Planning an overnight canoe or kayak trip can often be as much fun as the trip itself. A properly planned trip involves research, conversation, and packing. Ensuring you are properly packed before you leave on your combination paddling-camping trip is crucial. Nothing is more frustrating than getting to your destination only to realize you have forgotten an important implement needed on the trip. That’s why a overnight canoe trip checklist can be the difference between being fully prepared or forgetting something that is important to your paddling trip. I have composed here a list of all the items that could be taken…
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There are times when in a kayak when you will need to maneuver the boat sideways. Most people assume that this is an impossible maneuver. There is a kayak stroke however that is designed for this very purpose. Read the steps below and learn how to do the kayak draw stroke and amaze your friends as your kayak slides sideways in the water. Difficulty: Average Time Required: 5 – 10 minutes of practice each time Here’s How: What You Need
There are times while kayaking when the paddler will need to paddle backwards. Of course the kayaker could turn the kayak around or do a spin maneuver, but the kayaking backstroke when executed properly is much more efficient. Here are the steps to performing the kayaking back stroke. Difficulty: Average Time Required: 15 minutes to get the hang of it Here’s How: Tips: What You Need
The kayak manuever known as the forward stroke is a relatively easy technique to master. That being said, it is also one of the most commonly distorted strokes in kayaking. This “How To” will guide you through the steps that every kayaker should know for maximum propulsion across the water as well as the proper ergonomic technique for wrist, shoulder, and torso safety. These directions are written assuming a right-handed paddler. If you are a “lefty” simply reverse the directions. Difficulty: Average Time Required: 15 minutes to get the hang of it Here’s How: Tips: What You Need
Throw rope and rope bags are essential pieces of safety gear for whitewater kayakers, canoeists, and rafters. Once a throw bag is deployed, whether to rescue a swimmer or to dry out the rope, it is important that the safety rope is properly packed back in the rope bag. Follow these steps for instructions how to stuff and pack a throw bag. Difficulty: Easy Time Required: a couple of minutes Here’s How: Tips: What You Need
Every kayaker who spends any amount of time in their boat will at some point end up flipping over in their kayak. Its just a part of the sport really. There are many ways to remedy the situation, namely getting the kayak back upright with the paddler in the kayak. Kayakers can learn to roll their kayaks, do assisted or “buddy” rolls, or wet-exit and have to make their way back into their kayak. There are rescues such as the T-Rescue where another kayaker assists in getting the flipped kayaker back into their kayak. And then there are the rescues…
There are a few different ways to empty a kayak that is full of water. This how-to addresses how to empty a whitewater kayak that has been water logged. Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 5 Minutes Here’s How: What You Need
It may seem like a silly task to read about how to hold a kayak paddle. That being said, I can’t even tell you how times I have caught people holding their paddle wrong, upside down, or even backwards. The following steps will help you to understand how to properly grasp and hold a kayak paddle. Know the Anatomy of a Kayak Paddle This step is the most basic of them all yet without it trying to understand the rest of the steps can be an exercise in futility. A kayak paddle, unlike a canoe paddle, has 2 blades attached…
A properly executed hip snap will enable a kayaker to be able to roll his or her kayak back over with the paddle in almost any position, or with no paddle at all. But, like anything else, the hip snap requires practice with the aim of it feeling comfortable and ultimately becoming second nature. Difficulty: Average Time Required: 5 minutes each session Here’s How: Tips: What You Need
Every whitewater kayaker will be upside down in a kayak at some point early in their paddling career. Even experts find themselves underwater at times, sometimes even on purpose. It is for this reason that kayakers need to know what to do as soon as they flip over, lest they smack their face or head on the river bottom. While it is not natural to tuck when upside down in a kayak, this quick how-to will guide you through the steps of tucking when you are upside-down so that you can either wet-exit or roll back up. Difficulty: Average Time Required: 5…