| If you are a sea kayaking buff, loving to get out | | | | offering pool sessions for kayak resuce. |
| onto the water and paddle around your local area, | | | | 4. Paddle some challenging areas, but with a |
| there are ways to improve your skills, make your | | | | safety net. If you haven't paddled in currents or |
| paddles safer and more rewarding, and to | | | | small surf, then challenge yourself to go do it. |
| increase your stamina for longer paddles. Over | | | | Take along some friends who know what they |
| my paddling years, I have kind of stumbled onto | | | | are doing to give it a bit of a safety net. If you |
| some things. But when I got more serious about | | | | are in real life challenges, you will better |
| improving my skills to be a better paddler, (really | | | | remember what you have learned, so challenge |
| just to keep paddling as my body aged!), I took | | | | yourself and practice your skills in the challenge. |
| up a long-term course of action to be a better | | | | 5. Learn some weather prediction skills. One of |
| kayaker. This is more or less what I have done | | | | the biggest dangers on the water is sudden wind |
| to improve myself as a sea kayaker. I have | | | | changes. Wind can make kayaking very difficult to |
| boiled it down to 7 things that I have done, and | | | | impossible at times. Learn how to view the clouds |
| still do over the course of each year. | | | | and what they mean. Pay attention to the stories |
| 1. Learn how to pack your kayak for stability and | | | | from your area about what to look for for wind |
| safety. Believe it or not, the way you pack your | | | | or for rain. Get licensed for marine radio to listen |
| kayak can make a significant difference in its | | | | to the forecasts and be able to communicate to |
| stability. Even to just add weight into it usually | | | | other mariners about the weather. Local kayak |
| increases stability. Increased stability means it is | | | | centers often provide short courses in the local |
| more safe. Take along a set of extra clothes, a | | | | weather patterns and what to look for. |
| shelter of some sort, a bit of food, a stove and | | | | 6. Learn and use navigation skills. Start learning |
| matches or lighter, extra water, and a way to | | | | how to read nautical charts and use a compass |
| signal for help. These items are then in your | | | | with it. Take these things out with you on your |
| kayak in case a sudden weather change makes | | | | kayak and begin observing the islands and rocks |
| you land and strands you. The weight of these | | | | that are in front of you, matching them to the |
| items should be packed evenly from left to right | | | | chart information. Practice taking bearings and |
| and from front to back, maybe with a slight | | | | setting courses. Pay attention to times and chart |
| extra in the back to raise the nose a bit. If the | | | | distances you've travelled to begin estimating |
| weight is kept as low as possible, then you will be | | | | your speed and location. If you happen to be out |
| more in the water and more stable. | | | | on a really rainy or foggy day, you will thank |
| 2. Improve your paddling skills. Every time you go | | | | yourself for practicing these skills. Learn how to |
| out paddling, try practicing a particular stroke that | | | | use the tide tables to calculate your nearest tides |
| you find difficult. Practice the sweeps and draws, | | | | and currents. |
| as well as the braces, each and every paddle. Get | | | | 7. Learn to rely on your kayak and yourself. Plan |
| more instruction, if necessary, to learn more | | | | your routes and write down these float plans to |
| strokes, and just to have someone watch and | | | | give to someone before you leave. When packing |
| help you with the movements you need to | | | | your kayak, think through the placement of things |
| perform the stroke efficiently. A good way to | | | | to make sure you have needed items at hand. |
| improve your paddling skills is to join a group of | | | | Try to set yourself up to be able to reach |
| river kayakers and play around in the smaller, | | | | everything you need with minimal interruption and |
| more responsive boat. You have to use your | | | | compromise of your stability. Watch ahead and |
| core body strength and motion more in a river | | | | around you and think through what may be under |
| kayak which helps develop the habit of body to | | | | the water or around the corner or, coming fast |
| do it in a sea kayak. | | | | down the passage you are in. |
| 3. Learn a variety of rescue techniques. If you | | | | If you are thinking about working on any one of |
| are a regular kayaker, you need to be able to get | | | | these steps each time you paddle, your skills will |
| back into your kayak if you capsize. This is really | | | | improve and you will be more comfortable and |
| critical. If you can do a cowboy scramble on to | | | | more confident in the water. These are all |
| the back of your boat, your are doing great. If | | | | essential skills for being a good paddler, and |
| you can do a paddle float rescue, great. If you | | | | developing them only helps you to get the most |
| can re-enter and roll, or just roll back up on your | | | | out of your paddles. By training, preparing, and |
| own, then you are totally awesome. Many | | | | learning, you can improve your kayak abilities, |
| kayaking centers and universities offer instruction | | | | giving you greater options on where and when |
| to help kayakers with rescues. If you are lucky, | | | | you can paddle. So, follow the steps and get out |
| then you can do it in the warmer water of a pool. | | | | there and enjoy the water. |
| Many smaller town and most cities have someone | | | | |