What safety equipment is needed for sea kayaking?
If you’re fishing: Make sure your paddle is attached with a leash. Kayaking and Canoeing Safety Kit As a minimum, everyone should be wearing a well-fitted buoyancy aid or life jacket and be paddling within their limits given the conditions, location and experience of the group.At its most basic, a kayak helmet is necessary any time there’s a chance of your head meeting a solid object, especially rock. The most common situations that require one are whitewater kayaking, kayak surfing, and kayaking in and around caves and other rocky shoreline features while in waves.
What equipment is used in kayaking?
The basic equipment for a kayaking adventure is: Kayak: This is the narrow watercraft that you sit in. Without it, you’re just swimming with a stick. Double-bladed paddle: Wielding your wind-resistant oar pushes you through the water with ease and is a vital tool for a kayaking excursion. The FORWARD STROKE is the first one you will need to know because, as the name implies, it’s what makes the kayak move forward. While you may instinctively position the paddle at more of a horizontal angle away from your body, the proper way is to keep the paddle upright at more of a vertical angle.The forward stroke for—you guessed it—going forward. The reverse stroke for slowing down and backing up. The sweep stroke for turning. The draw stroke for scooting your kayak sideways.For normal use, it is drawn through the water from front (bow) to back (stern) to drive the boat forwards. The two blades of a kayak paddle are dipped alternately on either side of the kayak.
What is the lifespan of a kayak?
This depends, of course, on how well the kayak is maintained. On average, however, you can expect it to last 12-15 years. Bottom line: 6-12 years is a pretty typical range for the life span of a kayak. That’s a huge range, you might say. And yes, that is true. An inflatable kayak might last you only a half dozen years; however, a well-maintained, quality kayak can last twice that or much longer – even a lifetime.
What are the three golden rules of kayaking?
The 3 Golden Rules of whitewater paddling are a set of rules that all paddlers need to apply, regardless of the type of paddling being done. You need to separate your upper and lower body movements, use the power of your torso, and maintain control of your kayak with an active blade. The three golden rules are a set of rules that, when followed, will let you paddle the most efficiently and help keep you safe on the water: You need to use the power of torso rotation for all your strokes. You need to choose an appropriate paddling location. You need to have a plan in case you capsize.
What is the 50 90 rule in kayaking?
Rule gives you “… the SPEED OF THE CURRENT at the end of each hour. Counting from slack, the current will flow at 50% of its maximum speed at the end of the first hour, 90% at the end of the second hour and full 100% or maximum speed at the end of the third hour and then back to zero with the same steps. The 50/90 rule states that: We expect zero flow speed as the tidal stream changes direction (slack water) One hour later, the flow attains 50% of maximum speed. Two hours after slack water, the flow attains 90% maximum speed.The 50-90 Rule measures speed of the current at the end of each hour of a tide cycle from slack to max flow back to slack (0/50%/90%/100%/90%/50%/0). The Rule of Thirds measures drift or the distance the current travels each hour of the tide cycle (1:2:3:3:2:1).The 50/90 Rule What happens to the flow of the tide is approximated by a so-called 50/90 rule. Initially there is no flow; this is known as slack water. At the end of the first hour, the tidal stream reaches 50% of its maximum speed, at the end of the second hour, 90%, and at the end of the third hour, 100%.