George Rodney “G-Rod”, The Adventure Athlete
Location: Florida
Stats:
- Models paddled: Advanced Frame (AE1012), Airvolution 1 & 2, and Packlite Kayak.
- Water that he paddles: Ponds, Lakes, Canals, Streams, Rivers, Bays, Inlets, Preserves, and Coastal waters.
- What he uses his kayak for: Exercise, Communing with nature, Travel, Community.
While born and raised in North Florida, George didn't truly discover paddling until later in life. Being retired from the military, and former distance runner and triathlete, he found paddling as a low-impact form of exercise and fitness. Paddlesports became a part of travel, hiking, camping, as well as paddling for paddling's sake which led him to begin an outreach group friendly to the veteran community, those that support veterans, their families, and loved ones. He is proud to have introduced many to kayaking from gentle ponds and lakes, to moving rivers and coastal waters. He is amazed with the engineering and advancements in inflatable design, as well as incorporation of tenants of traditional skin-over-frame structure, and interested in drop-stitch design for coastal water capable inflatables.
Favorite AE Story:
My wife was a bit timid and sometimes skeptical, when approaching paddling. She sought pontoon or raft style kayaks, for stability and what she perceived to be safety. We purchased the Airvolution AE3029 as I was very interested in the hybrid design. However, little did she know that I was also looking into a stable, more hydrodynamic kayak for her. I demonstrated the stability of the kayak and ability to use as a paddleboard. On a "picnic" paddle, down Waldo Canal and across Lake Alto, to Lake Alto Park, I convinced her to switch kayaks with me, on the return paddle. She was hooked! It was great to see her find HER kayak. That was November 2020 and she still loves paddling it, as we just paddled Rainbow River this weekend.
You can follow George on his paddling adventures through his Youtube channel: @Get out with G-Rod