How to learn to kayak

So you’ve heard about kayaking; would love to try it but don’t know how to begin, where to go or what to do.

That was me about twenty years ago. I loved to canoe, wanted to try kayaking, but didn’t know how to start.

So if you don’t own a kayak and don’t know anyone that kayaks then how do you start?

I was lucky, the local sporting outfitter in my town was having a kayak demo day on a lake by my home. They gave me a quick paddling lesson, supplied the pfd, and told me to get in a kayak and go paddle around.

That was it. I was hooked! This was the beginning of kayaking for me. I was lucky that an opportunity came around.

But before you run out and buy a kayak, you should try to paddle different types of kayaks to find the one that best fits your style and the type of paddling you want to do.

Now that sounds like a great idea, but if you don’t know anyone who has a kayak, how do you try different types of kayaks?

Here are a few suggestions:

• Check with your local kayak or outdoor outfitters to see if they have a kayak demo day. Ask if they offer kayak lessons.
• Check with your State Parks, to see if they have guided kayak tours or kayak rentals. You may find places to kayak.
• Check with kayak clubs in your area.
• Attend a kayak race or kayaking event.

Sometimes races or events have outfitter sponsors that can answer questions, give information, or have demo kayaks. By attending a race or event you would have an opportunity to see different types of kayaks and speak with other kayakers. Many races and events look for volunteers to help out.

Search our races & events page for the events near you. You can search by U.S. State or by month.

You don’t need a racing kayak to enter a race. Many kayak races have different categories for different size and types of kayaks. There are kayak races for whitewater and flatwater.

• Check with kayak rental companies. Many rental companies are near rivers and lakes.  Many will take you to the water, pick you up, and bring you back. Some may have guides.
• Take a kayaking trip (kayak tour) from a travel touring company. There are many different types of kayaking tours and kayaking trips you can go on.

Here are some of the many different types of kayaks available.

Recreational kayaks
Sit on Top
Inflatable kayaks
Tandem (2 person kayak)
Whitewater Kayaks
Fishing kayaks
Sea Touring kayaks
Touring kayaks
Kayaks for kids

For more information on kayaking, check out our Paddling How section or click on the links below:

How to choose a kayak

How to choose a kayak paddle

Choosing a roof rack

First Aid Kits for paddlers

Storing a Kayak

Kayak Safety

Looking for more information on beginner kayaking click here to find kayaking books and dvds.

A tool to take along on kayak, canoe, paddle, boat, hiking, backpacking and other adventure trips that could save your life.

We found this story on line from the St. Petersburg Times (FL) about a kayaker who used the new SPOT satellite messaging device to get himself rescued from a bad situation.

“When sea kayaker Derek Crook set out to circumnavigate Tasmania earlier this year, the Canadian adventurer knew the dangers involved. Midway through his 36-day expedition, a rouge wave flipped his kayak and left him fighting for his life on an offshore reef.

Luckily, Crook was able to grab hold of his kayak and trigger a small, handheld satellite messaging device that transmitted his Global Positioning System coordinates to authorities on the mainland…”

SPOT is not only a great idea for all boaters and paddlers, but also for hikers, backpackers, mountain climbers and anyone who tends to venture off the beaten path. SPOT lives on when cell phones die! The device weighs just 7 ounces and includes the following features:

• Ask for help: Request help from friends and family at your exact location.
• Check in: Let contacts know where you are and that you’re okay.
• Track progress: Send and save your location and allow contacts to track your progress using Google Maps™.
• Alert 9-1-1: Dispatch emergency responders to your exact location.

If you’re looking for a holiday gift for your favorite kayaker, you’ll hit a home run with SPOT.

Bass Pro Shops carry SPOT Satellite Messenger Personal Tracker and SPOT accessories, click here to learn more about SPOT.

***Take advantage of a $50 rebate when you purchase SPOT between now and December 31, 2008. Click here for more details.

Here’s the whole story from the St. Pete Times, or click here to read it on line:

(reprinted courtesy of the St. Petersburg Times and TampaBay.com)

Satellite tracking device delivers help in an emergency or sends a jab to those schmoes at the office

By Terry Tomalin, Times Outdoors Editor

When sea kayaker Derek Crook set out to circumnavigate Tasmania earlier this year, the Canadian adventurer knew the dangers involved. Midway through his 36-day expedition, a rouge wave flipped his kayak and left him fighting for his life on an offshore reef.

Luckily, Crook was able to grab hold of his kayak and trigger a small, handheld satellite messaging device that transmitted his Global Positioning System coordinates to authorities on the mainland. He was plucked from the water by locals as a helicopter arrived. Suffering from hypothermia, Crook was transported by air to the nearest hospital by paramedics. Without that immediate medical care, Crook is convinced he would have died.

A lifesaver

The National Association for Search and Rescue estimates that more than 50,000 search-and-rescue missions are initiated each year. These missions involve everything from U.S. Coast Guard helicopters searching for overdue boaters to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers in four-wheel drive vehicles scouring state forests for lost hunters. The Satellite Personal Tracker (SPOT) system removes the guesswork by providing GPS coordinates to narrow the location to within 20 feet.

In many cases, authorities are not notified that there is a problem until it is too late. In the winter months, with low temperatures, boaters don’t stand much chance of survival if they float in the water for more than a few hours. In December 2003, four men who went fishing in Tampa Bay died after their boat took on water and they had no way to signal authorities.

Most big offshore boats carry Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs), but these devices are often heavy and expensive, putting them out of reach for many sportsman.

Lightweight and affordable

If technology has advanced so much that a television can be the size of a cell phone, than a satellite messaging device can be made small enough, inexpensive enough and light enough for Joe the Angler. The new SPOT unit retails for just $149.95. And more likely than that latest cell phone, the SPOT can save your life.

Many outdoorsmen are under the mistaken impression that a cell phone can work as an emergency backup system. But anybody who spends any time paddling or hiking the wildest regions of this state will tell you that cell phones don’t work in the wilderness.

The SPOT has four simple functions. First, you can hit Alert 9-1-1, which dispatches emergency responders to your location. Second, you can check in with prearranged contacts and let them know where you are and that you are all right. Third, you can request help from family or friends at your exact location (this will come in handy next time I lock the keys in the truck on a kayaking trip.) And lastly, SPOT will save and send your location out so friends can actually track your progress using Google Maps.

The fine print

But piece of mind comes with a price. The SPOT has an annual subscription plan (similar to that of your cell phone or Blackberry) to keep you wired.

Check out more useful kayak, canoe and paddle gifts by clicking here to go to our Great Gifts for Paddlers Page.