It's time for kayaks and canoes to begin filling the county's waters.

Paul Egbert, the owner of Wind and Water Boatworks in Penn Township, said the boating season is set to kick off Memorial Day weekend.

Egbert said both kayaking and canoeing are welcoming activities for beginners.

“Neither one is difficult,” he said.

Egbert said kayaks are a little more easy to use than canoes.

“Kayaks are easier because you have a two blade paddle,” he said.

Kayaking is not only a little more welcoming, it is also becoming vastly more popular.

“With canoes, today the market is barely there,” Egbert said. “When I first started in 1986 there were many more canoes being sold.”

Canoes are now more popular with families looking to buy only one craft for multiple people, and for campers.

“Some people who go camping need the capacity,” he said.

Kayaks are distinguished based on the intended use of the craft.

Some are built for fishing, others for touring or white waters.

“Touring kayaks are longer and easier to paddle,” Egbert said. “They're more associated with bigger lakes.”

While longer kayaks are easier to control, shorter kayaks offer advantages as well, such as portability.

Being able to transport the boats will be convenient for enthusiasts who wish to visit the various destinations in the county.

Egbert said there is one key location in the county for boating.

“In Butler County, you are basically looking at Moraine State Park,” he said. “Slippery Rock Creek offers a little white water as well.”

Glade Run Lake was once a popular destination before problems with its dam caused the lake to be drained in 2011. State officials recently announced that Glade Run Lake will be restored by 2016.

Egbert said perhaps the most popular destinations for kayakers and canoers are the Allegheny and Clarion rivers.

“Parker is pretty popular,” he said, referencing the Armstrong County borough that sits along the Allegheny River. “People like to go to the Foxburg Inn up there.”

Egbert said North Park in Allegheny County and Pittsburgh are other popular destinations in the region.

“People go to the city to sit outside ballgames and catch home runs,” he said.

Enthusiasts who wish to take their kayaks and canoes onto lakes and rivers in state parks and on the state Fish Commission waters must have proper registration.

Egbert said the inconsistent weather so far this year has led to a bit of a slow start to the season.

“One day it's cold, the next it's raining, then it'll be hotter than heck,” he said. “People are having trouble making their plans because they don't know what the weather will be.”

Egbert said he thinks Memorial Day weekend will kick-start the season and lead to a busy couple months.

“June and July will be very busy months,” he said. “All I can say is bring on the sunshine.”