Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be paddling in the middle of the largest freshwater lake in North America? Well, I certainly have and recently I was able to cross that off my bucket list. My wife and I went sea kayaking alongside the breathtaking Apostle Island Sea Caves on Lake Superior in Cornucopia, Wisconsin. And let me tell you, it was worth it!
WHAT IS SEA KAYAKING?
A sea kayak is a small boat with the ability to paddle on a lake, ocean, or sea. They are very long and very narrow. This helps the kayak take on the roughest waves, but with the expense of stability on flat water. Sea kayaks come in single, tandem, and even triple seaters, depending on how many people you have in your group.
WHERE DO YOU GO AND WHO DO YOU BOOK THROUGH?
The Apostle Islands cover a large area so when choosing exactly where to sea kayak was tough! And then on top of that sorting through the dozens of companies that offer sea kayaking. There are all kinds of places to visit, as well as, companies to book through. We wanted to make sure we were spending our money on a reliable company that was going to make this adventure worth it. Luckily, we were not disappointed when booking through Lost Creek Adventures.
We decided to book the half-day sea tour of the Apostle Islands Sea Caves. Lost Creek Adventures offers half-day, full-day, sunset, overnight camping tours, and so much more! If you are looking for a fun, new, and exciting expenditure near Duluth, Minnesota, I highly recommend looking into Lost Creek Adventures!
DO I NEED PRIOR EXPERIENCE?
One of my favorite summer activities is kayaking on a lake or river, listening to music, and enjoying all the nature around me. However, sea kayaking is a little bit different. Depending on the weather, or the time of day, the water could potentially be pretty rough! Because sea kayaks are more unstable than regular kayaks it was definitely an adjustment when my wife and I were pushed out onto the open waters of Lake Superior.
Every group has a very well-trained guide that walks you through everything you need to know before even entering the water. Prior to carrying our sea kayaks down to the beach, our guide walked us through step by step with EVERYTHING we’d need to know when out on the water. From exactly how to paddle in certain scenarios, to self-rescue methods if an accident were to happen, and much more.
Thus, yes, it may be easier for those who have some experience, but even if you don’t the chances of something going wrong are very slim! First, the guides will not take the group out onto the water if it does not look safe. Second, the guides are CPR certified, in addition to much more training while on open water. And lastly, when out on the water, it is your call on how close you want to get to the actual sea caves themselves, meaning it is up to you on how “dangerous” you want to get in your experience. Therefore, do you need prior experience? No, you are in very good hands!
PROS OF SEA KAYAKING
Sea kayaking is a very rewarding experience! There are many benefits if you decide to make this your next excursion.
The main pro for me is the scenery! Being on Lake Superior, in the deep sapphire blue water, next to the beautiful sea caves that were formed purely by powerful waves and wind crashing against them over thousands of years, it was absolutely astonishing. The colors, the shapes, and the textures were something I will never forget.
The second pro is that I was able to do it with my wife in the same kayak as me. We were able to enjoy and take in everything together!
The third pro (probably the most important) is that you are with an expert guide. I never felt unsafe or unsure. The guides let you know which caves you can enter, which directions to go, and are there with you every step of the way. Additionally, they are so fun! Guides can make or break any guided experience, unfortunately. However, with this experience we were lucky! We were with Kurt Shilka, a man who absolutely made our sea kayaking trip a blast!
CONS OF SEA KAYAKING
With pros come cons. The biggest con is not knowing if the cost is going to be worth it. Fortunately, it was very worth it, but that’s not always the case. Some “half-day” excursions may only last an hour or two, but sea kayaking was at least 3! Therefore, we felt that the money we spent paid off in the end.
Although this second con wasn’t an issue for us, I feel like it could be for others. Lost Creek Adventures only offers tandem and triple kayaks. So if you are an individual looking to do this yourself, I’m not quite sure what the protocol is for that. Now, the reason they don’t offer singles is because of how unstable the kayaks are. Maybe they will make an exception if you’re more experienced?
The third con is that the weather is unpredictable. When you’re booking tickets it is usually going to be weeks or even months in advance, so how will you know what the weather will be like? You just hope and pray the sun is shining! Now when we went, we traveled five hours from home. We decided to go for the weekend and actually had to drive through a few tornado warnings to make it. But luckily, the sun was shining the next day and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, well maybe a few. However, if the guides decided that the weather was not fit for sea kayaking then they would cancel your trip with a full refund.
OTHER FEATURES OF LOST CREEK ADVENTURES
With living the nomadic lifestyle as I do, I love camping! But as the day was approaching for our sea kayaking tour and due to COVID, a lot of campgrounds were either booked or not open at all. So, my next (frugal) preference for overnight housing is to sleep in my car (Chevy Equinox). When I am by myself, it’s no big deal, but when you try and fit myself (6’1”) and my wife (5’10”) in the backseat of a car to sleep it’s not the most comfortable, to say the least. However, that is exactly what we did! Had we known that Lost Creek Adventures actually offers bunking options we most likely would have stayed there, instead of in our car just outside the building. Cornucopia, WI, is a VERY small town (population= 106) with not a whole lot around. But, Lost Creek Adventures has a very good informational page about places to stay nearby if you are looking.
Sea kayaking was an experience we will never forget! And I highly recommend it to anyone who has a love for being on the open water. Check out our gallery page for more pictures of our sea kayaking trip!