If you were going to spend three months in Beijing, what would you pack? Why not your inflatable kayak? That’s what Chuck Yamashita, kayaking and cycling enthusiast, decided to bring. He bought his Helios II used (on craigslist), knowing that Innova’s quality construction and design could be trusted to last.
See Chuck's trip report below.
Paddle Tour of Beijing: Summer Palace and Cixi Canal
From Chuck’s Trip Report (published on Folding Kayaks Forum)
The quest for paddling venues around Beijing continues.... My everyday rule "Do not paddle where you would not be willing to swim" is put on hold whenever I go to China. The Wenyu River is no exception, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
This morning my friend Fischer, who is a budding kayaker, and I went off to the river. We caught the bus in front of my apartment complex. I had the Helios packed in a GI duffel bag and the paddles, PFDs and drinks in another small duffel. Very easy carry compared to a Feathercraft.
We had a single bus change and the 15km round trip was pretty expensive, about 30 cents each. It was a bit less than a km walk to and from the bus stop to the put in and carrying the 380 was a breeze - 10 minutes from bag to water. We launched near a golf course.
We paddled a section about 4km long between 2 dams. The boat paddled nicely. The water was not stinky, but was dirty. Live fish were seen as well as a few ducks on the water. There was lots of algae as well. Our total transit time was about 45-50 min each way. I am going to try and portage around a dam next time (with felt shoes to keep from slipping). The Helios is the easiest boat I have ever portaged and a pleasant boat to paddle.
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