Ocean Kayaking Tips for Beginners
Are you eager to try an ocean kayaking adventure? If you’re a beginning kayaker, there are some important things to keep in mind when considering paddling in the ocean
(Photo courtesy of Level Six)
Water environments are unique. Small flatwater lakes are different than large flatwater lakes. Those are both different than rivers when you deal with current and unknowns around the next bend. And these are all different from oceans with their tides, currents and waves.
Before we get into ocean-specific tips, let’s look at keys to fun kayaking no matter your environment:
Always Keep Safety First
Kayaking is generally a very safe sport. But anytime water is involved, there’s risk. The ocean is a constantly changing environment that demands respect. Here are a few musts for kayaking safety:
- Always wear a life jacket (PFD). Lots of paddling-specific PFDs are available that leave your shoulders free for movement and are comfortable to wear.
- Stay within a swimmable distance of the shore and out of high wind and big waves. Once you’ve mastered the skills you need to handle rougher water, you can venture out confidently.
- Consider the air and water temperatures before you launch. Hypothermia is a real risk in the event of capsizing in cold water—no matter the air temperature. A wetsuit or dry suit may be vital in keeping you safe in a cold water environment.
- Paddle with others. Not only is it more fun but you’ll have help in case of an emergency. For example, re-entering your kayak after a capsize is so much easier with a friend’s help than attempting it alone.
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Know the weather forecast before you head out. Educate yourself (or ask) about the limits of wind speed and wave size for a beginning kayaker. Download an app like windy.com to get detailed info. If a storm or high winds are predicted, postpone your trip. Disappointing, yes, but safety first.
(Photo courtesy of David Horkan)
Get Comfortable Capsizing
One of the fears almost all beginning kayakers have is capsizing. The ocean presents a challenging kayaking environment. Even expert kayakers can capsize, so don’t think it won’t happen to you. Re-entering your boat from the water is difficult in the ocean, especially if you’ve never done it before.
It’s important to learn from an expert how to wet exit and how to re-enter your kayak in deep water. The more you practice in calm water, the better able you are to keep your head in a real-life situation.
Know Your Strokes
If you learn and practice basic kayaking strokes in calm water, you’ll feel much more confident on the ocean. Get comfortable moving forward, backward and turning in every direction.
Learn and use the power of torso rotation—using your whole upper body with your paddle strokes and not just your arms and shoulders. It’s more efficient and easier on your joints.
Learn and practice the high and low brace. These are techniques that use your paddle and body weight to keep you from capsizing.
Ocean-Specific Tips
Now let’s look at some tips specifically for ocean kayaking.
Maybe the most important is to be sure you use the right type of kayak. Sea kayaks are designed for big water environments—places like oceans and the Great Lakes. Recreational kayaks are not, and are not as stable in those waters.
(Photo courtesy of Ken Whiting)
The ocean isn’t an ideal beginning kayaker’s environment. But you can start in areas protected from wind, waves and strong tidal currents—like a small, sheltered bay or a shallow beach with small swell on a calm day.
Here are things you need to know about kayaking on the ocean:
- Stay close to shore in the event you capsize and aren’t able to re-enter your boat.
- Tides can change the shoreline, sometimes drastically. If you’re in an unfamiliar location, talk to the locals to find out where and when the best times are to launch.
- Currents, though mostly associated with rivers, are often a concern in the ocean, too. Be especially watchful where large rivers enter the ocean.
- Rip currents can be a concern on beaches. A rip current is water pulled in by the waves, then pulled back out by gravity. They can be very strong, especially where the shoreline is steep. They’re the most common reason swimmers need to be rescued.
- Remember, the ocean is a very dynamic world. It constantly changes, even along the span of a single shoreline.
Launching into Waves
New kayakers should stick to beach areas with a gradual shoreline where the waves aren’t breaking high and hard. Every beach will have spots where the waves are lower. These make good launch areas.
Pull the kayak into knee-deep water. Waves come in sets, some bigger and some smaller. Wait for a set of smaller waves, get in quickly and approach the incoming breakers head-on with strong forward strokes.
The Best Ways to Start Kayaking on the Ocean
If you’re a new kayaker eager to get out on a beautiful ocean environment near your home or while you’re vacationing, we suggest you find an outfitter in the area that offers tours for all skill levels.
(Photo courtesy of Uteguiden)
Sign Up for an Ocean Kayak Tour
There are several reasons why going with an outfitter with professional guides is a wonderful idea:
- The guides of any reputable outfitter will be highly-skilled and experienced kayakers with knowledge of First Aid. They see and will be equipped to handle all kinds of different scenarios, including emergencies.
- Outfitters have the right type of kayaks for their area and any gear necessary for their ocean environment, like dry suits or wetsuits.
- Guides know the area well. They know the tide schedule, the best and most scenic places to kayak and areas to avoid.
- Outfitters have a realistic idea of distances and time frames, even for beginning kayakers.
For a thorough sea kayaking crash course, sign up for a multi-day trip right off the bat. This is the best way to learn, to have several days to practice, to get comfortable on the ocean and to do it all safely.
(Photo courtesy of Heliconia)
Take Sea Kayak Courses on the Ocean
If you already know you want to invest in sea kayaking gear and make ocean kayaking part of your life, find an ACA-sponsored course or a series of courses offered by ACA-certified instructors that focus on the ocean.
ACA is the American Canoe Association, a 145+ year-old organization that offers courses all over the world in every type of paddling. If you live in the UK, the BCU is the British Canoe Union that oversees the paddling organizations over there. There are also private companies worldwide that offer sea kayaking courses, like Online Sea Kayaking and Sea Kayak Australia.
Search online, join a sea kayaking Facebook group near you or ask the staff at a paddlesports shop in your area for course recommendations.
Sea kayaking on the ocean can be an unforgettable and wonderful experience for beginning paddlers. While it demands specific knowledge and safety practices that small-water kayaking doesn’t, it’s certainly doable for even novices in many big-water environments.
Let our friendly Customer Service team help you find the right paddle for you! Contact us at 715-755-3405 or [email protected]
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