Pandemic helping to propel kayaking on the Cuyahoga
KENT — This year, kayaking the Cuyahoga River has been a popular way to social distance, but officials want to encourage people to use the river safely.
“We want to promote the safe use of water,” said Capt. Dave Moore, of the Kent Fire Department and the commander of the Portage County Water Rescue Team. “We don’t want to discourage people from using the water, it’s a great resource.”
Last summer, the Portage County Water Rescue Team rescued at least 20 people from the river, Moore said. This year, three people have needed to be rescued so far.
Since it hasn’t been raining, the river is much lower this year than it was last year, Moore said. If you capsize, you can often just stand up in the water around Kent because the water is so low.
The shallow water makes it easier for inexperienced paddlers, but experienced paddlers say the river is less fun or interesting this year.
Matthew Fredmonsky, a Keel-haulers Canoe Club trustee, has paddled for around six or seven years now. The group consists of around 300 paddlers who are mostly based in northeast Ohio. They paddle through white water at locations across the country.
Despite his avid interest in the sport, however, Fredmonsky has not paddled much on the Cuyahoga River — or anywhere else — this summer.
Lately, he said, he typically finds himself on the river whenever it is “running,” or, at medium to high levels. In early May, he recounted, a considerable amount of rain that fell in Hiram made the river run very well throughout the areas of Kent and Munroe Falls. He spent three days in a row paddling.
“I will jump on the Cuyahoga if it does come up because it’s basically my best option to paddle,” Fredmonsky said. “But because it hasn’t had much water, I just haven’t been paddling much in general this year.”
Moneen Mcbride, primary owner of
Burning River Adventures, a kayaking business in Cuyahoga Falls, said she has had to cut the amount of people she can safely take onto the river. That’s because the business uses shuttles to take people to the launch area and back up the river once they’re done paddling, but due to the pandemic, they are limited in the number of people they can safely fit inside three vehicles.
Mcbride runs Burning River Adventures with her husband, Brad Mcbride. The most she can take on one trip is about 10 people, she said, but it can be fewer depending on how many people are in the same household. Masks are required in the shuttles but not on the river.
Mcbride and Fredmonsky said they recommend that people walk or bicycle to launch locations, which would decrease the number of people who are exposing themselves to other people in an enclosed location. Mcbride said newer kayakers can forget that they have to get off the kayak and find a way to get home after going downriver, and suggested they have another family member pick them up or bicycle home.
Mcbride said she knew kayaking is becoming a popular sport this summer because the trips she has are always fully booked and kayaks have been flying off the shelves at local sporting goods stores.
“I believe the primary reason is because of COVID-19 and there’s not a lot of things people can actually do,” she said. “Kayaking is an easy social distancing activity outside along with biking and hiking.”
Fredmonsky said, in general, the sport has grown a lot in recent years. Given that the Cuyahoga River is so close, many people are seeing this time as a chance to try it. With travel restrictions in place, the river gives people a chance to have some fun close to home. The water being at a low, safe level also makes it more accessible to new paddlers. Still, don’t forget your life jacket. “I would just encourage people to experience the river this year safely from a water perspective and from a COVID-19 perspective,” Fredmonsky said.