The Fundamentals of Kayaking

Once you’ve been kayaking, you’ll be hooked for life. It’s a fantastic sport whatever the reason you may have for partaking, be it as a pastime, thrill seeking, or for competition. But whatever the reason for joining in, even if it’s only for pleasure, kayakers take their sport very seriously. Kayaking is a great way of seeing the world afresh and of matching your prowess against the raw power of nature, and it doesn’t come wilder than white water kayaking.

Kayak Jargon

* The front of a kayak is called the “bow”.

* The hand operated pump used for pumping unwanted water out of the hull of the kayak is called a “bilge pump”.

* The vertical plate, made from foam and that acts as both reinforcement for the hull and also as a flotation device is called a “bulkhead”.

* The outline edge of the kayak and any alteration of angles is termed the “chine”.

* A “demo boat” is the name given to a kayak that is used to give a kayaker a test ride.

* Kayaking can be a pretty wet business, so in order to keep your possessions dry, you use a waterproof bag called a “dry bag”.

* The back of a kayak is referred to as “the stern”.

A Kayak: The kayaks themselves come in different models that are designed specifically for different types of kayaking, for example: recreational kayaking, white water kayaking, (sometimes called rocky river or creek kayaking), and ocean kayaking. They also come in various sizes so you choose the type and then an appropriate size according to your height and weight.

The Paddle: The first thing when you choose a kayak paddle is to specify which type of kayaking you intend to practice. You then need to choose the right size that corresponds to your arm length or reach.

Safety is paramount and there are two vital pieces of equipment you will need.

Firstly the helmet. These come in many different styles and colors and the choice is yours. For white water kayaking there is a special type of helmet that has a face guard, rather like the helmets that American footballers wear.

The other piece of essential PPE (personal protection equipment) that you must have is a personal flotation device. Type 3 PFDs (personal safety devices) are the ones recommended for kayakers.

To stop the ingress of water into the kayak, you use what is called a “Spray Skirt”. This fits around your waist and the rim of the kayak’s aperture. The top models are made from Neoprene, but they are also made in Nylon and a combination of both. The combination types are best for sea kayaking, whilst the Nylon ones are best suited for recreational kayaking.

If you are thinking of taking up kayaking, you will be interested to know that there are a couple of useful ways of finding tried and tested kayaking routes.

Kayak trails: These are trails that are documented, having been run by various kayakers on the rivers and waterways of the US. You can choose a trail according to what you want most: a gentle, short excursion; a longer gently sightseeing tour, or something a little more challenging, like a white water ride. Some trails go through the National Forests so you get to see Mother Nature in all her glory.

Kayak tours: You can cross America by kayak (well almost), and indeed many other countries around the world too. You will see some of the most stunning sights, and from a unique angle and perspective too. People have kayaked with dolphins and even killer whales in Alaska. Awesome!

Kayaking is a wonderful recreational sport and is practiced the world over by millions of people regardless of age or gender. It’s a pastime that can take you all over the world and give you immense pleasure and show you the best sights to match anything, anywhere in the world. Why not give it a try?