A Brooklyn canoe club is urging New Yorkers to paddle up this summer.
The Sebago Canoe Club is helping teach the basics at the Paerdegat Basin in Canarsie.
The volunteer, not-for-profit club has been around for 78 years teaching the public the basics of canoeing and kayaking.
Members, who pay a yearly fee of $225 and come from all walks of life, say they share a common love of being out on the water.
"It's relaxing, it's very soothing, it's like a runner needing to run basically," said Sebago Canoe Club Member Mike Boxer.
"This is just wonderful, it's like nothing that you find anyplace in the world, you know, it's just wonderful," said Sebago Canoe Club Member Elain Winslow.
Club members spread their love of the water through summer open paddle sessions which cost just $10 and free paddle trips for kids from the Police Athletic League and local schools.
"A lot of them are very timid at first and when they come back they have big smiles on their faces and they feel like they've accomplished something, they've overcome their fears," said Sebago Canoe Club "Commodore" Tony Pignatello.
While the waterways around New York City have not always had the best reputation for their water quality, club members say the basin has never been cleaner.
"There's a sewage treatment plant, and it's fully on line, and it's really magnificent," Pignatello said.
For more information on the club, visit www.SebagoCanoeClub.org.
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