Today we’d like to introduce you to Charley Kemp.
Charley, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My business partner, Teresa Patterson and I are certified American Canoe Association Certified Kayak instructors. We had both been teaching paddling classes out at Lake Arlington, as well as other locations, when the city of Arlington asked us to consider opening a paddling company that would rent boats and train people to use them. We agreed, realizing it would give us a chance to bring paddlesports and an appreciation of the outdoors to a wider array of people. That company is now a full service paddlesports company that offers rentals, tours, and classes from beginner to advanced. This year we are even planning to add a small sailboat to the fleet.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Because we are an outdoor sport we are at the mercy of Mother Nature. As a result, we have lost some entire weekends due to high winds or other weather as we will not put boaters on the water in unsafe conditions.
We have had to come up with some creative ways to move boats from and to the boat yard. You see, the path from the boatyard is all downhill. So obviously, the reverse is all uphill. We put six to ten boats on a trailer to move them. Downhill, no problem, pushing that trailer uphill is a major challenge.
We have come up with some interesting ways to get the desired results without the undesirable pain,
Please tell us about Adventures Unlimited Paddling Company.
It is the desire of Adventures Unlimited Paddling Company to help people of all ages discover the fun of paddlesports and the wonder of the great outdoors through practices that emphasize safe boating, responsible stewardship, and ongoing training. Our multilevel approach is designed to take paddlers from a casual introductory experience through advancing levels of instruction and adventure experiences to become skilled, safety oriented paddlers with an understanding of leave-no-trace principles and responsible wild lands stewardship.
To accomplish this goal, we provide:
1. Rental services overseen by American Canoe Association (ACA) instructors;
2. Instruction from basics through advanced taught by ACA instructors;
3. Tours and trips to allow paddlers to practice their skills and learn the importance of environmental sensitivity; and
4. Social events to allow paddlers to discover the greater paddling community.
We teach kayaking classes from beginner to more advanced whitewater kayaking. We are known for our obsession for safety and our passion for protecting the environment as well as the family friendly environment with in our organization.
What sets us apart from other companies is the wide diversity of our fleet. We provide not only kayaks, both single and tandem in sit-in and sit-on top versions, but also stand up paddle boards, canoes, and even small sail boating. Among our fleet, we have everything from beginner recreational boats to advanced touring and white water boats. And our instruction spans the gamut from paddling basics to Eskimo rolling.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Don’t mess with Mother Nature!
Contact Info:
- Address: Richard Simpson Park
6300 W. Arkansas Lane
Arlington, Texas 76016 - Website: www.adventuresunlimitedpaddling.com
- Phone: 682-233-5685
- Email: CHARLEYKAYAK@hotmail.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Adventures.Unlimited.Paddling.Company/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/adventures-unlimited-paddling-company-arlington
- Other: https://www.meetup.com/Adventure-Unlimited-Paddling-Arlington-Ft-Worth/
Image Credit:
Victor Manuel, Charley Kemp, Teresa Patterson, SUP Board: Special thanks to MK Early, Fin, and Scooter for posing!
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