The Most Important Kayaking Gear: Beginning Kayaking Lesson

Video Transcript

"Welcome to Expert Village. My name is Lloyd Reeves, seven times USCA and ACA National Paddling Champ. Right now we are going to talk a little bit about gear. Before I start for those of you doing white water or surf kayaking, the helmet is the most important piece of equipment so you have to grab one of those. Since I don’t spend time in those environments, I get off easy. Second most important piece of equipment is a life jacket. The thing you look for most other than certification is make sure it is comfortable and you can paddle without being restricted but if you are in a Sea Kayak or you go out on the ocean a lot of you guys and women especially love to get real pretty blue teal or green because they look nice, you really need to have red or yellow. If you fall off in a blue green ocean with a blue green kayak and we are out looking for you, you are going to be really hard to find. So bite the bullet and get an obnoxious pink, red or yellow life jacket. Orange is good too. Something if you threw in the water you could see. Also you can buy life jackets for about $10 more than this one cost that has a little clip for your whistle. You are actually required by law to have a whistle on board or sound producing device. They are only $2 and they clip right on there and you don’t have to think about it unless you need it. Other equipment, clothing, tough call; I have it very easy because I am a flat water paddler, this is kind of what I paddle in so I got it well. If you are a sea Kayaker and in a cold environment you could use a wet suit. The advantages of a wet suit are it will float you down side as you will overheat when you are paddling in it. Dry suit, more expensive but you get to paddle more. If you have lots of money there is an Australian skin suit, nylon shell, polar tech inside. It breathes you can paddle your hardest. It let’s you breath. If you fell on the cold water it buys you about 1/3 the time a thin wetsuit will do. So if it only takes you 2 or 3 minutes to get back in your boat, it works great. The down side is that as it absorbs water it loses its flotation so it does not have the flotation value. If you are launching from an area that is rocky, get a pair of those wet socks with the sole on them. If you are like me, paddle barefoot. "