Looking to expand your outdoor recreation activities?
If you love the outdoors and spending time on the water, you should go kayaking! You can choose to go quickly and get a workout while paddling or you can float around to enjoy nature.
With so many reasons to take a kayaking trip, here is everything you should know before you go on your first kayaking outing!
Learn how to Get in and Out
Before you take the kayak down to the water, you want to learn how to get in and out of a kayak.
It doesn’t seem like it would be that difficult, right? Well, when you go from standing on land to trying to sit in a floating object, it can get a bit rocky (pun intended).
To properly get in, you should either get in the kayak on land and have someone push you into the water, step into it from a dock, or if you’re more experienced, get into it from the water.
Just in case the kayak tips (which is rare), you should practice getting in and out from deeper water when you feel comfortable.
Here are some more kayak tips at repthewild.com.
Learn how to Hold the Paddle
If you start to paddle without knowing the proper form, you may not get very far.
When practicing, you’ll want to practice rowing forward on both sides as well as reversing to stop the kayak. This comes in handy if you steer off course and a tree or branch is floating in the water. You can stop, reverse, and then continue on.
Pack Appropriately for Your First Trip
If you feel confident and are ready to hit the water, you need to know what to pack. You will want to make sure you have the essentials, which include and are not limited to:
- sunscreen
- snacks
- extra water
- first aid kit
- extra clothes in a dry bag
- waterproof phone case
- tow line (in case of injury)
It is always best to be over-prepared!
Adjust Your Kayak Seat
Your bag is packed, you know how to get in and out, and now you’re at the edge of the water about to push back! It’s time to adjust the seat.
There should be straps near your hips on both sides. These can be pulled or loosened to either recline you further or sit you up straighter. Play around with these until you feel you are in a comfortable position.
Your First Kayaking Trip
Your first kayaking trip can be extremely exciting and fun, or it can go terribly wrong if you are not prepared.
By making sure you know how to get in and out, can paddle correctly, are in a comfortable position, and have packed everything you may need, you should be good to go!
Make sure you tell someone where you will be if you are going out alone.