Editor’s Note: We’ve all gone kayak crazy thanks to Phil, but we know there are other kayak experiences in North Alabama. What’s your favorite local kayak outfitters??
With all of the rivers and lakes, North Alabama is a prime spot for those that love the water and water sports.
I consider myself to be in this category, having grown up on beautiful Lake Guntersville.
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If you have read any of my previous articles (if you haven’t go ahead and google one, I’ll wait) you already know that I also love history and adventures.
With our abundance of waterways, there is a lot of history to be accessed via the water, and the best way to do that is via a kayak.
Learn to Kayak in Guntersville
I have always had an interest in kayaking, but being 6’7” I had always assumed that I was much too tall for this popular sport so I never looked into it.
When my 13-year-old (let’s call him Groover, because why not) started showing an interest in kayaking, I decided to get him the best start possible so I went in search of kayak instructors that would show him the basics. That’s when I met Phil, the namesake of UnPhiltered Kayaking in Guntersville.
I signed my son up for a class, and was kinda shocked to learn that the company even had kayaks for people my size, so of course, I was interested.
Phil was great in helping to schedule our class because we had to work around some rather harsh stormy weather, but the day came and we headed to the class still not knowing what to expect.
The class was taught by Phil and his wife Cyndi both of whom are American Canoe Association certified instructors. The first part is taught on land where they teach about safety and dangers faced in kayaking along with instruction on the proper way to paddle.
Next, comes the familiarization phase where they get you into the water and comfortable in the boat. The instructors put us through various drills and techniques which did worlds for our confidence and boat handling abilities.
Then the instructors put on their guide hats and led us on a short cruise where their knowledge of the water and nature was obviously apparent.
By the time we made it back to the beach I felt completely at ease with kayaking which is something I never thought I would say.
It turns out that Groover also had a great experience even though I could already tell from all the smiling which 13-year-old males try not to do.
Experience Nature the Way It’s Meant To Be
UnPhiltered Kayaking offers every service kayakers could need from beginner classes up through advance rescue classes. As I said the instructors turned into guides, because UnPhiltered offers a large array of guided tours including the very popular Hambrick Bat Cave trip, Wheeler Wildlife Refuge trips, and tours of Guntersville’s Short Creek among others.
If you are curious about kayaking, a beginner, already experienced or just looking for something fun to do this summer I fully encourage you to check out Phil and his unique company.
Their motto says “Experience nature the way it’s meant to be”, and what an experience it is.
If you go, be sure to tell them I sent you!
Wil Elrick hails from Guntersville, Alabama where at an early age he developed a love for both trivia and history. He has spent the last 20 odd years, fine tuning the art of communication while working in law enforcement, writing, television media, historical research, and public speaking. He lives in North Alabama with his two boys, and a neurotic German Shepherd Dog. He one day hopes that Bigfoot is proven real. Wil’s new book Alabama Scoundrels is available from History Press.
