How To Choose A Paddle For Kayak River Rescues

Video Transcript

"Obviously a paddle is extremely important while kayaking and you're gonna need it to get down the river. But, choosing one you can rely on in tricky situations is important. Now while this particular paddle is well used and well loved I trust it to be strong and durable when I need it to be. For these you want a good quality shaft so that if you're wading with them or you need it in a pin situation to support yourself, it's going to last. Now, something else that you should consider when you're using a paddle is it's visibility. For river signals the black carbon paddles can reflect light pretty well, however, if you've got something that doesn't or isn't that colorful then you want to consider adding some color to it, either with stickers or reflective tape or paint so that you can be seen giving those signals with your paddle. Again, when you're buying a paddle you want to consider that durability so going with the cheapest option may be appealing however, making sure that you've got a paddle that you know isn't going to break is also important. A good aid to the paddle, if you're going to be using this, is also a break down paddle. Paddles do break and in the back of your boat you can store break down paddles. They often piece down into four bits and you can even get them in the smallest of kayaks. These also are very durable."