Imagine yourself sitting in your kayak, drifting along a calm river. The sun is setting and you can see the stars emerging from behind the darkening horizon as you paddle upstream to one of many peaceful campsites where campfires are already lit for evening’s dinner. This 5-day expedition through far-flung waterways will be an exciting experience that some might even call “life changing.”
The water is warm, the air smells like seaweed and salt. You can almost taste it in your mouth as you watch seagulls soar overhead on a wave of wind that’ll take them up for miles to find food. The surface ripples beneath the paddle blade; if they had sound, this would be an ocean symphony until something catches its eye: a fish or crab scurrying just below the waves. Yes, you can experience it all if you decide to go on kayaking all alone or in a group.
The first step in having a happy and safe holiday is being prepared. Staying informed, wearing the appropriate attire, and following safety precautions will make all of your outings run smoothly. For more information on what to do before you hit the water for some river paddling adventures this season – read this article.
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Don’t Ignore The Itinerary
Packing for a trip sounds like the worst task ever. It’s not just about packing clothes and toiletries, but also food, water, sunscreen (and more). If you don’t research in advance what to expect on your journey or pick up any necessities beforehand at the store – well then tough luck! But luckily there are ways around this dilemma: some tours will lead you into back country where none of those luxuries exist; being unprepared can have an uncomfortable effect. Spend time studying ahead so that when it comes down to actually deciding which items need packed they’re obvious choices. And if certain things aren’t allowed due to strict rules? Be respectful of guide’s wishes as he/she may be trying their best.
Group Paddling Is Not That bad
Rise to your adventurous side and hire an experienced guide. It might mean paddling with a group, but that’s the best way for you to explore unfamiliar waters. If it’s not mentioned in their descriptions of trips then be sure to ask them about this before committing! This is hard because as much as we want adventure sometimes our skillset doesn’t match up so well – meaning giving up on those treks that get our wanderlust taste buds going crazy. But don’t worry, there are still plenty out there suited perfectly just for us!
That decision takes guts and wisdom–both qualities worth developing if they’re lacking from time-to-time!–but remember: safe choices keep adventures alive long after memories of near misses fade away.
If you’re just a novice, do not bother signing up for an advanced paddling tour. You will be selfish as it would piss off the people who have to slow down for your sake and also dangerous because if they had to rescue you in any way then that could put them at risk too! Other handy tips include showing up on time, sticking with the schedule set by everyone else in your group, slowing down when needed so others can keep pace with whichever activity is being done next or even going back home instead of staying out longer than necessary.
Avoid Alcohol
I know, I know. You want to let loose and have a good time while you’re on holiday right? But if there’s another big day out on the water planned for tomorrow (or even in just a few hours), then it might not be the best idea to drink so much this evening.
You see, not only will you feel terrible trying to paddle around your kayak with hangover from all those cocktails – which is definitely no fun by itself – but you’ll also put yourself or any other paddlers at risk of injury because they won’t be 100% either! And resting well before heading back out onto the water can help lower that chance of being injured too – alcohol doesn’t contribute anything towards that. Good rest followed by hydration is essential!
Keep Your Valuables Safe
Ever get excited to post your new photos on Facebook, but then you remember that water damage is one of the most common holiday mishaps? I totally understand wanting to make everyone jealous of those stunning coastlines and golden sand beaches. But don’t be careless. You can protect against water damage quite easily by locking away all valuables in a safe place before taking them onboard with you— many guided tours take images throughout the day for free! If it’s just too hard not posting pics from every single moment (which I know how that feels), at least invest in some travel insurance so things don’t turn out as bad if something goes wrong.
Don’t Forget Sunscreen
The need for environmentally-safe sunscreen is greater than you might have realized. Most sunscreens contain chemicals that are safe to humans but can be harmful to aquatic life like coral and fish. I hope you’re always extra cautious when sea paddling near reefs because the chemical in many of these so called “ocean” friendly sunblockers can bleach out corals, which not only affects marine wildlife feeding on it’s surface or living within its structure, but also strips a huge part of what makes our world beautiful from existence – once we’ve destroyed all traces there will be nothing left worth saving other than an abyssal wasteland without color!
