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What do I need to start kayaking?

Just intrested in starting kayaking. Live in Dallas TX. No experience at all. I just don’t want to go to the store and have a bunch of useless gear shoved down my throat.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 14th, 2010 at 3:27 pm and is filed under All About Kayaking. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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7 Responses to “What do I need to start kayaking?”

1. bucksrams Says:
   July 14th, 2010 at 3:27 pm

   a kayak?

2. Crash and Burn Says:
   July 14th, 2010 at 3:27 pm

   To kayak you need:

   A good kayak - you need one that can take rough water and banging against rocks
   A wet suit - That water can get really cold in some areas
   A rubberized bib - sized to you to go around the kayak opening to seal water out of the boat for rolling
   A life jacket - might be most important for a new beginner
   A comfortable paddle - one that you can handle comfortably in your hands
   A safety helmet - You might hit rocks when you roll
   Some fingerless gloves - can help to keep your hands warm. The fingers missing are for sensitivity and quick movement with the paddle

   And if you have to travel any distance to the water you are kayaking on, a roof rack to transport your kayak

   MOST IMPORTANT - an instructor and a calm piece of water to practice the basics on till you know how to handle your new toy.

3. Shannabella Says:
   July 14th, 2010 at 3:27 pm

   Water.

   PS………HOLY CRAP…WE ARE FUNNY!!!!

4. barrie4843 Says:
   July 14th, 2010 at 3:27 pm

   don’t forget the paddle!

5. Mary Says:
   July 14th, 2010 at 3:27 pm

   River kayaking or touring on flat water?

   I’m not sure what there is in your area, but you might be able to take a beginners class with a rental kayak - see if you are interested before dropping a bunch of money. I know REI offers demo days in California, so you might want to look if they have something comparable in Dallas.

   You’ve got a few choices in boats:
   - Sit on top kayak - Generally the cheapest of the lot, but also the slowest. These can be good for playing in the surf at the ocean, but really no more whitewater than that. If you don’t care about going very fast and want an inexpensive boat, this might be something to consider.
   - Standard touring kayak - Long, very stable, and has compartments for your gear. These are good for paddling along in lakes and the ocean. They are built to go fast in a straight line. You can’t use something like this in a rapids. Some of these boats are made out of fiberglass instead of plastic, which makes them lighter, faster, and of course more expensive.
   - River kayak - Short, manuverable, and very easy to tip over. Once you learn how to roll, they are also relatively easy to tip back up. This is what you want for river rapids. Expect a very snug fit. It is also relatively difficult to get this boat to go in a straight line (at least compared to a touring boat).
   The sit on top and touring kayaks also come in tandem models if you want to pursue that option.

   As for other stuff you need:
   - A good paddle. I spent over $300 on an extremely lightweight carbon fiber touring paddle, and it was worth every penny. I can go a lot longer and faster without getting tired when I’m not swinging a heavy paddle. It is, however, very breakable, so you have to be careful. You definitely don’t want something like that for river kayaking, but it’s wonderful for flatwater touring.
   - Life jacket - Required pretty much everywhere. Check your local regulations - you may be able to get away with just having one on your boat without wearing it, in which case you could get away with a cheap one. I used a cheap old costco ski vest for a while, but I never wore it. I just tied it to the back of my boat. The disadvantage of these for wearing is that they go down too far. You really want something designed for kayaking (cuts off on the top part of your stomach) if you are going to wear it. You (obviously) want to wear it in a river.
   - Spray deck - For touring, you can get away with a cheap one. This is just to keep splashes out of your boat. If you are running rivers, you want something better, but this might be something you upgrade later.
   - Bailing tools - A pump and a sponge to bail out your kayak.
   - Paddle float - This is a buoy to tie to your paddle so you can get back in your boat alone if you tip over in the middle of a body of water.

   Other things you might want are a helmet, wet suit, gloves, waterproof jacket, dry bags for your gear, etc. You probably don’t need to buy these things right away, but you may want them later down the road.

   Also, hire an instructor to teach you the basics. Even for just touring, instruction really helps to improve the efficiency of your stroke. You should also learn to be comfortable with your kayak. Sometimes, community centers will offer river kayaking courses in swimming pools. It’s nice to learn turtle swimming and rolls in warm water.

6. 3DDD Says:
   July 14th, 2010 at 3:27 pm

   To start out all you need is the kayak,paddle & life jacket if you are not good at swimming. The longer and wider it is the more stable it will be. If you want to practice rolling it over then get a skirt that goes around your waist and keeps the water out of the kayak. It will really help to get a piece of plastic hose long enough to go from your mouth down into the kayak so you can breath while trying to learn how to flip it back over. You can stay upside down like this for hours if you need too. If you are going to be on lakes most of the time go for the longer kayak. The short ones are good for fast moving water but when on flat water will work you too much trying to keep in a straight line. Have fun.

7. Nick Says:
   July 15th, 2010 at 8:29 pm

   I would certainly not reccomend buying a wet suit, bib, and all that junk.. Not being new to kayaknig. If you are new to it, you shouldn’t be in freezing water. Just get yourself a good kayak, paddle, and PFD, and you’ll be set.

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