9 Top Tips for Beginner Kayakers

Kayaking is an easily learned outdoor venture, and you can be paddling happily within an hour. Crystal River, FL, offers excellent kayaking in spring and summer. It’s a perfect opportunity to spend quality time with friends and family. Before setting out on your paddling trip, acquiring good skills ensures a safe and comfortable expedition. At Captain Mike’s, we are here to help both beginners and those already learning how to kayak. Our aim is to provide you with the necessary skills and handy tips to launch your kayak adventure smoothly. With our assistance, you can embark on your first paddling trip fully prepared for a remarkable and enjoyable experience on the water.

Here are our top 9 tips for beginner kayakers.

1. Get a lesson first

If you are a complete kayak novice, you should get a lesson first. Actually, thinking that paddling doesn’t need lessons may lead to going in circles or struggling to recover from capsizing. Taking a lesson is essential to avoid these risks. Kayaking lessons aren’t expensive and you can easily find a center near you that offers great beginner classes.

2. Wear water-appropriate clothing

Wearing the right clothing is a must if you want to enjoy your day on the water. Many times, air temperature for the day appear mild and tempts you to go out dressed for the weather. But you most likely will find the water much colder, especially if your kayak capsizes. So you should always dress for the water, not the weather.

For a beginner, it is advisable to wear a wetsuit, waterproof clothes and paddling gloves. As you gain more water experience, add layers of quick-dry clothing for versatility. This outfit allows you to remove layers in warmth and avoid staying damp for too long. Likewise, you should have backup clothing in order to have a dry outfit to change into after paddling.

3. Pick the right kayak

There are several types of kayaks in the market, but the boat you choose should depend on your experience, weight, height, paddling location and water conditions. Sit-on-top kayaks are ideal for beginners as they are stable and easy to paddle. However, whatever kayak you pick, you should remember that the correct boat will set you up for success while one that is unsuitable will only delay your learning curve or discourage your interest in kayaking. That is why if you are unsure you should contact us at Captain Mike’s Kayak Academy to help you find the right boat.

4. Prioritize your safety

You have to be prepared with appropriate safety gear such as buoyancy aids or life jackets. You are always at risk of tipping and you can easily endanger your life on the water if you go out without safety gear. When paddling with a club or school, you will be provided with buoyancy aids. But when going alone you have to ensure that you have your own safety gear or that you can rent it for the day. You also should make sure that you are confident enough to get on the water and paddle without fear or anxiety. You need kayak lessons and regular practice sessions to build your confidence and familiarize yourself with the safety precautions you need to take.

5. Position yourself properly in the boat

When you sit correctly in the kayak, you’ll find paddling much easier and less tiring. In fact, if you don’t sit properly you will get uncomfortable very quickly and will suffer throughout your trip. The ideal way is to sit up straight with knees bent upward and outward and feet resting on foot pegs.

6. Hold your paddle correctly

Holding the paddle properly will make a huge difference in your paddling. Make sure to clutch the paddle with both hands and keep your hands just over a shoulder width apart. Also ensure the concave area of the paddle is facing you so it can sweep properly through the water. As you learn how to have a proper grip of the paddle, ask your instructor to help you hold it in a way that is most comfortable for you.

7. Begin on flat water

You are just beginning and you need the right place to learn the basics. That is why you ought to begin on flat waters such as ponds and lakes where the water is calm and smooth and where with only a little motion you can find your balance easily. Start by practicing in calmer waters — even by just sitting in a kayak on land before you head into water — so you can get a good feel of the vessel, appreciate its features and be able to paddle it safely and comfortably on the water.

8. Master self-rescue techniques

Before you get on water, you should learn self-rescue techniques just in case your boat tips during your first paddling venture. Even if you don’t expect your boat to capsize, you still need to be prepared. Make sure to go through the basic capsizing drill with your instructor until you are totally comfortable with it. Then if your boat tips, remember to always stay with the boat and keep yourself and others safe. And if the boat capsizes, don’t worry about losing your paddle or other equipment — people’s lives come first in such situations.

9. Never go alone

Water can be quite unpredictable, particularly for beginners. So you must never go paddling alone. Bring a friend or a workmate along for the added fun and as a safety measure. When you are on the water with a friend, you can work together to build each other’s confidence, explore different areas, learn from each other’s mistakes and offer help when either one gets into trouble. In fact, kayaking is a remarkably delightful sport to enjoy together in small or large groups.

Looking for a stable, comfortable and safe kayak for your next paddling adventure? At Captain Mike’s Kayak Academy, we specialize in kayaks and related equipment and have a wide variety to suit a broad range of needs, experience levels and preferences. For more information on our range of kayaks, visit Captain Mike’s Kayak Academy website.

7 essential kayaking tips every beginner should take onboard

Kayaking is a fun, unique, and wonderful sport for any beginner. Unlike hiking or walking, you’ll work out your hands while resting your legs. It is also quite easy to pick up, and you’ll be paddling happily and comfortably within a few hours of practice. However, you’ll still need a good skill set to make the most of every excursion. Here are 7 handy tips that will make your kayaking trip exhilarating and unforgettable.

1. Boat entry

How do you enter your boat without problems? Getting into or out of a kayak may be quite an ordeal for paddlers. The majority of capsizes tend to occur at this point. If you don’t want to get drenched, you must master the technique of getting in and out of your kayak. The easier way is to place your paddle across the boat, ensuring it is just in front of the position where you’ll be sitting. This will not only balance your boat as you get in or out, but it will also prevent you from pushing off and leaving your paddle on the bank. It happens!

2. Get in a comfortable position

Kayaking is longer and harder when you are in an uncomfortable position from the get-go. So make sure you are well-positioned in your kayak before you set off. Ideally, you should have your bottom comfortably in the seat with your legs slightly bent. Straightening your legs will cause unnecessary strain on your lower back. Good posture is crucial for paddling, so sit straight up to allow your core to provide power to your strokes. Remember that your arms should experience a little exertion as you paddle, which is proof that you are using your core.

3. Paddling the kayak

Once you are inside your kayak, you can begin paddling. Rest comfortably on your seat, keeping your boat stable. Grip the paddle with your thumbs under and your hands over it, ensuring your grip is as relaxed as possible. Hold your paddle a little wider than your shoulder width, keeping your elbows straight and high.

Place the paddle in the water nearest to your toes and draw it backward toward your hip and parallel to the boat. Then draw the paddle out from the water and repeat the same movement on the other side of the boat. Your torso is your engine, your source of power, so you should twist it to enable you to make the strokes and prevent possible strain of your shoulders, back, and arm.

4. Making strokes

You are now set and ready to go. For the forward strokes, make sure they are deep and even. To achieve that, turn your torso and place your paddle blade parallel to your foot. Draw your paddle from the water as your hand reaches the hip and turn your torso again. Now repeat the process on the other side of your boat.

Making even strokes on either side of your kayak will keep the boat moving in a straight line. However, since at the beginning you’ll find it a little difficult to keep the boat going straight, try to focus on a specific point on land and paddle straight toward it.

5. Turning your kayak

Want to turn the kayak? There are several ways to achieve that. Basically you need to use your paddle as a rudder, dragging it closer to your boat to ensure the boat turns toward the same side as the blade. With this technique, you will lose a lot of your forward momentum — a problem you can resolve by using the more effective sweep stroke. That is, you alternate forward strokes on one side of your kayak with sweep strokes on the other side. A sweep stroke is when you simply sweep the paddle wide by one side of your boat until it comes around and touches the stern (or back of your boat), then you continue the pattern to create a wide arc turn.

6. Dress for the water and wear a buoyancy aid

Dressing for a kayaking expedition is not simply about wearing clothes that are ideal for the weather. Even during a hot sunny day, the water may be ice cold. So make sure to wear clothes that are appropriate for the water temperature and not the air temperature. Likewise, you must wear a personal floatation device (or lifejacket) to keep you afloat should your boat capsize. Wearing a buoyancy aid is also encouraged as it allows for more movement around your neck and arms. Remember also to bring extra clothes even if you feel very sure you aren’t going to get wet.

7. Do not go kayaking alone

If there’s one tip that should be said aloud to every kayaker, it is this one. Regardless of how much experience or whichever location you are paddling, it is never a good idea to go alone. Team up with another kayaker so that should you get into trouble, there will be someone there to give you a helping hand. Planning your kayaking trip with a professional provider such as Captain Mike’s will ensure that you go out on the water with a skilled, experienced guide.

At Captain Mike’s, we help kayakers of different skill and experience levels to find their footing and enjoy paddling. We have a whole range of stable and comfortable kayaks — from the tiny, squat freestyle play boats, reassuringly stable sit-on-tops, speedy flat-water boats, to the long and narrow racing boats. So if you are looking for a recreational kayak that is perfect for the water you’ll be paddling in, you can take advantage of our broad-range of boats. Want to know more about our remarkable assortment of kayaks? Visit the “Captain Mike’s Kayak Academy” site.