Living near the Potomac River in Alexandria VA, it's nice to have a kayak. I enjoy getting up early to "get away from it all" no phones, no internet, I'm unplugged. I paddle near the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, near Jones Point Light House and down to Dyke Marsh. The water is flat and it's typically an easy paddle. I do push hard to make it a workout. Kayaking is great for the core and shoulders you have no idea that you are even working out!
Pay close attention to the tides! One day I found myself trying to paddle against the tide and against wind gust hitting 30 to 40 mph! The normal flat river was now a bunch of white caps making my lil boat bounce and skip, I could feel the wind pounding the river into my face, the paddle itself was difficult to press forward thru the wind. I turned my Wilderness Tsunami 12.5 Kayak into the wind put my head down and got busy paddling! I was scared a bit but was also excited, I had my PFD on I always do! I started counting out loud 1,2,3,4 - 1,2,3,4. Watching the bow of the Kayak as it hit the waves and feeling the water splash on me and fall into the boat. I was not wearing a spray skirt, don't even own one - never needed one before, after about 15 minutes of paddling I made it to some cover from the wind, I was just up river from the park above Belle Haven Marina. I turned my boat around and just sat there in the cove smiling, I pulled out my pump, that until now had never used and pumped out the collected water.
I got back to the marina where they rent kayaks and overheard the attendant refusing to rent out kayaks to a small family saying "the wind gust are much too dangerous, unless you have lots of experience" then he asked me my thoughts, I told them I was happy to be back but I had a blast!