Panama Kayak Club
Paddle Panama is hosting the first all round Panama kayak club. The club will have focus on various facets of Paddle sports. The club will have several ‘wings’: recreational kayaking club; kayak fishing club; open ocean paddling (surf ski); canoe K1 and K2, and we’ll build on this as we grow.
Our goal and focus to are to develop paddle sport participation in Panama.
There are of course Cayuca clubs in Panama which, until now, have been the only paddle sport clubs. The cayuca is a very different craft from the kayak and we feel that the kayak offers a whole range of experiences that have been out of reach to Panamanians until now.
We advocate safety first for all water sports, particularly when on the Open Ocean.
In the Panama Paddle Centre kayak clubs there are organised events, family excursions, adult excursions, expeditions, training sessions, tournaments and kayak storage facilities to keep your boat near the water.
We at Paddle Panama are always available to give kayaking advice whether or not you are a club member, but the Panama kayak clubs’ members also have access to a members’ forum where questions can be answered by your kayaking peers.
Club membership is a great way to meet amazing people, to network for group excursions, to buy or sell second hand equipment, and to post articles on your latest trip or to share information about great kayaking destinations and routes in Panama
Paddle Panama will run competitive fishing tournaments, Ocean races and canoe marathons throughout the year that are open to owners of all kayak types and to people outside of the membership of the Panama kayak clubs
For more details on the clubs activities, facilities and membership rates please contact us at Paddle Panama
For news of future events, excursions and competitions please view the Club Calendar
PADDLE PANAMA CLUB
RECREATIONAL KAYAKING SECTION
… is a club division open to owners of all types of kayaks and canoes, and also opens up opportunity to those who are not boat owners.
There are a range of activities organised to cater for all abilities, interests and levels of fitness, and a growing network of enthusiasts to find a buddy for your own expedition plans.
An account of a Family Kayaking Day, where parents can paddle with their children accompanied by a back-up motor launch to carry the weary can be found at Family Kayaking Fun on Lake Gatun . We stopped for lunch at the amazing floating hotel, Gatun Lodge, whose information can be found at Jungle Land Panama.
This aforementioned day on Gatun is to be a regular route with the club. We will also be running excursions on the Caribbean and the Pacific Oceans. Currently to Isla Grande and San Blas on the Caribbean, and to Vera Cruz, Coronado and Pedasi on the Pacific Ocean. We would like to hear of other good places to paddle if you are experienced.
KAYAK FISHING SECTION
KAYAK FISHING
Panama Paddle Center have a group of kayak anglers with regular expeditions, events and tournaments
Paddle Panama has great fishing kayaks made by Wilderness Systems and Stealth Kayaks. They are the popular choice of many fishermen. We also carry an affordable fishing kayak by Perception for the recreational fishermen who wants a boat that the family can also play with. They are not capable of comfortably covering the same distances as the Stealth Kayaks, although obviously, fitness plays a large part..
STEALTH KAYAK FISHING
… is exclusively for owners of the more performance orientated Stealth Kayaks.
The owners of these premium quality lightweight kayaks are more likely to be enthusiasts capable of paddling longer distances and higher speeds. Stealth Fishing Skis are purposefully built for action packed fishing. These kayaks will give anglers the means to travel to previously inaccessible fishing destinations such as outer reefs and banks, secluded bays and coves, islands and the quieter corners of lake Gatun. The construction of these kayaks also allows for surf launching and paddling at trawling speed.
OPEN OCEAN PADDLING (Surf Ski) SECTION
Surf Ski racing is an exciting offshore competitive racing class in which the competitors skillfully read the swell and wind chop and ride them to their advantage on the downwind sections. These very light boats are narrow and so you need quite a bit of skill to handle them but they are the fastest thing on the open ocean. This club division will organise group paddling events typically to islands in both the Pacific and Caribbean.
Apart from the surf-skis, other suitable kayaks for this type of activity include the Wilderness Systems sea kayak ‘Tsunami’, the Stealth ‘Evolutions’ and the Stealth ‘Fisha’ range.
K1 & K2 RACING SECTION
Hennie of Paddle Panama will be introducing this class of boat to Panama in the very near future. These are the racing craft (sprint and marathon) that are used in Olympic competition. If you are eager to get started in this class contact Paddle Panama straight away to discuss your order. We’d like to see Panama with a world champion !
