DILETTANTE PADDLER
Kayak
Update: Over the years the shine has somewhat worn off my affection for this boat. While there are still plenty of things to recommend it, a few flaws have really made themselves known. For example, it has a noted ability to keep a straight line and wiggles back and forth in the water as you paddle. Also, the ability to deflate the kayak for easy transport is severely mitigated by needing to reinflate it at home for cleaning and drying off before storage. I'm driving a Prius instead of a Mustang these days, but it still fits nicely in the back with all my other gear. I'm still using it until I can save up to buy a solid frame kayak and then find a place to store it, but knowing that I'm going to have to pump it up twice each time I go out is just one more barrier (however slight) to going out for a paddle. Obviously, this isn't as big of a deal if you just pump it up once at the beginning of the year and then transport it on a car rack, or if you live next to the water you're planning on paddling on, but if that's the case, there are cheaper, more durable options to begin with.
I'm currently using an Aquaglide Columbia inflatable kayak and I love it more than I can express in mere words. I decided to go with an inflatable kayak because I drive a '95 Mustang that I'm perpetually on the verge of replacing. Since I don't want to waste the money on a rack for a car that I'm going to replace, I needed something that would fit inside. In retrospect, I could have bought a cheap sit on top kayak and a car rack for less than I spent on this thing and I wouldn't have to pump it up before I use it and then after I use it again to wash it. Still, I'm glad I got it.
It's stable as a rock and will carry up to 300 lbs, which I suspect it an understatement considering that I'm a significant amount over 200 lbs just by myself and she rides quite high in the water. There's plenty of room for cargo if I ever need it, there are straps and handles and loops everywhere for attachments, and the seat, foot rest, and just about everything else is adjustable. It also has a removable fin and a drain valve in case you need it.
And, to top it all off, it's made right here in Washington. I can't recommend this kayak enough.
Camera
I recently got this Fujifilm Finepix XP90 waterproof camera and attached a Tethys camera float. While I'm hardly an expert photographer, it's an easy to use camera that's waterproof up to 50 feet and takes lovely pictures (provided I remember to get all the water droplets off the lens). Thus far I've only barely stuck it under water, but I wanted a camera that I could take snorkeling or on at least some dives.
I was a bit worried at first that the float wouldn't hold it based on the Amazon description, but a few tests show that it will. It's a nice size for my wrist (I have big hands and wrists) and fits snugly there. It also fits neatly in one of the velcro rings on my kayak that I think are supposed to be for fishing rods.
I'm still learning how to use the camera properly and just have it on auto-mode (again, not a photographer) but hopefully I'll get better with it as time goes on.
Gear Checklist
This is just a simple checklist I put together to make sure I had packed all my gear before heading out. Obviously, this is specific to my setup (if you don't have an inflatable kayak, you can probably skip the pump) and I don't bring everything with me each time (I often go for lunch after a paddle instead of bringing food with me), but I thought it might be interesting, and perhaps useful, to folks to see what I take with me when going for a paddle.
Sorry it's in a .jpg format, Wix doesn't appear to let you store files for easy download.