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Essential pieces of gear for sea kayaking
As a special form of touring kayaking, sea kayaking requires specific gear to deal with different conditions while on the water. This article offers you an overview of those pieces of equipment that are essential for your journey across the lake, along the coastline, or within your favorite bay.
As a special form of touring kayaking, sea kayaking requires specific gear to deal with different conditions while on the water. This article offers you an overview of those pieces of equipment that are essential for your journey across the lake, along the coastline, or within your favorite bay.
Kayak
The demands on sea kayaks differ from those on general recreational boats. In a sea kayak you might be faced with rough water and windy conditions, you are likely to travel longer distances, and you need loading space for possible multi-day trips.
To gain the additional speed required for paddling bigger distances, sea kayaks are generally longer (more than 15ft) and narrower than recreational boats. Built-in bulkheads divide the interior into separate compartments that provide flotation when swimming upside-down and that can be used as relatively dry spots for storing your cargo. These compartments can be accessed through hatches on top of your kayak. Between your cockpit and those hatches there should be an array of elastic straps on the deck for having chart cases or additional gear within reach.
Most sea kayaks are equipped with a skeg or a rudder to help you with going straight. A skeg could be described as a fin at the stern of your boat that is retractable and can be controlled by a line near the cockpit. While a skeg only lowers straight into the water, a rudder swings from side to side and can be controlled by foot-pedals inside of your boat. Note however, that rudders and skegs do not compensate for the ability to steer your kayak with a paddle.
Regarding the material, you can choose between plastic (polyethylene) and composite manufacturing. As polyethylene kayaks are very affordable and impact resistant, those are the most common ones for getting in touch with the sport, for rental operations, or for rocky playgrounds. Composite boats made out of fiberglass, Kevlar or Carbon are stiffer and lighter but also much more expensive than plastic ones.
Paddle
When choosing a paddle, the most important factors to consider are length, blade type, blade size and feather. Sea kayaking paddles range from about 200-230cm length. A longer paddle means more leverage and efficient power transmission when your boats glides on full speed. But accelerating or struggling against wind and current is harder work with a long paddle. When your paddle is too short, however, your paddling frequency gets too high when at cruising speed. Generally spoken, stronger paddlers or those using wider boats can also use a longer paddle shaft.
As for the types of blade, one can distinguish between three different kinds: spoon, dihedral and flat curve. The spoon blade is curved inside and shaped like a cup. This type of blade creates the most efficient forward momentum, but tends to flutter and can be tricky for manoeuvring strokes.
Dihedral-shaped blades look like a ridged roof and often come in combination with long and narrow blades. This causes the paddle to catch less water and leads to less energy-consuming strokes and reduced fluttering. While this makes them especially interesting for beginners, the downside of dihedral blades lies in their less efficient power transmission.
A flat curve blade is curved only from top to bottom, not from side to side. These paddles feature comparable attributes like spoon shaped ones, but have an improved handling in manouvering strokes, where the blade slices through the water easily.
Last but not least you have to decide the amount of feather (offset) for your paddle. The larger the offset between your paddle blades, the less air resistance you will have to deal with especially when paddling against the wind. On the other hand, a paddle with a smaller offset is easier to handle in the beginning and easier on the paddler’s wrist.
For further information check out Nigel Fosters’s article about selecting a paddle in the new Paddleworld issue #4.
PFD
Also known as a life jacket or life vest, your PFD (Personal Float Device) is your most important piece of safety equipment and should be worn at all times while paddling. Because of this, kayak PFDs have a special shape preventing your movements from being restricted, while still providing enough buoyancy to help you stay afloat. A correct fit is crucial so you should test a PFD carefully before choosing one. The vest should not ride up on your torso when in the water. If you hook your thumbs under the shoulder straps, you should only be able to pull the PFD up a few centimeters.
For safety reasons, sea kayaking PFDs are often outfitted with reflective material to increase visibility in case of insufficient light. Typically they are also equipped with ample pockets for safety gear, food or a hydration pack.
Spray skirt
The job of your sprayskirt is simply to keep the water out of your cockpit.
While spray skirts made of neoprene seal off your kayak better, spray skirts out of nylon might feel more comfortable around the body especially in warm conditions. Most important is a proper fit on the particular boat’s cockpit combing. You must be able to pop the skirt off your cockpit rim by pulling on the ripcord on your own.
Clothing
When paddling in warm conditions your main issue will be protection from the sun. Always use sun screen and think about wearing sun glasses and a hat. There are also fabrics with sun protection factor (spf) included.
When dressing for cold conditions you have to wear adequate insulation to be prepared in case of a capsize and immersion in frigid water. Neoprene pants combined with a thermal baselayer are always a good and affordable combination.
As protection for your upper body you should wear a dry top. Here you can choose between jackets with latex seals, which keep the water out better, or those with neoprene gaskets providing more comfort especially around the neck. Although rather pricey, a complete drysuit combined with a baselayer underneath offers amazing comfort and the ultimate insulation against the cold.
Regardless of the weather you should always think about wearing shoes, as the surface of river banks or the coast can be rocky and unpleasant to walk on. Special kayak shoes not only offer better grip on wet ground, but they also dry more quickly and fit better into small kayaks.
Safety
Especially on longer trips or with changeable weather conditions it’s always a good idea to carry safety gear with you. When your paddle breaks or gets lost, a take-apart spare paddle is worth its weight in gold.
A towline can be used to tow another paddler’s boat with you. Typically it is attached to the PFD or to a towing cleat on the deck, which makes a quick release possible. A paddle float is an extra buoyancy for your paddle used to help with self-rescues. Paddle floats can be inflatable (less loading space) or built of solid foam (quicker to set-up). Marine VHF (Very High Frequency) radio is the standard marine communication system and important for paddlers preferring major marine areas. A VHF is both an attention getting and a location marking signalling device. It can be used to call for help and the Coast Guard can home in on the signal. Moreover, signaling devices like flares or strobes may be used to get attention in case of an emergency. Last but not least a first aid kit carried in a dry bag is a precious piece of gear for treating injuries right away. But besides taking all the safety equipment with you, it is essential to learn how to use it properly before you go.
Accessories
Some pieces of equipment can just make your time on the water easier. To keep your paddle from floating away while you are taking photos or fishing, you can use a paddle leash to connect the paddle to your boat or body. Having a swamped boat would be unpleasant and dangerous on open water. There are different pump systems to help you empty your boat while on the water. While a hand pump can be shared among paddlers, deck-mounted and foot pumps have the advantage of only needing a single hand or foot to operate, which leaves you better control of your boat.
Navigation tools
As long as you paddle on smaller lakes, rivers or along the coastline, it will always be possible to find your way back to your starting point. But for those venturing out on the large bodies of water, navigation equipment soon becomes essential. Charts are maps focusing on the marine environment and together with a magnetic compass they represent your most important device for orientation. Other key tools are GPS (Global Positioning System) units, which use satellite data to tell you almost exactly where you are.
As a special form of touring kayaking, sea kayaking requires specific gear to deal with different conditions while on the water. This article offers you an overview of those pieces of equipment that are essential for your journey across the lake, along the coastline, or within your favorite bay.
As a special form of touring kayaking, sea kayaking requires specific gear to deal with different conditions while on the water. This article offers you an overview of those pieces of equipment that are essential for your journey across the lake, along the coastline, or within your favorite bay.
Kayak
The demands on sea kayaks differ from those on general recreational boats. In a sea kayak you might be faced with rough water and windy conditions, you are likely to travel longer distances, and you need loading space for possible multi-day trips.
Paddle
When choosing a paddle, the most important factors to consider are length, blade type, blade size and feather. Sea kayaking paddles range from about 200-230cm length. A longer paddle means more leverage and efficient power transmission when your boats glides on full speed. But accelerating or struggling against wind and current is harder work with a long paddle. When your paddle is too short, however, your paddling frequency gets too high when at cruising speed. Generally spoken, stronger paddlers or those using wider boats can also use a longer paddle shaft.
As for the types of blade, one can distinguish between three different kinds: spoon, dihedral and flat curve. The spoon blade is curved inside and shaped like a cup. This type of blade creates the most efficient forward momentum, but tends to flutter and can be tricky for manoeuvring strokes.
Dihedral-shaped blades look like a ridged roof and often come in combination with long and narrow blades. This causes the paddle to catch less water and leads to less energy-consuming strokes and reduced fluttering. While this makes them especially interesting for beginners, the downside of dihedral blades lies in their less efficient power transmission.
A flat curve blade is curved only from top to bottom, not from side to side. These paddles feature comparable attributes like spoon shaped ones, but have an improved handling in manouvering strokes, where the blade slices through the water easily.
Last but not least you have to decide the amount of feather (offset) for your paddle. The larger the offset between your paddle blades, the less air resistance you will have to deal with especially when paddling against the wind. On the other hand, a paddle with a smaller offset is easier to handle in the beginning and easier on the paddler’s wrist.
For further information check out Nigel Fosters’s article about selecting a paddle in the new Paddleworld issue #4.
PFD
Also known as a life jacket or life vest, your PFD (Personal Float Device) is your most important piece of safety equipment and should be worn at all times while paddling. Because of this, kayak PFDs have a special shape preventing your movements from being restricted, while still providing enough buoyancy to help you stay afloat. A correct fit is crucial so you should test a PFD carefully before choosing one. The vest should not ride up on your torso when in the water. If you hook your thumbs under the shoulder straps, you should only be able to pull the PFD up a few centimeters.
For safety reasons, sea kayaking PFDs are often outfitted with reflective material to increase visibility in case of insufficient light. Typically they are also equipped with ample pockets for safety gear, food or a hydration pack.
The job of your sprayskirt is simply to keep the water out of your cockpit.
While spray skirts made of neoprene seal off your kayak better, spray skirts out of nylon might feel more comfortable around the body especially in warm conditions. Most important is a proper fit on the particular boat’s cockpit combing. You must be able to pop the skirt off your cockpit rim by pulling on the ripcord on your own.
Clothing
When paddling in warm conditions your main issue will be protection from the sun. Always use sun screen and think about wearing sun glasses and a hat. There are also fabrics with sun protection factor (spf) included.
When dressing for cold conditions you have to wear adequate insulation to be prepared in case of a capsize and immersion in frigid water. Neoprene pants combined with a thermal baselayer are always a good and affordable combination.
As protection for your upper body you should wear a dry top. Here you can choose between jackets with latex seals, which keep the water out better, or those with neoprene gaskets providing more comfort especially around the neck. Although rather pricey, a complete drysuit combined with a baselayer underneath offers amazing comfort and the ultimate insulation against the cold.
Regardless of the weather you should always think about wearing shoes, as the surface of river banks or the coast can be rocky and unpleasant to walk on. Special kayak shoes not only offer better grip on wet ground, but they also dry more quickly and fit better into small kayaks.
Safety
Especially on longer trips or with changeable weather conditions it’s always a good idea to carry safety gear with you. When your paddle breaks or gets lost, a take-apart spare paddle is worth its weight in gold.
A towline can be used to tow another paddler’s boat with you. Typically it is attached to the PFD or to a towing cleat on the deck, which makes a quick release possible. A paddle float is an extra buoyancy for your paddle used to help with self-rescues. Paddle floats can be inflatable (less loading space) or built of solid foam (quicker to set-up). Marine VHF (Very High Frequency) radio is the standard marine communication system and important for paddlers preferring major marine areas. A VHF is both an attention getting and a location marking signalling device. It can be used to call for help and the Coast Guard can home in on the signal. Moreover, signaling devices like flares or strobes may be used to get attention in case of an emergency. Last but not least a first aid kit carried in a dry bag is a precious piece of gear for treating injuries right away. But besides taking all the safety equipment with you, it is essential to learn how to use it properly before you go.
Accessories
Some pieces of equipment can just make your time on the water easier. To keep your paddle from floating away while you are taking photos or fishing, you can use a paddle leash to connect the paddle to your boat or body. Having a swamped boat would be unpleasant and dangerous on open water. There are different pump systems to help you empty your boat while on the water. While a hand pump can be shared among paddlers, deck-mounted and foot pumps have the advantage of only needing a single hand or foot to operate, which leaves you better control of your boat.
Navigation tools
As long as you paddle on smaller lakes, rivers or along the coastline, it will always be possible to find your way back to your starting point. But for those venturing out on the large bodies of water, navigation equipment soon becomes essential. Charts are maps focusing on the marine environment and together with a magnetic compass they represent your most important device for orientation. Other key tools are GPS (Global Positioning System) units, which use satellite data to tell you almost exactly where you are.
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