Author: Arthur

Arthur G. Moore is a veteran paddler. He has over 10 years of whitewater kayaking experience in his kitty. When he was young, he used to love kayaking in rapid III and rapid IV but as time went on, he decided to concentrate mainly on covering long distances on a standard touring kayak. He is currently working as a senior editor for Kayak Manual.

So you finally got the kayak, maybe even a paddle that doesn’t squeak when it gets wet (imagine that), and now – you’re realizing that water doesn’t exactly stay outside the boat like it’s supposed to. That’s where spray skirts come in. They’re weird-looking, snug-fitting, sometimes frustrating rubbery things that somehow make a world of difference when you’re in choppy water, windy conditions, or just trying to keep your butt dry. But picking one? Feels like solving a riddle written by people who assume you’ve been kayaking since birth. And don’t even get me started on sizing. Some brands use…

Read More

Okay, we get it. You like being surrounded by people and friends which is why you are planning to purchase a 2 Persons Kayaks for fishing. Kayak fishing, as you are already aware of, is great for staying fit and strong. But you need to have a fishing kayak that stays stable on the water and that can withstand impacts from hidden underwater objects. However, we should not ignore the obvious fact that tandem kayaking is vastly different from solo kayaking. It will take a lot of practices to get things right. Coordination is also important in 2 Person kayaking…

Read More

Most folks don’t think about float bags until they’re upside down in the water wondering why their kayak feels like a sunken couch. It’s one of those things – nobody talks about ’em at the campfire, but when your boat takes on water and doesn’t immediately sink like a soggy log, you’ll wish you had a couple stuffed up front and back. And hey, they ain’t flashy, they don’t come in cool colors or make your kayak go faster. But they do the one job that actually counts when things go sideways: keep your boat afloat. Now if you’ve been…

Read More

Easy to install, dual purpose marine battery is basically a fusion of a starting battery and a traditional deep cycle battery. With a dual purpose marine battery, you will have the best of the both worlds. Lightweight and compact, dual purpose marine batteries are now being widely used in boats and kayaks as they don’t take much space. The main purpose of a dual purpose marine battery is to allow you start the motor without facing any hiccup along the way. It will also have to power trolling motor of the boat on a continuous basis. The hallmark qualities of…

Read More

Appropriate safety gear depends on the environment you venture out in. It can range from immersion clothing to bilge pumps and signalling devices and navigation equipment. When traveling with a group it should include rescue equipment. 1. Whistle Spend the extra $2 on a water emergency-specific whistle – one that blows loudly even when wet and is made of plastic so it won’t corrode. In some jurisdictions, whistles for emergency use must be pealess; whistles with a pea can freeze up in cold weather. All kayak, general marine, or diving shops should carry several variations of the same basic design. Most are well under $10. A Fox 40 is probably…

Read More

A kayak paddle generally has a blade at both ends of a shaft. The different variations of paddles differ primarily in the length and width of their blade and the length of their shaft. The “standard” paddle that purchased by most kayakers is often referred to as a Euro paddle. This is to differentiate from traditional paddles such as the Greenland paddle. 1. Wing paddle The wing paddle has a blade which is airfoil shaped. The forward stroke is very vertical with the lower hand moving out to the side. These paddles are designed for very efficient racing and are optimized for going straight and fast. They are not that good for bracing. Wing paddles occupy the extreme…

Read More

The choice of paddle material is personal and based on preference, feel, esthetics, price and other factors. There is no “right” material for a paddle. 1. Wood Wood paddles can be light, though some are heavy. They tend to not be as strong as well-made synthetic paddles, but are fine for most paddlers. They can be made in many shapes and styles and now feature attributes like feather, take apart and bent shaft just like synthetics. Wood paddles can be expensive for the fancy ones, but home-made paddles can be really cheap. Most traditional style paddles are wood. 2. Synthetic…

Read More

Style of rolling developed by Greenlandic hunters to recover from a capsize in a hunting situation. The Greenlandic word for kayak rolling is kinngusaqattaarneq. Modern Greenland style paddlers may compete in the Greenland National Championship every summer. Armpit roll One arm sweep roll with end of paddle tucked in armpit or against inside of shoulder. Your outboard hand holds the paddle palm-up, during the sweep. The inboard hand is placed over the hull during recovery as a counterweight. Behind the back The “behind the back” roll is a forward leaning roll. After you capsize you kiss the deck, your inboard…

Read More

A brace roll is a roll that primarily uses a bracing action to perform the roll. Bracing actions in this context refer primarily to those that do not contain sweeping or sculling motions. Back Deck Roll This roll is extremely quick and very impressive. If performed quickly enough you can avoid getting your head wet. It is however a completely different style of roll to all others I have seen. SETUP Place Paddle alongside as if for normal screw roll Cock your wrists back so that the power faces of your blades are facing towards the water Lean as flat…

Read More

Kayak fishing Kayak Fishing is one of the greatest ways to access those hard to reach fishing waters while enjoying the art of kayaking. Kayak fishing is still in its infancy and new members join the ranks daily. Kayak Polo Known also as ‘canoe polo’, kayak polo is a type of kayaking team sport. It is played in kayaks (not Canoes), and also involves a water polo ball and two rectangular goals. It is generally played in a 40m by 25m rectangular area (e.g. a large swimming pool), and goals are suspended 2m above each goal line. Boats are padded…

Read More