The Chearinos go outdoor adventuring together. Left to right, meet Travis, 14, Jaime; Megan, 12; Gremlin (in Megan’s arms) and Astro.

How do you juggle being a husband…a father…and an adventurer, too? For Mike Chearino of Rhode Island, the solution was simple: get two Sea Eagle Explorer Kayaks and take the whole family adventuring. Dogs and all, of course.

Mark, a police officer at the University of Rhode Island, is a full-time family man and an outdoor-loving adventurer, too. “Two years ago,” Mark says, “I started getting into whitewater kayaking, but I also wanted to spend time with my family.”

What’s a fellow to do?

So what’s a fellow to do? Buy two Sea Eagle Explorer kayaks, of course. A 340X for the kids; Travis, 14, and Megan, 12. Mark got a larger 380X for himself; his wife, Jaime; and their two dogs, Astro and Gremlin.

Mark Chearino shows Astro the finer points of sea kayaking

Astro’s a Yellow Lab and, as you’d expect, “He just loves being on the water,” says Mark. Gremlin’s a dinky 7-lb Chihuahua the Chearinos rescued. “In calm water, Gremlin rides on the Sea Eagle’s splash curtain,” says Mark. In rough water, “We tuck him in under it.”

Hidden agenda

Mark wanted to teach his kids to appreciate and enjoy the outdoors, but he had an ulterior motive, too. “I wanted them to learn independence and teamwork,” he told us. “Two-person kayaking teaches them both.”

From flat water to a raging river

Versatility attracted Mark to the Sea Eagle Explorer Kayak. “I go boating from flat water to raging rivers,” says Mark, “And the Sea Eagle is versatile enough to handle all of it.”

Some days, you’ll find Mike photographing Egrets in a quiet estuary from his Sea Eagle; other days you’ll spot him paddling on Narragansett Bay. And sometimes you’ll see the whole Chearino family shooting down Class II and III rapids in the Deerfield River in nearby Massachusetts.

Surrounded by Striped Bass

The Chearinos camped recently on Cape Cod in their travel trailer. “Both Sea Eagles fold up nicely and fit in the trailer,” says Mark. His kids aren’t into fishing much, but Mark is. He paddled a mile offshore to Race Point and found himself surrounded by of a school of striped bass. “I threw everything I had at them but they just weren’t biting,” he says.

What’s next for the Chearino family? They’ll go wilderness camping in the weeks to come. Later, they’ll take a ferry to Block Island, 13 miles off the Rhode Island coast. Their Sea Eagles pack small so they can go on the ferry as carryon luggage.

For Mark, Jaime, Travis, and Megan, it’s all about family fun, togetherness, and outdoor adventuring. And dogs. Could it get any better than that?

10-year old Christian Pennington is getting hooked on fishing, thanks to his grandparents, Roger and Katie Pennington.

“I’ve fished just about all my life,” says Roger Pennington, Sea Eagle owner from southwestern Virginia. “I do quite a bit of lake fishing for trout and large mouth bass.”

Roger seeks out the smaller lakes in his area. “Lakes that are five or six or seven acres have fewer people on them and less boat traffic so the fishing’s better,” he says.

Gas-powered outboards aren’t allowed on lakes where Roger fishes. He owns a MinnKota electric trolling motor but powers himself around using oars most of the time.

Passing down traditions

Roger’s got “fishing fever.” Could a love of fishing be catching? When we asked Roger why he fishes, he said, “Both sides of my family were fishermen. It’s a family tradition that’s been handed down from generation to generation.” And now he’s helping the younger generation catch the fever.

Roger’s 10-year old grandson loves fishing, too, and is Granddad’s fishing buddy. Roger snapped a picture of Christian and the biggest large mouth bass he’s ever caught — 15” and about three or four pounds. From the smile on his face, we think Christian’s already hooked on fishing.

Christian caught and released his prize fish because it wasn’t quite big enough for the dinner table; in that area, a “keeper” must be 18” or more. “We do a lot of catch and release,” says Roger.

Sports car of the sea

Roger’s first Sea Eagle was the FoldCat, a twin-pontoon inflatable boat specifically set up for fishing. So why’d a dedicated fisherman trade up to a Sea Eagle’s SR14? “SR” stands for Sport Runabout and this boat is dubbed the “sports car of the sea.” The SR series is Sea Eagle’s high-performance speedboat favored by speed-and-power enthusiasts and water rescue teams.

“I don’t run around in this boat, I use it strictly for fishing,” Roger told us. “It works very well for that.” The solid floor adds stability and there’s room for the whole family. Roger added a swivel seat and plans to add another.

Your own fishin’ tradition

Do you fish? Is there a youngster in your family to whom you can pass along the fishin’ tradition? We hope there is, and we hope they’ll enjoy it with you as much as Christian enjoys fishing with his grandparents.

John and Risa roar through Satan’s Cesspool on their FIRST whitewater adventure

John Bell, of San Carlos, California, is into staying trim and fit through exercise. He’s big on mountain biking and kicking the soccer ball around.

But neither of those work the upper body. And using the machines at the gym or fitness center? “It’s boring,” says John. (And we agree!)

What drives John’s interest in exercise? “I need to be active because I love food!”

Entertaining Exercise

John had been on commercial whitewater rafting trips and realized he could enjoy the fun, excitement, and exercise of whitewater on his own in a kayak. “Whitewater kayaking is a great way to get exercise while being entertained, too,” says John. “Your obliques and your arms get worked while you’re having fun.”

With help from his girlfriend, Risa, John researched kayaks online and found that inflatable kayaks are easier to handle, more stable, and more forgiving than hard-hull kayaks. “Inflatables are easier to exit, too,” says John. No Eskimo rolls for John.

John considered the Sea Eagle 385ft FastTrack but chose the Eagle 380x Explorer kayak instead. He immediately took a test run in nearby San Francisco Bay. Next day John kayaked in a local lake and worked on his suntan. “Whitewater was next,” he says.

Into Satan’s Cesspool

So with no kayaking experience, John and Risa soon found themselves roaring down Class III rapids in Satan’s Cesspool in the South Fork of the American River. “It was a blast,” he reports.

Following commercial rafting parties helped them find the best path through the rapids but they were left to chart their own course, too. “We definitely made some mistakes,” John says. “We bounced off rocks and went into some rapids in the wrong position. But the inflatable Sea Eagle is wide and forgiving.” Good thing!

John’s Advice for Other Newbies

John shares some advice for other first-time kayakers. He suggests getting in the right position as you enter rapids and is planning practice runs to hone his technique. He and Risa found that the heavier person should sit up front. And the person in the back seat can steer using the oar like a rudder.

His experience with commercial rafting lead him to an interesting comparison: 6-man rafting in Class IV rapids is comparable to 2-man kayaking in Class III rapids. He also found that wearing a helmet is simply a good idea. “Not so much because of the kayaking,” he says, but because, in the frenzy of shooting the rapids, you just might get a bonk on the head from your partner’s paddle.