Ok I have a kayak, now what gear do I need?

So you went out and bought the latest greatest plastic boat and now you need to know what gear you need.

The first must have above all else is a PFD.  You probably thought I was going to say a Paddle.  A paddle is needed but the most important item is a PFD.  You should probably get one that is designed for Kayaking.  Typically these allow more mobility of your arms and sometimes even fit different in the back to accommodate the back rest of your kayaks seat.   Also your PFD should have areas to store other essential safety gear.

The next must have is a paddle.  This is your motor.  Selecting your "end all" paddle will take lots of testing and trial and error.  You will possibly never settle on one paddle.  There are many things to consider on a paddle.  First is the length.  I use a 230cm Bending Branches Slice Angler paddle.  However, I am sure that my future holds many more paddles.  The next thing about a paddle is the material the shaft is made of.  There are shafts made of, aluminum, wood, carbon fiber, fiberglass, and I am sure many more substances.  The next thing to consider is the blade.  The things to consider is the blade outline, the lengthwise curve, and the cross section.

 

The blade outline is what the blade looks like straight on.  There are two types of blade outlines, symmetrical, and asymmetrical.  Typically symmetrical blades are designed for whitewater while the asymmetrical blades are more suited for sea kayaking and flat water.

The lengthwise curve is the curve of the paddle when looking at the paddles edge.  Most beginner paddles are flat with little to no curve.  This offers more forgiveness in the paddle stroke.  However, you do lose some efficiency since there is less friction between the water and blade.

The cross section is what the blade would look like if you cut the tip off the blade and looked at the cut edge.  There are 4 typical styles of cross sections.  They are, flat, spoon, dihedral, and wing blades.  For beginners flat, and dihedral blades are best.  They offer forgiveness that the other two do not.  Spoons and wings provide more power, but are harder to control and require a bit more experience to paddle.

Finally you need some safety gear.  Kayaks are not heavily regulated by the USCG and require only a few things.  First, you are required to have your PFD onboard and accessible.  However, I would recommend wearing the PFD anytime you paddle.  In the event that you capsize and are floating free in the water, you would be well served to already have your PFD on.  You never know when a current may pull you away from your boat and if your PFD is safely stored on your boat, it is going to do you no good if you are separated from your vessel.  Second, you are required to carry a signaling device.  This can be a mirror or some form of light.  Third, you need an audible alert.  This can be an air horn or a whistle or anything that can emit a loud sound on command.  Bass Pro shop sells a great little whistle for about $5 that has a Signaling Mirror, a Compass, a Whistle, and a dry container all combined.    This really covers what you are required to have by Coast Guard Regulation.

That can't be all right?  Well no.  Just because it is not required there are other things that you should carry for safety.  A paddle leash would be a good idea so that your paddle will stay with your kayak at all times.  These are very simple devices that are made out of various materials and cost very little to acquire.  You can even make one out of items you may have sitting around your house.  The important thing is that the leash should be long enough to not impede you paddling but short enough to keep the paddle close by when it becomes separated from you and the kayak.  You should also consider a safety knife.  A safety knife should be kept with you at all times.  I keep mine in one of the pockets of my PFD.  This is important in the event that you capsize.  When capsized, you may find yourself tangled in your decking rope, paddle leash, gear leashes, or even some underwater obstacle.  You need a knife available to cut you free, but at the same time you need one that will not cause you more harm.  A safety knife is designed with a blunt tip to protect you, yet a serrated blade to help cut through whatever is binding you.  SOLAS tape is useful in making your kayak visible from a distance.  SOLAS stands for Survival Of Life At Sea.  This is a highly reflective tape.  I have about 6 strips of SOLAS tape across the hull of my boat above the water line as well as a couple of strips wrapped around my flag/light pole.  Speaking of the flag/light pole, if you are going to paddle at night, you need to have a light available to signal your presence.  You don't have to have the light on at all times, but if I am paddling, I prefer to have at least one stern light going.  I have two for my kayak.  One really bright light about a foot off my deck, and one about 3'-3.5' up on a pole.  I leave these on at all times and keep a head lamp ready in the event that I need it.  


Yak Attack makes a product called the VISIPOLE which nicely combines, the Pole, SOLAS Tape, and Stern Light together.  They are virtually indestructible and can be purchased at www.yakattack.us or through any of their authorized retailers.  No I don't get a kick back for saying this, or any compensation.  They just make a really great product.  The one thing that the photo does not show is a signal flag.  It is best to get a highly visible flag for daytime paddling.  When mounting a light (if you are not buying a prefabricated one), make sure that you mount it on a pole high enough for most boaters to easily see.  Keep in mind that when paddling in rougher conditions, you may find that the waves can hide you momentarily from view so you want to give yourself the best chance at being visible.  

A commonly overlooked piece of safety gear is dry storage containers or bags.  When out on the water, it is advisable to keep a set of dry clothing in the event that you capsize.  You can get dry bags at most outdoors stores or sporting goods stores.  You should also carry at the very least a cell phone and you most likely would want to keep that in a dry box or bag.  You will find many other things that you may wish to bring that would be best stored in a dry compartment.


This list is by no means complete but does give a general look at things you should bring for safety.  Other items include signal flares, power bars, drinks, rain/dry gear and the list goes on and on.

What kayak is good for me?

So you have decided to get into kayaking and or kayak fishing.  Now you want to know what kayak is good for you.  Well one of the things that I have learned along the way is that it is best if you try out several kayaks before purchasing one.

My first kayak was a tandem SINK or in other terms a two person Sit INside Kayak.  I thought that this was a wise purchase because my wife expressed an interest in kayaking and fishing from the kayak and I figured that we could use it together or when I went out alone, I would just have more room to store all the stuff I carry with me.  This was good in theory but terrible in execution.  One sure fire way to drive your relationship into the ground is to get two strong minded people trying to both paddle and fish from a tandem kayak.

My second kayak was a SOT or Sit On Top single person kayak.  It was an Islander Moku.  It was about 12" long and not very noteworthy other than the price.  It was very inexpensive to me and as such I had to have it.  This freed me from the tandem SINK.  However, I am 6'5" and 250lbs.  This kayak was designed for someone much smaller than me and was a bear to use.  It was very wobbly so I was constantly adjusting to the waves and current.  I was EXHAUSTED after every trip.

Finally I got the kayak that I still use today.  It was a Wilderness Systems Ride135 SOT kayak.  It is designed for the kayak angler and is incredible for me.  It is a bit wider than most standard SOT's.  It is 32" wide at the seat and has a pontoon style hull which makes it more stable on the water.  And it has an incredible amount of storage.

Ok so why this walk down memory lane?  Well I wanted to detail some of my mistakes in purchasing which could have been remedied by some patience and practice.

First up, where can you get the practice.  Well this can be accomplished easiest through a vendor demo day.  These are popular in the spring with many vendors but they also have them throughout the year.  At a demo day, you can literally test out dozens of different kayaks and equipment.  They are usually held by the water, in a bay, or lake.  Also, vendors will bring their whole gallery of kayaks out.   In my area Appomattox River Company (ARC), Blue Ridge Mountain Sports (BMRS), and Wild River Outfitters (WRO) have annual demo days.  I would highly recommend going to one and trying out a bunch of kayaks.  Usually these are free, sometimes they will have a nominal fee which goes to cover things such as park fees or insurance needed for such an event.  If you can't find a demo day, look for local clubs.  I am active with the Pirates of Lynnhaven Kayak Fishing club and we regularly have people asking about what kayak to buy and without fail, someone is always there to offer to let the new kayak test out their kayak.  Dont be shy, jump onto one of your local kayak club's online forums and ask.  You will find that people are eager to help promote the sport.

Now you know where to get the practice, but what should you look for.  There are many theories as to what the best kayaks are.  I will not get into specifics on brands & models because most brands make solid kayaks, but sticking with one of the more popular brands will probably serve you well.  A few of the popular brands are Wilderness Systems, Native, Ocean Kayak, Hobie, Herritage, and Perception.  What I will do is detail 3 different types of kayaks and give pros and con's to each.

First up is the touring kayak.  This is a SINK style kayak.  These are designed for slow rivers and open waters.  They can also be referred to as a sea kayak.  They typically are long and narrow with a lot of internal storage in the bow and stern.  These are designed to cut through the water and are great if you are looking at long paddles on slow moving rivers, lakes, bay's or even in the ocean.  If you are looking at fishing from one of these kayaks, it is possible, but probably not your best choice.  I have known people to fish from them, but shortly they moved to a more fishing friendly platform.

Next up is the SINK or Sit INside Kayak.  This is a style of kayak where the seat is inside the cockpit of the kayak and there are closed walls around the cockpit.  The benefit of this style kayak is that it often provides a dry paddle for the paddler, especially if it is used in conjunction with a skirt.  They are excellent for lakes and protected waterways where the possibility of flipping over (turtling) is reduced.  They can be outfitted for fishing and often are.  However, if you plan on using your kayak to fish deeper water like oceans and bay's or in areas where the possibility of flipping is increased, you my want to avoid a SINK.

Third is the most popular style of kayak for fishing.  That is the SOT or Sit On Top kayak.  This is a kayak where the seat is on top of the kayak deck and there are recesses for your feet (foot wells) rather than a closed cock pit.  Also SOT's incorporate Scupper Holes.  This allows the kayak to self bail in the event of a capsize.  SOT's are much safer as a result.  Also SOT's allow you to easily position yourself in many ways to add to the flexibility needed when fishing.  It is very easy to sit forward, side saddle, or even stand in some cases and fish from your kayak.   You can easily use this style of kayak in virtually any body of water.  However, due to the scupper plugs as well as the lack of a cockpit, a SOT is typically a wetter kayak than a SINK.  Although, kayak manufacturers have been doing some really interesting things with their deck and seat design over the past few years to make them a drier ride. 

This is just a general overview of the different types of kayaks.  For more specifics, visit your local kayak retailer, or send me an email and I would be more than happy to assist in anyway I can.