May be in highest priority first if possible.

Me

I always liked the water and boats. Had pleasure boats, offshore race boats, and love the power and excitement of water.


Adventure rough water (need more training)
Self reliance
Can share it with the honey
Exercise
Exploration
Meeting people
Relaxation
Doesn't cost a ton ( like a race boat or my race car)
No mechanical break downs

not sure if they are in exact order for me except the first one.

Do you prefer paddling alone or with one or more people?

How many do you own?

Ask my honey and

Peaceful
Scenery
Exercise


How many do you own?

Good topic, Dog.
My father taught me to love the ocean and everything that swims or floats. My biggest regret is that I never paddled with my father.

Why:
1. Pure enjoyment
2. Connection to water and the natural world.
3. Can share it with my wife.
4. Exercise

Alone or with others:
It depends on the area, the conditions and ny mood. Sometimes alone - often with my wife. Paddling with a group is great if the abilities and goals are not too different. I hate dawdling but I don't want to be a drag on a group of stronger or better paddlers.

How many boats:
Two: My poly Tempest 170 and my wife's Eliza 15.5. I had four, but I sold two in the past three months.

I've always loved water, tidewater especially, and the sea--being near it, on it, reading about it. Being out on the water in a tiny manually-powered craft where you are completely responsible for your locomotion, destination, safety, navigation, everything, brings you closer to the living spirit of water than any other form of boating. The look of the water, the sky, the sound of sea birds, the rocking of the waves, the murmur of waves and currents--there's nothing like it.

I paddle solo about 2/3rds of the time; the rest mostly with a few like-minded kayakers who share the same love of the marine environment, and with whom I've paddled for years.

Only one kayak now, my Epic 16X. I also have my own version of a Barnegat Bay sneakbox, 12 feet long, that I built and used to sail, but every time I went out in it, I said to myself, "I could be kayaking!" The sneakbox sits unused--I've found that sailing is just too passive for me, compared with kayaking.

I would rather paddle with someone than alone. Now I have a composite and GF has a poly it makes it hard to stay together. She will get a new boat for the spring.

I can't really adequately explain what draws me to the water and especially to kayaks. I used to be a sailor and I thought that sailing was the most fun you could have with your clothes on. Since getting into canoeing and then morphing into kayaking, the sailing bug has totally evaporated.

It must be something about the complete independance where you don't have to rely on a breeze, or an engine, or anything else except a simple paddle (well, maybe not so simple) and your own ability. It's primitive, yet advanced enough technologically to satisfy ones ego, or whatever it is that elevates our sport above a dugout and a wide stick.

The elegant gracefulness in a kayak's design--especially sea kayaks--somehow captures ones imagination and compels us to apply it to the various waters that it is designed to explore. It's uncomplicated, yet extremely addictive.

I have five boats, but one is a canoe and I'm not sure that counts. There was a time though when I thought it was the cat's butt. That doesn't mean that I don't appreciate a proper canoe, but to get my attention anymore, a canoe has to be kind of special.

It must be something about the complete independence where you don't have to rely on a breeze, or an engine, or anything else except a simple paddle (well, maybe not so simple) and your own ability.

I think you hit the nail on the head with that.

I find myself looking at pictures of kayaks all the time because they are all so sleek and as you said adventurous looking.

I paddle on whitewater rivers and out in the salt water, so I have a variety of reasons for why I paddle:

-Exercise/Fitness/Meditation/Kata(paddling)
-Adventure/Thrill, and a Risk/Reward balance
-Independence & Freedom from the trappings of society (affordable recreation and quality time)
-Going/Experiencing new places and meeting new people
-Maitaining a connection/relationship with the natural world
-Relax/Be active
-Exploration/Discovery

Saltwater paddling in particular has an extra appeal toward freedom: Just load the thing up and paddle off, and you are totally self sufficiant! No shuttles to run like on the river.

Most of my whitewater paddling is with other folks, for obvious safety reasons, though I sometimes run the occasional familiar class V run solo. Most of my saltwater paddling is solo unless I'm gone for more than an overnight or two.

I have one sea kayak, and 5 different types of whitewater kayak.