How not to drown in a kayak

storl

storl

Joined
Apr 17, 2007
Messages
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Catriona over on my site wrote up a piece about self rescuing yourself in a kayak recently. I am new to kayaking, so I found it very useful, since I am not a big fan of drowning. :)

I converted it over to a wiki article for your reading pleasure. If anyone has any other tips for new kayakers, they would be greatly appreciated!
 
Kayaking is one of my first outdoor passions. I'll throw a few tips in this thread for others to learn from.

On transportation:

Twist tie down straps to prevent the "machine gun" rattling at speed while driving.

Avoid excessive pressure on a rotomolded boat in the Summer when tying it down. The heat plus pressure will cause the boat to deform.

On safety:

Carry your keys in your PFD, not your boat. During a nasty swim, you could lose your boat but hopefully not your PFD that is on you.

Stay hydrated. Especially with whitewater kayaking, you won't know you're sweating because of all the splash. Replenish your fluids!

When paddling in cold water, insulate the bottom of your boat with closed foam. Even though you may have paddling pants or wetsuit bottoms on, conduction cold is a killer.

Carry a knife and practice using it in wet conditions. Lanyard use is a personal preference but I hate them. I'd rather not have a swinging piece of steel out there to cut me.

On paddling technique:

Make sure to push and pull with all of your strokes and incorporate your core muscles. Your core has larger muscles than your arms. Incorporate these to paddle with less fatigue. Twist at the waist whenever you can.

Make sure to sit upright and lean slightly forward. Leaning back in your boat is only acceptable during breaks and it doesn't allow for good control of your craft.

If your hands are getting too cold while grabbing your paddle, you're grasping it too hard. Open your hand on the off side while paddling but retain a grip on the paddle with your thumb hooked around the shaft. This will prevent your hands from cramping and it will keep them warm.

On post paddling:

Get a large bag you can step in to change out of your clothes in. This will keep your clothes from getting dirt and debris all over them plus it will keep your feet off of the gravel which is always a pain in the butt to remove before putting your socks back on.

Start your car (if you are a drop and play paddler) and turn the heat on immediately. Even though it is 90 degrees outside, you'll be happy you did!


I'll post more soon. Hope these help.
 
Thanks for the tips! I'll keep on collecting them and write up some more articles soon.
 
1--Put your dry clothes in one of the food vacuum sealer bags or one of those bags you can use your house vacuum on. Take them with you. You can do a towel this way also. 2--Carry a ziplock bag with quick fire starting material. Sometimes hypothermia wont wait until you get to your car heater.--3--Take some rolling classes!--4--Most important.--HAVE FUN!---The Gerber River Shorty is a knife specifically designed for kayaking/canoing. The square point is so you wont stab yourself or someone else if you have to cut yourself out of your rig. Also spreads peanut butter pretty well and not expensive. Get one.--KV
 
Make sure to carry a good knife. I'll second the river shorty, add the Gerber Rivermaster to the list and throw a shameless plug in for this Kayak Knife by BRKT.

rivermaster_kayak.jpg

Here is the prototype that came out about 3 years ago now.

I heard one of the guys behind it's development is a real cool guy too!

HPIM0651.jpg

Wonder who that could be?
 
I know that I am going to pay dearly for this one. Kevin, please don't shoot me dead until AFTER the CT Wilderness Gathering, okay?

[pic removed]

:D
 
Wow!

Brian,

I sure hope scared runs faster than angry! Don't worry though, I'll make sure it looks like an accident. The CT Wilderness Gathering can still go on with 2 of the 3 hosts still alive.

Nice one buddy.
 
Don't worry, the pic may be down but it is forever burned into my memory. Hope you enjoy the waterhemlock tea...oops, I mean Pine Needle tea I make.


WARNING: DO NOT EAT ANYTHING MADE FROM WATER HEMLOCK UNLESS YOUR NAME IS BRIAN JONES.
 
k_estela said:
Don't worry, the pic may be down but it is forever burned into my memory. Hope you enjoy the waterhemlock tea...oops, I mean Pine Needle tea I make.


WARNING: DO NOT EAT ANYTHING MADE FROM WATER HEMLOCK UNLESS YOUR NAME IS BRIAN JONES.
Click to expand...

Mmm Mmm Good! :thumbup:
 
Sea paddling is my thing above everything else, and I happen to live on the coast of the Bay of Fundy-home to the world's highest tidal fluctuations, where I guide in the warmer months. I'd also suggest taking some formal training, as it teaches you right from the start. While I believe a solid roll is the best self rescue, learning proper braces will keep you dry most of the time. I remember seeing a new paddler whom just learned to roll get trashed while playing in whitewater one time because he couldn't brace. He'd just pop up and get knocked over until he eventually pulled out. You should spend plenty of time working on the skills. The best part is that you can perform most braces in fairly shallow water, so you don't have to worry about dumping. Depending on where you paddle, you should invest in some thermal protection like a 3mm neoprene shorty right up to a full-on dry suit. The Bay hovers right around freezing year-round, so thermal are required for safe paddling around my parts. If you don't already, it wouldn't hurt to get a few paddling buddies. Test your limits in fairly controlled environments. Practice all your techniques in the sort of conditions you'll actually be paddling in-being successful in a pool session doesn't equal skill in the open water. Store your boat on its side. That's the strongest point on plastic boats. That way, the hull won't get deformed. Ensure that your bulkheads are water tight. You might have to caulk them each season, but it only takes a few minutes. If you happen to have a British-style boat with very good hatches, you might want to take them off during travelling , as they can pop off from expansion in the bulkhead. Keep your deck uncluttered. You don't want to loose things in heavy seas and too much stuff makes it difficult to get back into your boat in the event of a capsize. You might want to check and replace your deck rigging periodically, as it wears out from exposure and salt water. Sea paddling is the new mountaineering-have fun with it and get wet!:thumbup:
 
k_estela said:
Kayaking is one of my first outdoor passions. I'll throw a few tips in this thread for others to learn from.

On transportation:

Twist tie down straps to prevent the "machine gun" rattling at speed while driving.

Avoid excessive pressure on a rotomolded boat in the Summer when tying it down. The heat plus pressure will cause the boat to deform.

On safety:

Carry your keys in your PFD, not your boat. During a nasty swim, you could lose your boat but hopefully not your PFD that is on you.

Stay hydrated. Especially with whitewater kayaking, you won't know you're sweating because of all the splash. Replenish your fluids!

When paddling in cold water, insulate the bottom of your boat with closed foam. Even though you may have paddling pants or wetsuit bottoms on, conduction cold is a killer.

Carry a knife and practice using it in wet conditions. Lanyard use is a personal preference but I hate them. I'd rather not have a swinging piece of steel out there to cut me.

On paddling technique:

Make sure to push and pull with all of your strokes and incorporate your core muscles. Your core has larger muscles than your arms. Incorporate these to paddle with less fatigue. Twist at the waist whenever you can.

Make sure to sit upright and lean slightly forward. Leaning back in your boat is only acceptable during breaks and it doesn't allow for good control of your craft.

If your hands are getting too cold while grabbing your paddle, you're grasping it too hard. Open your hand on the off side while paddling but retain a grip on the paddle with your thumb hooked around the shaft. This will prevent your hands from cramping and it will keep them warm.

On post paddling:

Get a large bag you can step in to change out of your clothes in. This will keep your clothes from getting dirt and debris all over them plus it will keep your feet off of the gravel which is always a pain in the butt to remove before putting your socks back on.

Start your car (if you are a drop and play paddler) and turn the heat on immediately. Even though it is 90 degrees outside, you'll be happy you did!


I'll post more soon. Hope these help.
Click to expand...

This is all good info here. I bought my first whitewater kayak in 1986 and have enjoyed the sport ever since. Been as far south as Veracruz and as far north as Idaho and ran just about everything in between. But it took me years to learn (the hard way) what you've had laid at your feet here. Ain't the internet an amazing thing?

Good luck with your addiction. I hope it brings you many years of enjoyment!
 
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