minutes so the difference between driving and paddling was the time on the water.
There are worse places to spend your life.