The painful part of going kayaking is setting up my folding kayak. It's not as bad as the first time (it took me about 20 minutes now, the first time it took 90 minutes) but it's still a lot of work. I do try to remember that a regular kayak is a lot of work too - getting it out of the garage, onto the car, then off the car and into the water. It's frequently not even possible for one person to do alone. So, it's the best option for me now.
I just made this little device to make the process smoother. It's a checklist for building the kayak, so I don't always need the manual, and a little piece of dowel to help loosen the seam channels (these are frequently the hardest part to put together).
Jean and I also went for a kayak trip on Lake Union - the best part is seeing all those interesting houseboats!
