Kayaking

Ocean Kayak Safety (+/-)

How to Choose the Right Kayak (+/-)

Ocean Kayak Safety

Ocean kayaking is one of the most popular recreation opportunities for visitors to the Outer Banks. Some people prefer riding the great surf that the Outer Banks is known for, while others prefer paddling up and down the beach with the dolphins on the calmer days. Still others take kayaks rigged with all the necessary fishing gear out through the surf to catch some of our many trophy fish. Thanks to modern day sit-on-top kayaks, people with very limited kayaking experience can enjoy this fun and rewarding pastime. There are however a few things you should be aware of before you go.

First and foremost kayaking is not safe in any type of water, especially the ocean, unless you wear your life jacket. The Coast Guard may only require you to have it with you in the boat, but that won't do you any good if you get separated from your kayak. Many people underestimate the power of the ocean, and wearing your life jacket is the simplest way to keep you safe on the water. We include life jackets with all of our kayak rentals so you have no excuse.

Anyone kayaking in the ocean other than experienced paddlers should use a sit-on-top kayak. The beauty of this style of kayak is that they are completely sealed, allowing them to be rolled back over if they capsize, without filling up with water. This then enables the paddlers to easily climb back in and keep on going. This is not possible with a sit-inside style of kayak that would be filled with water and need to be swam back to shore. Only very experienced kayakers should take sit-inside kayaks into the ocean.

There are a few things you should do, to make things easier, before you even leave the beach. First of all, there are some days that the ocean is just too rough to go out on. If the waves are over 2 to 3 feet you may want to consider waiting for a better day. If you do decide to brave the surf, it is a good idea to study the wave pattern before you go. The breaking waves almost always come in sets of 6 to 8 followed by a calmer period. This is when you want to make your break for it. You should also check to make sure that all the hatches are shut tight and the drain plug has been screwed in securely. This will ensure that the boat does not start to take on water while you are out to sea.

When you are handling the kayak in the surf zone there are a few things to remember in order to keep the boat from hurting you or anyone else around you. Most injuries are caused by a loose kayak getting pushed by a wave into someone who is standing between the kayak and the beach. This can be avoided by simply making sure that you and anyone around does not get caught in that position, and also by holding on tight to the kayak so that it does not get away from you. Launching and landing a kayak on a crowded beach should be avoided if at all possible.

Depending on the conditions, just getting into your kayak and out through the surf can be quite a challenge. Launching your kayak directly from the beach can be difficult due to some waves breaking directly on the beach called ”shore break”. The best method is to wade out about waste deep past the shore break. When wading out through the surf you should always carry the kayak by the front handle so you can lift the front end over any oncoming waves letting the wave pass underneath the kayak behind you. Here you can wait for a break in the waves and easily jump onto the kayak and quickly paddle out through the breaking surf. The faster you paddle out of the surf zone, the less likley you are to get dumped by a big wave. Once you have gotten outside of the breaking waves you can relax and enjoy your paddle.

While you are out to sea, everything on the beach will look the same, so be sure to pick out a landmark on the beach that you will be able to find on your way back. Often, winds and currents can cary you far away from where you started without you even realizing it. Another thing to be careful of is not to paddle out any further than you are capable of paddling back. If you are going to open any hatches while on the water, be very careful not to flip the boat, or water will fill the hull and you will have no way to paddle back in.

When paddling back in, be sure to pick a good landing spot without allot of people in the water. A lose kayak can be a very dangerous projectile to an unsuspecting swimmer. You should always try to paddle in on the back side of a wave. This does require some timing and patience, but if done correctly you will ride all the way onto the beach behind a surging wave of water. If you do get caught in a wave be sure to jump off the kayak on the ocean side so the boat does not slam into you causing injury. Once off the kayak, quickly pull it far enough up onto the beach so that you can rest without another wave carrying the boat back into the surf.

This article is meant to give you a good idea of the simple easy steps to ensure that you have a fun and safe time out on the water. The ocean can be a fickle beast, but with a little preparation and some common sense you can tame it.

How to Choose a Kayak

There are so many different types of kayaks to choose from today that choosing the right one can be very confusing. As an experienced kayaker, I feel that it is my duty to inform you, the public, about the wide variety of kayaks available today so you can make an informed decision and get the most out of your boat and money. The types of kayaks we will discuss in this article will include recreational, touring, and sit on top. First you need to ask yourself a couple questions such as, what do you want to use it for? How much previous kayaking experience do you have? Do you want a single or a tandem? Where will you store it and how will you transport it? The answers to these questions should help you make a more educated decision on which kayak is right for you.

The first thing you need to decide is what type of water you will be paddling on most of the time. Will it be a river, lake, bay, or ocean? There are a few styles of kayaks that are good in a wide variety of conditions, but most are somewhat specific to one type of paddling. You would not generaly use the same type of kayak in a river that you would use on a windy lake or bay. You need to choose a kayak with the propper turning, tracking, stability, and wave handling charachteristics for your area and experience. River kayaks tend to be shorter because they need to be more manuverable, where as for open water and longer distance paddling, longer is better because it gives you better speed and tracking. If you are going to be kayaking on the ocean at all, you should probably use a Sit On Top for saftey.

After deciding where you are going to use it you can then start deciding which style works best for what you want to do on the water. Recreational kayaks are the most popular because they are generaly very stable and easy to use for anyone. These kayaks usualy have a large open cockpit so that the paddler dosen't feel confined in the boat and getting in and out is much easier. They tend to be smaller, between 8 to 12 feet, so they are easier to store and transport. The smaller size also makes them lighter weight which tends to be very important to most people. The downside to this style of boat is that they do not generaly handle well in windy or rough water conditions.

If you want to take longer trips and carry more gear, such as for a weekend camping trip, you should consider a touring kayak. This style of kayak is generaly longer, between 13 and 17 feet, and narrower making it very fast through the water. These boats are also designed to handle bigger waves and chop that you may expereince in open water. A touring kayak usualy has 2 sealed storage compartments fore and aft, that allow you to keep your gear dry over your expedition. These storage areas also act as flotation if you should capsize. Touring kayaks are usualy more expensive, but you are getting your moneys worth. They also tend to be longer and heavier which make them harder to transport.

Sit on top kayaks are one of the newest and fastest growing styles of kayak. These boats are completely sealed so that if they are flipped over they will not take on any water. This allows the boat to be rolled back over and the paddlers can climb back aboard and continue paddling. This is especially convenient on the ocean where waves can be bigger and saftey is a bigger concern. This is also nice for younger kids, because they can swim and play on their own without as much need for supervision. Sit on tops come in all many different shapes and sizes so they can be used for different things. These kayaks usualy tend to be a little more stable than other styles which have made them a great choice for fishermen searching for that big fish. One major thing to consider with this style of kayak is that you will most likely get wet while paddling it. Because of this, sit on tops are more of a seasonal boat that would only be used in the warmer months of the year.

By now you should have a general idea of what style of kayak you might be looking for, but you still have a few more choices to make. All of the kayaks that we have discussed come equiped with different features that allow you to improve things such as manuverability, storage, and comfort. Some kayaks have the option to add a rudder. A rudder allows you to steer the boat with your feet while using your paddle strictly for propulsion. This will allow you to navigate rougher waters more easily and get to shore faster when bad weather moves in. A rudder is not necessary in calmer conditions so they are made to be easily engaged or disengaged depending on the conditions. A rudder will make the kayak more expensive, however they can usualy be added at a later time if you find that you need it. Storage hatches are another accessory that come with some kayaks, and are very important for keeping your gear accessable and dry. These hatches are usualy, but not always accompanied by an interior foam wall called a bulkhead that will keep water from entering this compartment from the cockpit. These sealed compartments not only give your boat dry storage, but also act as flotation if the kayak capsizes. Another option is a smaller hatch that is easily accessable to the paddler for storing important things that may be needed while on the water. The last topic to discuss, and maybe the most important, is your comfort. Not all kayak seats are created equal. The best seats have plenty of padding, but are also able to adjust to your changing needs on the water. The more comfortable the seat is the more often you will be willing to use it.

So there you have it. You are now armed with the basic knowledge that will allow you to go out and start looking for the kayak that is right for you. You should not, however, limit yourself to just looking. You shouldn't buy a car without test driving it first, and you shouldn't buy a kayak without taking it for a paddle. We offer demo days once in the spring and again in the fall that allow you to come paddle all of our boats and ask any questions you might have. We will also have weekly demo times this summer so you can drop by while you are out here on vacation. Once you find the right kayak it will bring you years of good times and great memories.

Find out more about our Kayak Tours and Classes.

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