THE CREATION OF A NEW KAYAK CLUB FOR STRANRAER
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Is kayaking expensive Before you start kayaking, this is one thing that you will probably be concerned with. After all, not too many people can
afford spending too much money on their hobbies, and kayaking does seem like the
type of activity that would cost a lot of money to start. However, just like
most other things that you would think about doing, kayaking can either be very
expensive, or relatively affordable. Another way that you can make sure that you don't spend too much money on kayaking is by maintaining your kayak. The more you maintain your kayak, the less money you'll have to spend on repairs. Considering the types of repairs that might be needed on a badly cared for kayak, this could be a considerable amount of money. While there are also a lot of other items that you will need for your kayak, before you buy each thing you should ask yourself whether or not you'll actually need to use it. If the answer is no, then you can save some extra money by not buying that particular thing. For instance, if you are not going to be going kayaking out at sea for long periods of time, or if you don't think that you'll be going on long kayak tours, then you probably will not need to get a GPS system for your kayak. You should also pay attention to whether or not you need to get the best supplies. While it would be nice to have the best of everything, you should look at what will be sufficient instead. However, even though you can save some money by omitting certain things from your list of necessary items, you should always make sure that you have all the necessary safety gear. Every kayak should have a first aid kit in the hatch, and you should always wear a personal flotation device for your own safety.
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Once you've found the perfect kayak for you, and you're ready to go kayaking, there's one other thing that you need to learn about first.
You need to know how to take care of your kayak, otherwise, you may find that your kayak doesn't last nearly as long as you would like it to.
Considering how much kayaks tend to
cost, this should definitely be a priority for you.
One thing that you should keep in mind regarding kayak maintenance is that like
most things, a little bit of prevention can go a long way. As a result, you
should make sure that you do a little bit of regular maintenance on your kayak.
This way, you'll be able to keep your kayak nice, and you won't have to worry
about doing a lot of maintenance all at once when something breaks.
First, you should always make sure that you wash your kayak regularly. This will
help keep it clean, and will also make sure that you can see if there is
anything on the kayak that could cause problems later. This is especially
important if you are kayaking in salt water, since the salt can corrode parts of
your kayak. You should also make sure that you rinse the inside of your kayak as
well if any salt water got inside.
You should make sure that your kayak does not have any holes in it, too - and
you can do this before you find yourself sitting in a leaking kayak out at sea.
All you have to do is put a flashlight inside of the kayak and cover the
cockpit. Then put the kayak in a dark room. If you see any areas of light then
that means that you have a crack in your kayak. This is the best way for you to
decide if you have a crack in your actual kayak instead of just in the paint.
Cracks in the paint will make your boat look worse than it is, but they won't do
any real structural damage to your kayak.
Finally, if you don't want your paint to fade and you're worried about the boat
warping at all, then you should store it indoors and out of the sun temperature
changes.
General safety rules apply to every
level of paddlers.
•Since kayaking is an outdoor water sport, wearing a well-fitted wetsuit, life
jacket and helmet is imperative. Similarly, skipping on a pair of UV-Protected
sunglasses and waterproof Sun Block is not recommended.
•Remember that kayaking requires continuous paddling. You can exhaust yourself
very soon, if you are not physically fit. Regular exercising will keep you in
shape for a long lasting kayaking trip.
•Thoroughly inspect your equipments before commencing on a kayaking trip. A
small tear or a minor dent should not be ignored and should be repaired at the
earliest.
•Carry a waterproof bag that would help you to store necessities like a fully
charged mobile phone, LED torch, First-Aid kit, whistle, compass, drinking
water, food etc.
•Learn basic swimming strokes. Despite the fact that you will be wearing a life
jacket, it is important to feel comfortable in the water.
•Follow the local rules and regulations of the kayaking areas.
•Understand the International Distress Signals to help you during emergency
situations.
Safety Precautions for beginners
avoid any kind of danger or injury
while kayaking.
•You should know how to launch your kayak and some basic paddling strokes.
Kayaking trip is a success only when correct techniques are employed.
•It is safe to begin kayaking with a group of 3-4 experienced paddlers. This
will help you to learn a lot about kayaking - like reading the water, kayaking
techniques etc. Planning a kayaking adventure all alone can be disastrous as you
may be unable to handle any contingency.
•Plan the first few kayaking tours in calm and slow moving water to get the
knack of paddling continuously.
Safety Precautions for Whitewater River Paddlers
Generally, river paddlers have some previous paddling experience. Nevertheless,
river kayaking can be fatal.
•Rivers have been classified according to their difficulty based on their speed
and waves. Study the river well, before you embark on a kayaking trip. River
conditions change seasonally. Thus, it is obligatory to know the course, speed
and the river difficulty to avert any possible danger.
•Given the continuous flow of the river with its bumps and swells, a kayak can
capsize and keep you submerged for a few seconds. With regular practice, you can
learn to regain your upright position.
In spite of the safety precautions, if anything does go wrong, it is important
not to panic.
Be calm, think with a clear mind, and patiently execute your rescue plan.
Fact is, most big boats can't see a
small boat on the water at all. Ferry captains and ship pilots have told me that
the only thing they see, if they know where to look, is the flash of the paddle
blades. Bright colours disappear at a distance. Flares, smoke signals, and
lights at night make you more visible.
When meeting a boat head-on, you should let it pass to your left, as should they. Make a definitive course correction so they have no doubt as to which way you are headed. If someone is approaching from your stern, you must maintain your course, and they must avoid you. You still must pay close attention to traffic from your stern, because they might not be able to see you below their bow. Boats entering waterways from slips or marinas will not see you, and you must exercise caution in those situations.
Right-of-way is relative. Since kayaks are very manoeuvrable, it is legally up to us not to cause less-agile craft to come to grief.
While there are some situations where you have right-of-way, you cannot assume that other boaters are able to see you or even know the rules. In narrow channels and passes, we must stay to the right, as close to shore as safely possible, and not impede larger vessels that must navigate certain areas to be safe.
If it is too rough near shore, wait until there is no other traffic and go down the middle.
