Before you start sea kayaking | select the right kayak
Vložit
- čas přidán 3. 04. 2021
- before you start sea kayaking
How to select the right sea kayak for you.
Learn how to move with your sea kayak: www.dancingwiththesea.com/fun...
What is the difference between a kayak and a small boat?
It seems to me that any little boat that you propel with a double-bladed paddle is called a kayak. But I'm going to give you another definition. One that is more relevant to your experience on the water.
I see a boat as something you get into that you can paddle around. You use the force on the paddle to move the boat.
But I think of the kayak as something very different. If you're just looking to get on the water to Paddle around a bit, you don't need to keep watching this video. It’s probably not for you.
But if you're looking at the sea kayak because you want to explore and have the experience of feeling at home on the water like you belong there... Or you want to see the most beautiful coastline... but not feel like an outsider...or you want to enrich your life by going on multi day expeditions into the wild.
If any of these are true for you, then this could be the most important video you ever watch.
I'm going to start by telling you a little about what got me into sea kayaking. I'll make it short. Maybe you can relate.
I've always enjoyed the Wilderness. I always felt most relaxed in the forest or hiking in the mountains or snowshoeing. I always aspired to develop my skills so I could be more at peace in nature. It was never about man versus the wild for me. More like the opposite. Man belongs in the wild.
I never felt like nature needed to be tamed... It always seemed perfect as it is.
So what does that have to do with sea kayaking?
When I moved to the west coast I was looking for a similar experience as I explored the nearby islands.
And what I have learned over the years, is that having that kind of experience is not just about getting in any kayak.
My definition of a kayak is something you wear... to give you agility and ease on the water. With a good, well-fitted kayak, paddling feels easy. The kayak turns without any need to apply force. Almost like it’s reading your mind. Just a little movement of your pelvis edges the kayak. and it turns naturally. It’s built into the design of the hull. With some skills you have the agility to explore and keep yourself safe and feel right at home on the water. Even if it gets a little rough.
There is a joy that comes from moving with ease and competence.
But it won’t happen that way by accident. You need to learn a few things before you can be one with your kayak.
So what kind of kayak do you need to get that experience...and to have the freedom to visit the world's most beautiful coastlines?
With so many options to choose from I can’t get too specific, but here are a few considerations.
The length. You will be faster and go further with a longer kayak. If you plan to go the distance, and especially if there could be waves, you will want a kayak that is about 16-18’ long.
But here’s the thing. When you take the wide kayak in the waves, that same stability that keeps it flat on the surface of the water will have a tendency to also keep it flat on the side of the wave. And that can actually make it almost impossible to stop it from capsizing.
The greenland paddle which evolved with the kayak over thousands of years is perfectly suited to give the paddler that quiet stability as you paddle. Why disturb the wildlife if you don’t have to.
It’s not a big blade that you can use to force and control. Instead it encourages you to learn to move with less strength…and you realize that you can go much further. And it feels much easier and more gentle on the body. There’s a hidden genius in the Greenland paddle that most people miss. And it gives it an unexpected ease that comes from efficient design. It directly translates into becoming competent much more quickly.
A lot of people think learning to paddle a real sea kayak takes years, but I say if you learn with the greenland paddle, and you learn the traditional techniques, most people can become quite competent in months not years.
The next consideration is the size. You may want the kayak to be big, so you don’t feel claustrophobic. But if you want to be able to move properly with your kayak, you need to wear it.
What that means is you need to have a snug fit, but also be able to move inside the kayak...to unlock the agility that only the kayak can give you. That’s the genius of it. If you don’t wear it properly you can’t move well with it. And you might as well be sitting in a boat.
If you want to learn how to move with your sea kayak I put a link in the description to a free lesson to get you started. Just sign up to get access.
If you are serious about sea kayaking, and you want to learn the traditional techniques, have a look at my website: DancingWithTheSea.com
Update ! I finally bought my first new Sea Kayak after years of research and trying different models ! The P&H Volan 160 is my dream yak. At 16’ and 23” wide weighing 42 lbs it’s an absolute stealthy fast yak. I have loved all your videos over the years Paulo, thank you so much for introducing me to the Greenland paddle, I was using a bent handled Werner carbon touring paddle for a couple years, the Greenland paddle has made me become more at one with the kayak and giving me greater stability in any condition. Thanx again !
As a relatively new sea kayaker (Water Dancing Solace 18 XL), I love your videos. Getting my kayak fitted to me properly was a game changer. As a 60 year old, I use wood greenland paddles, also a game changer. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
The difference between a kayak and a boat is like the difference between driving a car through the forest or walking through the forest.
BTW if Greenland paddles were superior. Olympians and people like Frea Hoffmeister, Cris Duff, Nigel Foster, Nigel Dennis, Ed Gillett, etc would have used them for their epic expeditions. Both types of paddles are acceptable and have their place, but to say Greenland paddles are superior may be more of a personal preference. You are a purist and that's fine.
Overall a great video
I absolutely agree that all types of paddles have their merits and choosing one is a matter of personal preference. The goal of my channel is not to claim that Greenland paddles are universally superior, and everyone should use it. But rather to highlight their unique qualities and techniques.
I'm glad you found the video valuable overall, and I appreciate the feedback.
Many paddlers who switch to the Greenland paddle are extremely grateful they did. It’s about finding more of those people and giving them the information they need to make an informed choice, and that's precisely what I hope to provide with my content. Happy paddling!
Thank You ! The Back Country for some of us is the only place to be complete. Outstanding video you Sir are a inspiring speaker able to put into words what those of us blessed to experience nature in more remote places. Awesome !
Your videos are always very informative. Thank you
Been watching your videos for some time now. Inspiring. It speaks to me on so many levels. The COVID lockdowns got me back into kayaking-camping. The freedom is incredible. The need for "bush" therapy is what we all lack these days. Love your philisophy.
Strange segway...
The way you speak about the Kayak-Greenland paddle is very similar to how the Old Kokodon Judo / Aikido techniques are taught: from the hips ... it's a dynamic sphere.
I have a Euro paddle and I'm not comfortable with it. I watched you using the Grrenland Paddle and I immediately see the connection to the jo ( staff ) in japanese jiujitsu. The way you move in the cockpit with the GP is eactly the same way you move with a jo: a sweeping circular motion. Avoid using small joints and small muscle groups: generate power from the hips and keep your elbows near that point of reference !
Thank you !
Inspiring, thank you. Definitely want to get a greenland paddle and start developing skills as I adventure.
Ive had second hand plastic , current designs " storm" for 10 years...tough, easy to do small repairs, fast, good storage.
I like plastic cos i dont have to be super careful on beach pulls, hitting rocks etc.
Great video, thanks a lot for your calm advice. Greetings from Germany.
I have tried a Dozen kayaks over the last decade, Kevlar,fiberglass, plastic ! Haven’t found the perfect one yet. Loved them all except one. I did find the perfect paddle for any and all !! Gearlab Greenland Paddle. Maybe one day I’ll find the kayak that matches. Perfection
" Why disturb the wildlife when you don't have to?" I have been aggravated with the noise of a Euro blade for this very reason.
if you're making noise with a 'euro blade', whatever that is, you're doing it wrong.
First video I've seen of yours. I was worried you wouldn't be making new videos, I enjoyed your cadence so much. Then I am checked your page and was relieved lol
When I first started, I was an idiot and took an open top 10ft rec kayak out in the sf bay, I almost drowned from how brutal the waves were. Very scary experience.😂
funny how the reflection is not blurred out around 2:53 you cheeky devil. I have made now three paddles trying to dial in what i like and what fits well and just figuring strokes and such out on my own- proly with bad habits LOL. Your vids are great and am sure your all of your online stuff is great as well but just not the same as on water practice and instruction. Cheers and hope you are well.
Dud, Thank you!! I'll be back!!!
Also you always give great advice you should seriously consider personal training I will fly up as soon as Covid blocks lets me etc.
Thanks, I do some coaching. You can find out more here: www.dancingwiththesea.com/kayak-coaching/
Great job Paulo
I need to know if my old town loon will be safe to go out into the ocean, but instead all this channel can tell me is that I need to get a greenland paddle. Im almost sold on it at this point 😂 do they work in calm waters?
Love your videos Paulo. How far back should you be able to bend when you are in your kayak to do a good roll? Can you touch the back of your head to the read deck? I can only get so far back. I have a 17+ ft touring kayak. Specifically a fiberglass SeaLion by AquaTerra.
Can you do fishing out of the sea kayak?
Looking at the sea kayak with rudder. Need speed & efficiency to go against the current in the Mississippi River as well as rocker for Lake Superior & possibly even the gulf?
I wonder if the same principle applies to large lakes with small waves?
I think they do. We paddle on Chapala, Mexico's biggest lake, which is not usually very windy. (Usually..) Most people in our club paddle narrow-ish 16+ footers, after years or trial and error and 'want a new boat'. I recently took out a wider, recreational kayak I used to love years ago, and was amazed at how wobbly it felt. Not to mention, speed! The wider boats are just so painfully slow, and on a big lake, you want to cover some distance! I also switched from a Wilderness Systems Tempest 170 to a snug 165, and feel more secure and less pushed around by the wind. It is not just a touch shorter, but the front deck and cockpit are MUCH more flatter and narrower. First I was like, uuhhh, no more donuts, ever! But now I do feel like I wear it. My thighs contact the braces very easily in this, and it does feel more stable in wind and waves that way. Still non-denominational about paddles, got Greenland and love it for playing and bracing, but find it a bit easier to keep up with hubby with the Euro.
Do you have any recommendations for a Greenland paddle?
I like the Gearlab Paddles a lot. gearlaboutdoors.com/collections/paddles
I'll second that, I just got one from Gearlab per Paulo's recommendation and love it.
build one yourself Cape falcon KAyaks has great videos on this topic and it's (probably) cheap. Way cheaper than buying a Greenland paddle for sure!
Is your paddle custom made ?
The one made out of wood yes. A happy client made it for me.
I bought a used Kayak called Old Town Millennium..it came with paddle, a PFD and skirt...then I bought a kokolat drysuit( the warmest the ocean will get here, Newfoundland, Canada is about 11 degrees celcius the coldest about 0.3 degrees Celsius so I had to buy one,), and a Kayak roof rack lift system..I have never been in a Kayak in my life...I will have to teach myself and go by myself...First thing I intend to do is paddle out from shore far enough not to Crack my head off the bottom or touch bottom and capsize the thing and exit it and try to get back in..once I got that I guess I'll have to learn the roll techniques..once I got that and can go straight, backwards, turn and stop I guess I'm ready to explore! Does anybody know if this Kayak is a good one? I will buy a greenland paddle before I start trying to learn
You should practice a wet exit and self rescue in a warm place with warm water (preferably a pool even) where there is someone there to watch you and intervene if you get into trouble. Practicing a wet exit and self rescue for the first time when you have never done one before when you are out at sea (even close in)a with noone to watch your back, is a terrible idea. You should practice rolling in ideal conditions first and then work on things more as you progress in competence out on the water. Maybe that’s not what you meant but that’s how I took it.
Short answer... find one you can "WEAR"
Which kayak do you love the most?
I haven't tried all kayaks but I like my Greenlander pro for expeditions, and my Tahe marine for day trips.
why do you need an email address to teach kayaking? seems hella weird.