Is it difficult to kayak?

Are you wondering if is it difficult to kayak? Do you want to try kayaking but are held back by a small matter? Are you afraid that learning it will be hard and that it requires a lot of athleticism and strength? Do you believe that paddling will expose you to grave danger if your boat tips over? And, do you are apprehensive about the rough waves and strong winds if they catch up with you out there in the water? Well, we will address those questions. We hope that, in the end, you’ll find kayaking an easy and wonderful way to experience the outdoors. And, we hope you will overcome all fears based on misconceptions and get out there for your first kayaking trip.

Learning kayaking isn’t as difficult as you might assume; a few fundamental skills are all you need to paddle effectively. A competent guide or instructor can help you learn how to enter and exit a kayak, master the forward stroke, execute the sweep stroke for turning the boat, and provide essential safety lessons. Once armed with these skills, you’re well-prepared to relish kayaking.

Strength and athleticism requirements are not substantial. In fact, excessive strength can hinder efficient paddling. Individuals with significant arm and upper body strength often rely excessively on their arms for kayaking, which is inefficient and leads to quick fatigue and soreness. The correct approach to paddling involves using your trunk and core to propel the boat forward. Placing the paddle in the water and rotating your core to draw your body towards the paddle is key.

Rather than using their arms to move the kayak forward, the arms are intended to support the paddle. Paddling is fundamentally about simple body rotation—a concept usually grasped swiftly by most beginners. Women, benefiting from inherent core strength and a lower center of gravity, often grasp this concept more rapidly than men.

While paddling, consistently monitor your arms. If you sense soreness and fatigue in your arms during paddling, chances are you’re not effectively utilizing your core.

Misconception 2: Kayaking is too strenuous for ordinary women. It causes a lot of pain.

The outcome hinges on whether you’ve mastered the art of efficient strokes. If you venture out and rely solely on your muscles without engaging your trunk and core, you’ll quickly grow tired and sore. However, by initially mastering proper and efficient stroke techniques, you’ll be capable of paddling for extended periods. You might even paddle throughout the entire day without succumbing to excessive fatigue or soreness. While blisters might arise during an all-day paddle, wearing paddling gloves can prevent this discomfort.

Kayaking is gentle on the body, making it a viable option even if skiing, biking, or hiking is no longer feasible. If you’re dealing with a problematic knee, shoulder, or back, consider visiting a kayak store. Sit in a kayak and determine whether your condition might hinder your ability to paddle. If you can comfortably assume the required kayak position and freely rotate your torso from side to side, it’s likely that you’ll excel at paddling.

Misconception 3: Kayaks tip over easily and you’ll get stuck or find it difficult to get back upright.

Kayaks come in various types with different stabilities—some are easily tipped, while others are not. The key is to select a boat that matches your abilities. For beginners, a wide boat with a large cockpit, such as a day touring or recreational kayak, offers excellent initial stability. This term pertains to how the kayak feels as you paddle on calm waters. It implies that the boat is notably resistant to flipping when you turn or paddle. Such stable boats even allow you to stand without toppling.

As an intermediate boater, you might opt for a narrower boat. On the other hand, advanced boaters who want to practice intricate techniques might prefer a very narrow boat with lower initial stability. However, these boats compensate with exceptional secondary stability. Your skills prevent initial tipping and provide stability while leaning, edging, executing low-level braces, or making rapid turns. The essence of choosing a kayak is finding one that aligns with your skill level, paddling environment, and objectives.

What if your kayak overturns? When properly fitted, getting stuck is unlikely. Gravity aids in falling out of an inverted kayak, especially without a kayak skirt. If you have a skirt on, releasing the skirt’s loop is necessary before exiting. Before embarking on a kayaking trip, seek guidance from an instructor, guide, or friend on the proper way to exit a kayak—an essential skill known as a wet exit. You can practice this straightforward concept comfortably in a pool.

Once you’ve mastered exiting an overturned kayak, practice re-entering the boat in deep water. This skill, termed deep water re-entry, has multiple techniques. Your guide will help you determine what suits your kayak, paddling conditions, and you. Spend time with your instructor or guide to learn these options and become familiar with various techniques.

Misconception 4: Kayaks are difficult to keep going straight. To do that, you’ll need complete focus and won’t see the sights around you.

The ability to paddle straight (known as tracking) depends on your boat and its hull. If you go paddling in a day touring or recreational kayak, you will find it easy to keep your boat going straight. But when paddling longer sea kayaks, it is a little difficult to keep them going straight especially in high winds. Nevertheless, sea kayaks usually come with rudders to enable them go straight.

Keeping the kayak going straight also depends on your paddle strokes. With good paddle strokes, you will easily have the kayak going straight and afford all the time to enjoy the water and see the sights around you. Find a good guide or instructor to help you get the stroking skills you need to paddle your kayak. Also choose a boat that will match your skills and objectives.

Misconception 5: Kayaking isn’t fun in high winds and strong waves.

Kayaking will offer you amazing adventure stories to share with your friends and family. And if you are prepared for the waves, wind and weather, they’ll just make your outing fun and memorable. Watching advancing rain lines across the water or knowing that you’re just about to be drenched actually can make paddling much more thrilling.

However, you need to be ready for a variety of weather conditions if you are to fully enjoy your outing. For example, you should bring your rain jacket and change of shirts during summer and appropriate paddling gear and extra clothes to keep you warm and dry in winter. Also make sure that you know the location of your trip, potential weather, paddling conditions and what you need to bring well in advance. If you choose a trip that suits your skill level and objectives and are properly prepared for it, then even the winds, storms or waves will not ruin your kayaking adventure.

Misconception 6: Kayakers wear funny stuff, including skirts.

Well, it’s true. Paddlers do wear some unusual gear, such as the kayaker skirt, neoprene paddling suit, dry suit, splash jacket and a helmet with faceguard. The kayaker skirt is worn to stop water from getting into the cockpit. Skirts are attached to the body using a Velcro waistband or suspenders, and they are also fastened to the boat’s cockpit to create a watertight closure. These skirts are used in various conditions such as rain, surf, waves, rapids, or cold weather.

While many people don’t like the skirts because of fear that it would be harder to get out when a boat turns over, they are quite easy to remove even when underwater. You just grab your skirt’s loop and pull it forward. The skirts found in day touring and recreational kayaks are removed using the knees inside the boat.

But you don’t have to wear skirts on every trip or kayak. In fact, skirts aren’t often worn in day touring and recreational kayaks. However, you’ll still be glad to have a skirt in the kayaks if a rainstorm occurs.

Misconception 7: Kayaking requires a lot of expensive equipment.

Like every outdoor sports, kayaking requires some equipment. For example, you’ll need a paddle, boat, skirt, gloves, wicking clothes, rain gear and PFD. Of course, some of the gear can be a bit expensive, but most of it is easy to rent. Fully guided tours include a boat, skirt, paddle and PFD, while most locations have stores where you can rent the equipment. You also can use the same wicking clothes, rain gear and gloves for kayaking that you use for hiking and biking adventures.

Misconception 8: All kayakers are either weird or crazy.

Observing paddlers in surf zones or whitewater rapids as they relish the thrill of waterfalls, rapids, and tumultuous surfs, you might form the impression that these paddlers are crazy. However, not all kayakers push their limits to such extremes. In fact, a considerable number of kayakers paddle for the sheer joy of being in control of their crafts, the time spent on the water, and the intimate connection with nature. You can paddle to take pictures, view wildlife, relax or fish. And for whatever reason you go out there, you will have a lot of fun. So kayaking is not for crazy or weird women. It’s for people like you.

Do you still have your questions or doubts about kayaking? Why not visit a local boat store and find out if you can get paddling lessons. Most kayaking and canoeing clubs and stores offer beginner lessons. If you have friends who kayak, you can ask them for beginner lessons on paddling. Or simply go on a guide trip tailored for beginners. Once you do that, you will be amazed at how easy and fun kayaking is.

At Captain Mike’s we offer stable, comfortable and safe kayaks that will match your objectives. We have rented out our kayaks to hundreds of women kayakers who have all been ecstatic about their experience. You too can enjoy a wonderful day with one of our boats. Contact us today so we can help you plan your outing. For more information on our kayaks and paddling adventures in Crystal River, visit the “Captain Mike’s Kayak Academy” site.