Top 5 Kayaking Mistakes | Don't Learn these Lessons the Hard Way!
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- čas přidán 28. 05. 2024
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Everyone makes mistakes when learning how to kayak. In this video we talk about the top 5 mistakes that new kayakers make, and how to avoid making them!
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Aqua-bound Shred (whitewater) tidd.ly/3HRZCyq
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NRS Chinook PFD (fishing) tidd.ly/3XodlTv
NRS Zen PFD (whitewater) tidd.ly/3Yy7yMk
NRS Odyssey PFD (Touring and Rec) tidd.ly/3xcsXih
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NRS Flux Drytop tidd.ly/3KfoYcH
NRS Riptide Splash Jacket tidd.ly/40Kf0pi
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Cotopaxi Fuego Down Hooded Jacket www.cotopaxi.com/products/fue...
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NRS Guide Short Sleeve Shirt tidd.ly/3YIa6XV
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Astral PFD Sandal tidd.ly/3xjPtWI
Sunglasses
Wiley X Outdoor Sunglasses bit.ly/3NtJQKR
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NRS WRSI Current Helmet tidd.ly/40EUkiB
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#kayak #seakayaking #kayakfishingtips
0:00 Introduction
0:30 Upside Down Paddle
2:04 Drip Rings
2:46 Not Prepared to Flip
3:38 Dressed for immersion
5:15 Use a dry bag
5:47 Don't Wear Flip Flops
8:29 Getting Back On the Kayak
10:03 Bridging Your Kayak - Sport
![How To Re-Enter A Kayak In Deep Water [Standard & Trick Method]](/img/n.gif)
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On a very sad note Ken Id like to thank you for this video. I say that because in April of 2023 a father and son went kayaking on a local lake in my area. They left in kayaks late morning but did not return by late afternoon. The wife called local authorities and a search took place. The news report said they were wearing blue jeans and or sweats and a winter jacket. Both kayaks had been found by the next day. When asked if they were wearing life jackets, no one knew. My biggest fear was no they were not. The search took place on land and water. That area of the lake they went missing on was deep up to 180 foot. Both bodies were not recovered for 24 days. I did not know these two men but my deepest sympathy goes out to their family.
I have paddled this lake many times with both my kids over the past 22 years living near by. I don't know if they actually drowned or surcumed to hypothermia. We may never know. When they had not been found by day two my biggest fear was that they had sunk to the bottom of the lake. Our local search and rescue teams, law enforcement and out of state teams did their best. In the end it was tragic for the family no matter what. I say all this because my sister lost a 16 yr old son to drowning. They didn't find him for 3 days and that was the worst three days of her life. This is why wearing a PFD is so important. You are more visible if you are on the surface of the water than you are at the bottom. These are the things I think about before I go out on the water everytime.
I am not passing judgement on anyone here. About thirty years ago when I first started kayaking I had a very similar experience happen to me. It was my first time kayaking in cold weather. Middle of December, snowing and winds around 5 miles an hour and gust of up to ten. I was about 350 yards from either shore line when tragedy struck. I was watching a bald eagle glide inches above the water less than 40 yards in front of me. I laid my paddle down across my cockpit to grab my camera. I was still in motion and the water cought one of the blades. It started rolling toward me. I dropped my camera and grabbed the shaft of the paddle. When I did this I took a death grip on it and in two seconds I was upside down in the water. I did not know how to get back in or even role it back upright. I did have on a PFD but I was wearing blue jeans, thermal underwear, a sweat shirt and a winter jacket. I was also wearing tennis shoes and regular socks. I had to make a wet exit and tried to get back in my kayak on several attempts without success. I finally made the choice to swim to shore with kayak in tow. The wind was fighting me all the way. I was all alone not even another boater in sight. I decided to ditch my life vest and kayak then swam as fast as possible to shore with my dry bag. I started my truck to let it warm up and I ran laps around it until I warmed up a bit. I then stripped down to my underwear and swam back out to retrieve my kayak. I swam back to shore got in my car to warm up . I dried off with my towel then loaded up my boat and drove home in my skivvies .
Yes I made it out alive but I very easily could have surcumed to hypothermia . I made allot of mistakes that day but lived to tell about it. After that day I bought a spare paddle, paddle float and propper cold water paddling cloths. I also learned several self rescues techniques including rolling. I had not even told my girlfriend were I was going paddling at. I always let her know know we're I'm going and a time frame of my return. She has been my wife now for 27 yrs and both my children are avid kayakers. My daughter is now 25 and my son is 22. I have pushed safety harder than anything but I was young and hard headed back then and learned the hard way. Like I said earlier in this story, I am not judging anyone just pointing out how important these tips you gave are . Both for the kayaker and your family to prevent tragedy or to aid in recovery if tragedy should strike.
P.S. Thank you again Ken for this video you are able to reach such a huge platform , more than I ever could.
Oh man... That's horrible to hear. Unfortunately, those types of stories are too common. It's rough when learning lessons the hard way can have devastating results... Glad to hear your lesson had a happy ending. I've learned some scary lessons the hard way too... some which still haunt me. Here's to a safe paddling season for everyone this season!
Here in Florida even the novice gets back in their kayak quickly with LOTS of alligators around.
That's motivation!
Speaking as a paddler from the UK where the worst thing you'll come across is an angry duck, isn't paddling alongside alligators just plain nuts or are you going to tell me they're mostly vegetarians these days? 😁
@@grahamashby1409 only had a problem with alligator when paddling next to shore on inside of sharp turn in the river. I come around the point of land and scared the alligator sunning himself on the sandy bank. With a big splash he jumped in the water and his back hit the bottom of my kayak. If you see them ahead of time they either ignore you or gently slide in the water before you get close. Here in southwest Florida if afraid of alligators (like my wife) you can just do saltwater paddles. There are Mangrove trails where the salt water is calm and you don’t have to struggle with waves and motorboats. If you like the waves there are plenty of them close by.
@@dalenees2018 Well, you've partly convinced me but what happens if you end up in the water? Not sure I'd want to be swimming with them. It could just be that you're braver than me! 🙂
@@grahamashby1409 I guess you could compare it to the fear of there being swift water, capsizing and your head hitting a rock. Unlikely to happen but could. Now I paddle farther from shore in those tight turn situations. Why paddle close to shore in first place? Here in subtropical Florida that’s usually where the shade is. I believe it’s hit the 90’sF every day for the last 80 days. (pleasant in the winter though) Also fun to paddle under the many low hanging oak tree limbs and make a judgement each time if there is enough clearance to make it through.
"Wear the life jacket". Amen! Seems like every time I turn around I read about some kayaker drowning somewhere in the US because they had a jacket in their kayak but they weren't wearing it. The latest story was a guy in an inflatable kayak on a lake. He tipped and the wind blew his kayak (and his vest) away from him clear across the lake. People nearby watched him go under and never come back up. Flipping in a calm lake should NOT have been a life ending event for this man. Wear the damn jacket folks!
"But I can swim" - every kayaker who thinks the PFD is a pillow to be strapped onto the deck of the kayak.............. SIGH.
Last year in Yellowstone NP 2 brothers drowned while canoeing, both were park rangers and 1 was a former Navy SEAL. I'm a former Recon Marine, sorta the USMC version of a SEAL, we swam 5 miles at night in the Atlantic, launched from subs and helos, spent yrs SCUBA diving and today I wear my safety gear and stay close to shore whenever possible because cold water kills! Try telling some dummy to wear their pfd and all you get is a snarl in return. Last week I watched a mother and 2-3 yr old child flip a sit on top kayak in Grand Teton NP (Leigh Lake 20'-40' deep next to the south island), the mother was both fat and stupid while her child screamed it's head off over the cold water dunking.
Let them learn the hard way, usually get's you a body bag, if you come up.
These stories should be well respected of course and its common sense to wear a jacket but for every one of them there are a million times a kayaker/boater/swimmer etc. went out without jacket and returned home perfectly fine and never told the story.
Don't get yourselves too rapped up in your own experience and think it should apply to everyone or every situation. What's right for you is just that, right for you. Not anyone else.
@@saudade2745 Absolutely. Let Darwin sort them out.
@@saudade2745 Couldn't you say the same thing about wearing a seat belt or drinking and driving? Surely millions of people get into a car every day and don't wear a seat belt or are drunk behind the wheel yet manage to get home safely. Do you feel the same way about the risks they are taking? There is logic and statistical evidence on the side of wearing a PFD, seat belt, and not drinking and driving. You may not believe that evidence but logic says that it is useless to have a PFD in the kayak but not be wearing it. Do you have kids that kayak with you? What are they learning from you if you aren't wearing a PFD? And what happens if they become a tragic statistic because you decided to ignore the evidence and stories that others have shared?
Great video. A fantastic follow up would be another 5 mistakes but aimed at more experienced paddlers. Maybe something like: "5 Bad Habits Self-taught Paddlers Often Develop"
Good call! Thanks Ryan!
Agreed!
YES!
You talked about hopping into the kayak. A brief video of this procedure would be great… and also how to best hop out at the shore.
Nice tips. One I can think of would be to get a good pair of polarized sun glasses, so you can avoid running into a sand bar, rocks, ect. They really do make a difference, and allow you to see through the surface glair.
Just one note about when you are entering or getting out of your kayak with it pulled up parallel to the shore, do not let the hull rest on the bottom below the hull, my son caused a crack in his roto-molded kayak doing this. When he put his foot in the kayak and transferred his weight to it the hull was sitting on some rocks, oyster shells or some other type of debris and it caused his hull to develope a crack. So when you enter or leave your kayak from shore - go ahead and get your feet a little wet and push it out so it floats a bit when you get in, or when you get out stop a few feet from shore and get out and drag your kayak to shore, thus eleminating the chance of cracking the hull. oh yeah! this applies to canoes also.
Wow... a roto-molded kayak shouldn't crack under those conditions! I would do exactly what you're saying in a composite (fibreglass or carbon) boat, or even in an thermoformed boat, but a roto-molded kayak should be able to handle that, unless the plastic is severely weakened because it's very old and has spent a lot of time in the sun.
I agree with PaddleTV, my roto-molded set inside kayak is bomb proof and is always stored inside. For launch I keep 8ft lines on bow and stern. I secure paddle with the short bungee on the side for paddle. Holding the line push kayak out 8ft, wade out till it’s deep enough to float then pull the line and kayak between your legs. As soon as your rear aligns with the seat flop down in it leaving your legs hang out. Paddle out a little then tuck in your legs and secure line under deck bungees. CAUTION practice this by yourself. You don’t want your friends to see if your kayak gets stuck between your legs before the seat gets to the right spot. :) This works for me and makes no difference if launch is bow or stern first.
Ive paddled for years. I always used the drip rings for reference points. I'm definitely guilty and learned something good today!
Good stuff.
For the final "Hop in", a good tip is to always place the first foot onto the centre line of the canoe, even to the point of adding a line of tape to mark that line.
If you are off-centre, to the side, the boat will tip a bit and you will be worried as your ankle flexes and you start shaking....
For extra points, reach out with both arms-straight, to the opposite sides of the boat, so that you form an A frame with your weight perfectly central. The boat wants to be stable when you hold it like that.
Went out on my second kayak excursion. Won't say my form was perfect (far from it) but I was very conscientious about not keeping my paddle upside down! Didn't want to be too doofusy! 🤣🤪
that last bit about getting into the kayak from shore is even more crucial for the various types of "portable" kayaks which tend to be more flexible and would be unevenly supported.
Very good advice!
3:05 I guess people calling buoyancy aids 'life jackets' doesn't annoy you. 😂
Enjoyed this video. Thanks!
Great video! Thank you!
Love your videos, and thanks for informing us about the ACA safety course. Just did that one, bit hokey but informative and very useful nonetheless. Listed you in the post-course eval asking how I found out about it: figured it'd be good for them to know.
Excellent video, thank you
Great tips. Thanks for the video, I appreciate you helping folks kayak comfortably, and trying to help us not look like a doofus!
Lots of great information here. Thanks. I'm still a little green in my kayak.
I enjoyed the paddling safety course. Learned some new bits.
Yes I seen many people do the same things you mentioned. Good video cheers
Nantahala river is always 45°. Dress appropriately even if the air temp is 80. Safe paddling.
Thanks ! Well done, good advice, entertaining 😁
:)
Thanks for the instructions, my kayak is arriving in the mail soon so we will be in touch.
Really great video 🤙🏽
Thanks!
Looooove my NRS velocity shoes and my NRS Boundary boots!
ALWAYS wear your PDF!
Take your Adobe everywhere
Might mention "Swimming" in your gear, and practicing reentry. . . Do this for all combinations, and everytime you update or change your equipment.
I have a short sleeve splash top in cooler water with warm weather. Works well even when I swim. I also have canyoneering shoes and they are awesome.
I'm with my pakboat puffin saco (an old one) on the Mediterranean Sea. I padle it mostly with a canoe padle but when the wind and waves are egainst me I switch to double blade (I call it cheating). I own a 4pcs glasfiber packraft paddle and I noticed that in high waves the padle is more efficient with the logo upside-down! The shape of the blades is close to the ones from your video. Good channel 👍 keep on! More single blade stuff 🙏
Nice boat! I'm excited to be getting a new Kevlar Pack Boat (Swift) later this month!! Can't wait.
Always an enlightened and entertaining watch Ken. Top job. Now, you may laugh but when I started out I used to intentionally have the paddle upside-down because I found it reduced paddle drip. I've since developed my technique and can stay dry with it right side up. How do you explain that eh? Best not to try maybe! 😁
Ha! That, I cannot explain! Cheers Graham!
I recently learned proper paddling vests are more comfortable to swim long distances in. Don’t ask me how, lol.
Edit: as far as sandals go, the more aggressive soled crocs with adjustable straps are awesome in the River.
My concern with the rod lure protectors is taking them off a trevble hooked lure
You reviewing that native ultimate? Im interested in a hybrid kayak.
What kayak is this at the end I really like it
Good advice. Thanks for making the video. I just got a used Folbot Greenland II off of Craig's List at a super great price ($155). I took it out for the first time last weekend. I've been kayaking since I was 12 (I'm now 67) and got my canoeing merit badge in Boy Scouts so I kind of remember what I'm doing. A lot of my previous knowledge was useful and muscle memory kicked in resulting in a good paddle. However, I still did a dumb by trying to get out of the kayak at the end by pointing at the shore instead of being parallel with the shore. Rookie mistake since I flipped the kayak and flopped into the water. I really should have know better since I got into the kayak the way you mentioned in the video. Lesson learned. Luckily no one was around to witness by stupidity. I need to find a place to practice getting back into the kayak when I fall out. I did it a couple of years ago successfully when kayaking off of La Jolla, CA with my daughter but practice is good.
That's awesome! We all make those mistakes sometimes. :) Enjoy the new boat!
Lol, ive seen a great paddler that breaks rule 1, it looks goofy, but he makes it work
When you warned about making a bridge I thought you meant to avoid doing the splits with one foot aboard the kayak and the other on land 😂
I did read a comment on another video by a guy who instinctively reached out and grabbed a railing to slow himself as he launched, resulting in a broken shoulder! Ouch!
Any thoughts on the Oru kayak?
Great tutorial, very humorous!
I would have liked to see you get in the kayak at the end, to see how you personally do it. Also, what brand of waterproof cell phone case do you use? The one I had my phone in yesterday allowed some water in, though my phone was alright.
???
To be honest, I don't use a waterproof case for my phone anymore, because iPhones have become very waterproof, and flipping unexpectedly isn't something that I need to worry about after 35 years of paddling. That being said, I think waterproof cases are a good idea, and getting one that attaches to your PFD is very smart, as I've seen more than one person drop their phone in the water and lose it. Doesn't matter how waterproof the case is if it's at the bottom of the river!
@@PaddleTV thanks so much!!!
Must see PaddleTV 👍🏻
Me: doofus… first kayak tour Saturday; I was wondering what the rings were for - incorrectly decided they were guide to place hands.
Thanks 🎉
for inflatable kayak if you get it along side the shore the fins will hit the ground and might brake so how do you avoid it?
29th second and you've already scored a big like from me... 👍 so many people do that... this needs to stop😅
Cheers,
Tom
Love the tips, esp on footwear, but I wonder about the frequent cold water assumptions. Take a poll and maybe much of your audience kayaks only in lukewarm water. So tip6 could be to remove your drip rings to allow cooling water to reach you and be recycled thru your self bailers...
Good point!
I am on cold water! My feet froze getting out of it today!
Could you recommend a kayak life jacket?
I'm a big fan of NRS lifejackets. Yes... they do sponsor my Paddle Tales series, but they're a sponsor because I love their gear (not the other way around). Couple of big considerations... If you're paddling a recreational kayak with a high back seat, you'll want to get a life jacket designed for that, like the Clearwater - www.nrs.com/nrs-clearwater-mesh-back-pfd/pvqs or the Chinook (if you want more pocket space - www.nrs.com/nrs-chinook-fishing-pfd/p4j7. Otherwise, for sea kayaks, with low back support, a lifejacket that has a full back is most common, like the 'Ion' or 'Odyssey'. Other brands that make good paddling PFD's include Astral, Kokatat, MTI, Salus....
I have a drain plug near the top center of my "sit-in" 14.5 ft tandom kayak. When i kayak, do i leave it closed or open?
Leave it in... it's only used to help empty the kayak of water on shore.
He's been watching me !!! I wear merrell hydro moc for kayaking. I found there far better for the pebble beaches and last longer than water shoes. There no way you can launch like that on the beach. The surf will flip it over.
0:21 I literally thought that he was going to say or you'll end up looking like a 😊dumb ass😂
Great video, as always. I had been very diligent about having everything tied to the kayak at first, but I changed my mind after one rather sketchy situation on a river. From that moment on, I decided that the cell phone and a few bucks I will have in a watertight pouch securely tied to me. Maybe I am the biggest doofas of all doofases but that sketchy moment made me realize that loosing my boat (meaning the kayak going down the river without me) is actually an option. So, should that happen I will have my phone on me at least.
Indeed. I have a zipper pocket on my vest that I put my bagged up phone in.
Spending the rest of my paddling days worried that Ken thinks I look like a doofus. 😨😰
I really like that kayak you are using in this video. Can you give the name? I like your videos!
Cheers! The boat is the Native Watercraft Ultimate FX12. It is a nice boat! I'll be doing a review of it in the next month or two.
Man, I nearly pissed my pants from laughing 🤣🤣
Hi Ken, Why do I need a VPN to be able to watch this? It won't work from The Netherlands.
I have no idea! I just checked the video settings, and there are no restrictions set... very strange.
How do you stay stable through waves
Turn into them and paddle so you have forward momentum. Will help you stay very stable going through waves.
Boats which are very stable on flat water (they have good primary stability - the boat wants to sit flat on the surface of the water) tend to be less stable in waves (the boat will still want to sit flat on the surface of the water - which will not be horizontal).
A boat with good secondary stability will want to sit horizontal in the water, letting the water surface move about without moving the kayak a lot. These tend to be narrower and a little less stable on flat water. My sea kayak is 53cm wide and has extremely good secondary stability, I'm just back from crossing Bass Strait and it handled the rough water on a couple of the crossings very easily (the 50kg of food and gear also helped make the boat more stable).
@@deaninchina01Are you saying you kayaked from Tasmania to mainland Australia?
Flipped yesterday forgot to put my phone in my dry phone case I usually do but got an lost it everything else tethered down an water was cold
Thanks for the video…my wife and I are new to this sport and I’m a heavy guy…Im having a hard time comfortably exiting the kayak when I come into shore…often Im not level…I come in and end up “bridging” and then fighting the incline to get out. Im starting to think I shouldnt have gone for a sit in style and should have tried a sit on top like in your video. Any suggestions on how to position the kayak for easier exiting? I even thought of trying to come in reverse so Id be slanted forward instead of up and back.
There's no doubt that sit-on-top kayaks are easier to get onto and off from than sit-inside kayaks, simply because you don't have as far to go. You might want to consider trading your kayak for a sit-on-top. That being said... bridging is an issue getting out as well, and so you're best off to pull up alongside the shore, so that neither end is on shore. A little team work helps too... have the person you're paddling with come up alongside you and help stabilize your kayak as you get out. Once you're out, and have pulled your kayak out of the way, you can then help stabilize their kayak from shore as they get out. The only time it doesn't work to come up alongside the shoreline (instead of straight on or backwards), is when you're dealing with significant waves, like on a beach with some surf. I will definitely do a video about getting in and out very soon! Stay tuned!
Aint lying about those flip flops
👏🏻👏🏻😊⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks for another great video - it doesn’t seem to matter for me whether my drip rings are in the right place, I still get wet 🤣
SAME!!!!!
I only kayaking sandals LOL if you need to walk you take the damn things off😅
Might work where you are but where I am the oyster shells would cut you up. There is an actually named Oyster Bay and Oyster Creek close by.
Can a non swimmer go flr kayaking
We walked this planet for a very long time without shoes... then it was something you would only use when going to town and such... rich people....
I’m really getting frustrated. Every other video says to hold the paddle just the opposite way. One says, scoop facing forward , the next says , scoop facings the back. HELP !!!!
Always the scoop facing you. Even if you take reverse strokes, you don't change how you hold the paddle. Here's a video with a lot more detail about using your paddle czcams.com/video/KV2OWycvsew/video.html. Cheers.
@@PaddleTV thank you so much
👋😎👍
Beginners, please take note that he is wearing a buoyancy aid or personal flotation device and Not a life jacket.
Word for the day.....wait for it.....doofus.....Thanks! Great tips.
Boom!
Number 1 thing I learned, don't be a doofus 🤣
Bingo! Unless that's your thing. :)
In short, a video that teaches you to avoid being a DOOFUS.
Free those feet they need to breath!!
no. 1 mistake for kayakers is not having their 1st level of kayaking certificate. Learn to kayak people.
TLDR: Don't look like a doofus
If you worry about looking like a doofus you should just stay home
You love that word dofuss don't you lol Great information as always buddy. 👍👍🚣♂️