Adventure Advisor:

Though mid-winter skinny dipping may no longer be an option, you don’t have to swear off water sports entirely. There’s plenty of outdoor activity along the Potomac -- maybe even enough to curb your nostalgia for the Pacific.

Within an hour’s drive of the city, you’ll find dozens of put-in points for your kayak or canoe. The easiest access is just below Great Falls in northern Virginia, where a series of Class II and III rapids runs all the way back to DC. Attempting to start above that point is not a good idea—many a kayak has been dashed to bits at the base of the park’s notorious Class VI. If you need convincing, a hike out to the Great Falls overlook should scare you into compliance. For river routes and trail maps call the Great Falls Park Visitor Center at 703-285-2966.

A little farther from the capital is a stretch of river that crosses the Appalachian Trail and winds through rolling mountains loaded with great blue herons and Canada geese. River & Trail Outfitters in Knoxville, MD (www.rivertrail.com) runs guided river raft and kayak trips here and offers kayak lessons. Let them convert you to the mid-Atlantic recreation mentality. After learning to surf a few river waves, you may wonder why the longboard was ever invented.