Paddling Long Island and New York City. Kevin Stiegelmaier

      As someone born and raised on Long Island, I’ve always felt a strong sense of attachment to this place. Early-morning fishing trips with the family, days at the beach swimming, collecting shells, and watching seals—all helped solidify my love of the island and, of course, its waters. In high school that love led to a scuba certification, and in college it resulted in a degree in marine biology. The purchase of a house near the water was a by-product of it as well. As strange as it may sound, Long Island has played a large role in shaping my life thus far.

      With such an affinity for the area, I thought it only logical that after writing a statewide paddling guidebook, Canoeing & Kayaking New York, I would eventually write one that focused solely on Long Island. So, after taking some time off to rest (and rinse out my paddling gear), I began researching this new book and planning the many paddles it would include. This process, I assumed, would be much easier than it was with the first book. After all, I was very familiar with Long Island and had been paddling much of its water for years. I soon learned that it was going to take more work than I had thought.

      I have my favorite places to paddle and, of course, was planning on including them in the book. But before I got too far into my research, I also wanted to see what places other people enjoyed. So I sent out queries to my paddling friends, their friends, and even friends of friends of friends. A few locations stood out right away as popular favorites: Sebonac Creek, Hallock Bay, the Carmans River. Then there were the personal picks, which varied as much as the people naming them. Some folks favored rough, wide-open water like that at Montauk Point; others preferred smaller, more protected spots like West Meadow Creek. Still others were drawn to locations somewhere in between, like Huntington Harbor.

      It had become clear to me that Long Island was home to an incredible variety of paddling opportunities with something for everyone. I also realized that I had a daunting task ahead of me—choosing 50 of these amazing spots to write up for the book. Nevertheless, I consulted my charts, read firsthand accounts, drove to put-ins, scouted beaches, and, finally, created my list of what would hopefully be the best of what Long Island has to offer.

      As I began to paddle the waters on this list, I found that most of them were just as good as I had hoped. Descriptions of beautiful beaches, lush plant life, amazing wildlife, and scenic water views soon filled my notebooks. Unfortunately, so did assessments like muddy, bug-infested, and unnavigable. Some days were warm and sunny, others cold and dreary. Calm water seemed to be as common as rough. The birds of summer left in the fall, only to be replaced by the winter denizens. Seals showed up, ice formed and thawed … and I paddled through it all.

      Four tubes of sunblock, two pairs of neoprene gloves, three pairs of wet-suit booties, two GPS units, and hundreds of miles later, I had kayaked my way across the island and had loved every minute of it. What emerged from all of this was a better understanding of Long Island and its waters, a greater appreciation for its plant and animal life, a deepening of the love I had already felt for the area, and a belief that the 50 places I ultimately chose to include in the book were indeed the best places to kayak on the island.

      Of course, these locations vary greatly in length, difficulty, scenery, and type of water. They are a testament to the wide range in ecosystems found on Long Island. Everything from unspoiled harbors on the island’s eastern end to the canals of New York City is included in these pages. Among the 50 paddles are trips in the rivers of the Pine Barrens, by the islands in the center of Peconic Bay, and alongside sandy beaches on the island’s South Shore.

      As you read about the places in this book and begin to plan your own paddling trips on Long Island and on into the waterways among the boroughs of New York City, remember that what I’ve written is meant only as a guide. I spent a good deal of time researching put-ins, tide levels, average sea conditions, and potential water hazards so you don’t have to. I also described a trip on each body of water that would, in my opinion, showcase the best of what it had to offer. Does this mean you must follow my directions verbatim? Absolutely not. Part of the joy of sea kayaking is exploring new places and creating your own adventures. Perhaps for you that means getting lost in a maze of salt-marsh channels. Or maybe it means finding a deserted beach that’s the perfect spot for a picnic lunch. It could also mean encountering wildlife that you weren’t expecting. Sometimes it’s good to plan your own trips. It is my hope that this book will give you a little extra help in doing just that.