Right here and now, I need to acknowledge that most of what I know about kayaking repair kits is stuff that I’ve learned from a good friend and fellow kayaking instructor, John Browning.  Like me, he is a total gear geek, but he has one of the best systems of repair kits that I’ve ever seen any kayaker carry.  Since he hasn’t blogged about this subject, I’m going to take my crack at it.

What you carry for repairs is obviously going to depend on what kind of kayak you have, where you paddle, and the type of trips that you generally take.  For most recreational kayakers out for a day paddle on waterways that are close to roads, houses, and cell phone coverage, perhaps a roll of duct tape, a towel, and a cell phone are all you really need to carry with you.  Damage to your boat  or paddle is relatively unlikely, but if it happens, you can probably walk back to your car, get assistance at a nearby home, or get on your cell and call someone to come and get you.  For duct tape, I would recommend “Gorilla Tape”.  It is tough and tenacious stuff.  Naturally, John Browning introduced me to the product.  The towel is to dry off the surface of the boat or paddle before applying the tape since most tapes do not stick well on wet surfaces.  The towel needs to be kept in a dry bag to keep it completely dry until needed.  A dry piece of clothing could be substituted.  You can also find very tiny, compact, ultra-absorbent camp towels about the size of a half dollar available in camping stores.  They will take up very little space in your repair kit.

Even for most whitewater kayakers, a roll of good duct tape is probably all they need for a repair kit along with a Leatherman multi-tool or similar type knife.  Wood, plants, and trash along the river banks can often supply additional materials that can be fabricated into any pieces needed for the temporary repair of damaged gear.

For sea kayakers, however, shore may be a long swim away making a damaged boat a life-threatening occurrence.  To avoid having to call the local Coast Guard for a rescue, you should be carrying a basic repair kit in your PFD or some other very accessible location to handle emergencies on the water.  A previously unnoticed crack in the hull of a kayak, a deck seam that is separating, or a lost or damaged hatch cover could cause a kayak to take on water and lose necessary buoyancy in the front or rear hatches.  Rudder cables can snap or become detached making a kayak difficult to control.  Your basic on-water kit should have the materials to address these kinds of emergencies.  Remember, you are only trying to do a repair that is adequate to get you safely back on shore where a more extensive repair can be done.  Below is a suggested list for a compact, on-water repair kit.

• Gorilla Tape
• PC-Marine epoxy putty stick
• Plastic cable ties (zip ties)
• Heavy duty garbage bag, sheet of heavy mil plastic, or mylar space blanket (to cover holes or open hatch covers)
• Elastic bands large enough to fit around a hatch cover rim (I bought some made to hold garbage bags on garbage cans)
• Tiny ultra-absorbent camp towel
• Small, waterproof dry bag or container to hold the repair kit

I can carry all of these items in a pocket on my life jacket.  In addition to this very basic kit, it would be helpful to have a multi-tool available.

On-water repair kit carried in life jacket pocket

Contents of on-water repair kit

Once you’ve made it off the water safely, you can make a more permanent repair to your boat.  If you were able to make it back to your car, you can just take your kayak home and repair it at your leisure.  If you are near a road, you may be able to call someone to come and pick you up, or you may be able to hike back to your car.  However, if you are on a stretch of shoreline that is remote or difficult to access (perhaps a pocket beach at the base of some cliffs), you may need to be carrying the tools and materials necessary to do a more extensive field repair.

I have assembled a field repair kit that I carry in a BDH bottle that I bought well over 10 years ago.  I tried doing an internet search for BDH bottles and didn’t find anything like the one I have, so I don’t know if they are still available.  However, it is similar to the 1/2-gallon Nalgene HDPE storage container.  Whatever container you decide to use, it needs to be waterproof and very durable.

Field repair kit carried in kayak hatch

Contents of field repair kit

Some of the specific items that you carry in your field repair kit are going to depend on the material that your kayak is made from.  The following items would be recommended for everyone to carry regardless of the type of boat you paddle:

• Locking pliers (Vise-Grip makes some very nice small versions)
• Multi-tool with phillips and flat head screw drivers
• Drill bit or awl for making holes
• Short hacksaw blade
• Sharp scissors
• Screws, nylon  locknuts, cotter pins, and spare hardware/deck fittings found on your kayak
• 1/4″ bungee cord to replace deck bungees
• Hog rings (also called swages or crimps) for crimping bungee cords together
• Cord to repair/replace deck lines
• Wire/cable to repair/replace rudder or skeg lines
• Bailing wire
• Lighter/matches
• More Gorilla Tape
• More plastic cable ties (zip ties)
• More garbage bags or sheet of plastic
• McNett AquaSeal or Seam Grip (same basic product, different thickness)
• Marine or Sportsman’s Goop
• 1″-wide nylon webbing
• Waxed thread and large sewing needle
• Spare spring-type button for paddle ferrule

In addition to the above items items, if you paddle a fiberglass or kevlar kayak you should be carrying the following:

• West Systems 101-T Repair Pack Refills of 105 Resin/205 Hardener
• Vinyl gloves
• Fiberglass cloth
• Sandpaper
• Mixing stick (you could use a stick or branch after peeling off any loose bark)
• Mixing cup
• Disposable brush/plastic spreader (for applying the epoxy to the fiberglass cloth)

For a rotomolded polyethylene kayak, you may want to carry the following:

• West Systems 655 G/flex Thickened Epoxy Adhesive Repair Kit

For inflatable and folding skin-on-frame kayaks, you will need to assemble a kit of repair materials that can be used to patch tears and holes in the fabric of your particular kayak.  Patches on canvas will require different adhesives than patches on vinyl, Hypalon, or PVC.  Manufacturers of these types of kayaks may have repair kits available for purchase designed specifically for the materials that your kayak is made of.

Polycarbonate hulls can be patched or repaired with fiberglass cloth and various plastic welding adhesives that use methyl methacrylate (airplane glue).  Check with the manufacturer of your kayak for their recommendations for repair adhesives.

While it is important to carry all these materials, it is also necessary that you become acquainted with using them, especially the 2-part epoxies and adhesives.  Carrying a well-stocked repair kit will do you no good if there is no one in your group who knows how to use them.  An excellent book to read for reference on maintaining and repairing your kayak is “The Optimum Kayak” by Andy Knapp.

Thankfully, in over twenty years of paddling, I have not found myself stuck on a beach needing to do major repairs on my kayak in order to get home.  However, I will say that the contents of my repair kit have often been needed by myself and fellow kayakers on many occasions before, during, and after simple day trips.  If you don’t currently have a repair kit for your kayak or canoe, it’s time to get one put together right now!  Find a container.  Get some Gorilla Tape and a few basic tools and put them in your kayak.  Keep working on assembling a better and more complete kit as soon as you can.  If nothing else, this can be a good winter project to keep you occupied when your boat is in storage.

For the definitive repairs completed at home, you may want to have some additional items:

• Dremel tool
• Drill
• Caulking gun
• Screw drivers (phillips and flat head)
• Dust masks
• Acetone (should not be used to clean up catalyst)
• Rubbing alcohol
• Mineral spirits
• Rags
• Gel-coat, catalyst, and pigment (for repairing fiberglass and kevlar kayaks with gel-coat exteriors)
• Wax paper
• Release cloth
• Box of vinyl gloves
• Disposable brushes
• Safety glasses
• Sure-form tool (or dragon skin) for shaping mini-cell outfitting foam
• Paper towels
• Disposable sleeves or old long-sleeve shirts
• Lexel (for caulking bulkheads)
• and many other tools and materials specific to the particular repair you need to do

As time passes, some aspects of kayak construction change and the repair items available change as well.  I would love to hear from people who have new and better tools and products that they have found useful in their own repair kits.  For one, I’m hoping that Mr. Browning will weigh in and share the name of the 3M adhesive that is supposed to work really well for gluing in foam outfitting.  I’m certain that there are many other people who have much more repair, maintenance, and kayak building expertise who could add to this post and help us all expand our knowledge on the topic.  Please grace us with your wisdom and experience!

I’ll try to cover basic maintenance in a future post.

Sherri

When I began kayaking in the late 80’s, the big debate among sea kayakers was whether it was better to use a rudder, a skeg, or neither.  Now that the “skeg vs. rudder” argument has cooled down, the current hot topic has switched to high angle vs. low angle forward stroke.  Like the old rudder/skeg issue, I stand unequivocally in the middle of the argument.  It’s not that I’m trying to be neutral or wishy-washy.  It’s just that I believe paddlers should be learning and using BOTH the high angle forward stroke AND the low angle forward stroke.  Both strokes have their advantages and disadvantages and different situations call for using different strokes.  If you are one of the many kayakers who are wondering what all the discussion is about, or have never even heard of high angle and low angle, let me explain.

Low Angle Forward Stroke

High Angle Forward Stroke

“Low angle” and “high angle” refer to the angle of the paddle shaft when you are performing a forward stroke.  In a low angle stroke, the shaft is held at approximately a 45-degree angle in relation to the water surface as viewed from in front when the paddle blade is immersed in the water.  In a high angle stroke, the paddle shaft is held in a more vertical orientation usually somewhere in the sixty to eighty-degree range.  Some paddle manufacturers have begun to identify their blade shapes as being “high” or “low” angle.  High angle blades are generally shorter and wider, while the low angle blades are a bit longer and narrower.  Suggested paddle lengths for people using a high angle stroke are anywhere from 5-15 centimeters shorter than paddle lengths for those using a low angle stroke.

"High Angle" (top) and "Low Angle" (bottom) Kayak Paddle Blades

The question that many kayakers have is “which forward stroke should I be using” or “which is better?”  Some paddlers and instructors have become quite passionate about promoting the high angle stroke as “the best technique.”  My opinion is that you should know how to perform both forms of the forward stroke and that your choice should be based on the conditions and circumstances in which you are paddling at the moment.

If you are paddling in a wider kayak, you will most likely be more comfortable using a low angle stroke as it can be awkward to  plant the paddle in a more vertical orientation when in a recreational kayak or wide sea kayak.  The low angle stroke automatically places the paddle blade a little farther from the side of the kayak.  This will also make most paddlers feel a bit more stable when paddling in rough conditions.  In windy weather, the low angle stroke keeps the top blade closer to the water’s surface and out of the stronger winds that are higher above the surface.  Again, this will contribute to a greater feeling of stability as well as less wind resistance when conditions get more challenging.  Finally, most paddlers will find the low angle stroke to be better at conserving energy.  As a famous kayaker supposedly once said,” you never see anyone paddle in at the end of a 20-mile day using a high angle stroke.”

The high angle forward stroke is the version of the forward stroke favored by racers.  As racers are obviously concerned with efficiency and its relation to speed, the argument is made that this should be the stroke everyone uses since everyone wants to do a more efficient stroke, even when speed is not a primary objective.  The problem with this argument lies in one’s definition of “efficiency”.

If your definition of efficiency involves speed, the high angle stroke will be best.  However, we must remember that most racers are looking to maximize their speed over a set distance.  A good racer will not have a lot of extra energy left at the end of a race as he is looking to maximize the distance traveled with each stroke in order to cover that distance in the shortest time possible.  At the end of a race, any remaining energy is wasted (in the mind of the racer).  The racer will also most likely need a day or two to recover after the race.  If you are on a kayak camping trip and have a long day of paddling to get to your next campsite, you will probably need to have enough energy left at the end of the day to set up your camp, make a meal, and be rested enough to do it all over again the next day.  Your definition of “efficiency” will involve energy conservation, hence you will likely revert to a low angle stroke.  On that same trip, if you are halfway through an open water crossing when you notice storm clouds massing, will your definition of efficiency change?   If you are paddling in bigger waves or stronger winds, efficiency may involve increasing your feeling of stability so that you do not feel a need to brace as often.  If you need to get to a fellow paddler who has capsized in cold water and needs your help, I suspect that speed will once again be a priority.  Since each of these situations places speed, stability, and energy conservation in different priority order, are you starting to see why I consider it prudent to know both a low and high angle forward stroke?

In reality, there are more similarities between the high angle forward stroke and the low angle forward stroke than differences.  Both should involve a healthy dose of torso rotation.  The stroke should begin as far forward as you can comfortably reach without lunging and should end as the paddle blade nears the hip.  The difference really comes down to the angle of the shaft and typically the height of your top hand as you perform the strokes.  If you are focusing on using good rotation in your forward stroke, both the high angle and low angle will serve you well.

Maybe it’s time to find something else for sea kayakers to argue about.

Sherri

Two pieces of standard safety gear carried by most sea kayakers are the pump and paddlefloat.  As many people don’t give these items a lot of thought before purchasing, I’d like to discuss some considerations in choosing a pump and a paddle float.

Harmony, Aquabound, and old Voyager bilge pumps

There isn’t a lot of difference between most of the bilge pumps currently on the market.  Most have some sort of flotation collar so that the pump will not sink if dropped overboard, even when full of water.  The main difference seems to be size, and the ease of pumping the handle.  There is probably a slight difference in the volume of water that each pump is able to move with each stroke, but I am personally more concerned with ease of pumping since the differences in volume are fairly small.  I also like to have a small eyelet somewhere on my pump so that I can tether the pump to my kayak to keep from losing it if I drop it.

Generally, I do not have a strong bias toward any one pump, however, I would strongly recommend that you do not waste your money on the Seattle Sports Paddlers Bilge pump, the reason being that it becomes very difficult to use in a very short time.  I bought 6 of them last season to use in my instructional classes.  I’ve had to replace all six of them because it is almost impossible to push the pump handle in or pull it out.  I have been unable to determine any reason for the tendency of the pump handles to freeze up.  While the blue and yellow Seattle Sports pump is inexpensively priced, if you have to replace it after one year or it doesn’t work in an emergency, in my mind that is a very expensive pump.  So far, I have had good success with the new  Harmony High Volume Sea Kayak pumps and the Aqua-Bound Bilge Master pumps although I have heard of some people having problems with the plastic handle coming off the stainless steel rod on the Aqua-Bound pumps.

Eyelet for tethering the pump

Seattle Sports Paddlers Bilge Pump

When purchasing a paddle float, your first decision will be whether to get an inflatable style or a foam float.  I’ve had a couple of students who bought North Water foam floats based on the compelling argument that the foam float is faster to deploy since it does not require you to blow it up.  That is true.  Unfortunately, what was not explained was that the foam floats have significantly less buoyancy than the inflatable versions.  This may not be as much of a concern for smaller paddlers and for those who can do scramble (cowboy) solo re-entries with their kayaks.  But for the average beginner or heavier paddler, that lack of buoyancy can make a big difference when it comes to their success in performing a solo paddle float re-entry.  The extra time that it will take you to blow up an inflatable paddle float may still get you out of the water faster than a foam float if you are successful on your first attempt compared to several failed attempts with the foam float.

The foam floats are also more difficult to carry.  They do not fit inside the cockpit of most sea kayaks, and they are bulky to carry strapped on deck.  the newer North Water Sea Tec foam paddle float is a little easier to strap on deck, but still takes up a lot of deck space and may interfere with layback rolls depending on where you carry it.  The inflatable paddle floats do have the potential to develop leaks or to have the valves break which would potentially render them useless.  For that reason, you should look for dual chambered inflatable paddle floats.  If one of the chambers should fail to hold air, there is usually still enough buoyancy in the remaining chamber to complete a solo re-entry.  The inflatable floats are much more compact to carry whether inside the cockpit or under the bungees on your deck.  While I do not like the Seattle Sports pump, I highly recommend the Seattle Sports dual chambered paddle float.  It has a tremendous amount of buoyancy making paddle float re-entries easier for all beginners, and especially heavier paddlers.

Inflatable and Foam Paddle Floats

I own both styles of paddle floats.  I use my foam float in the winter when air temperatures are below freezing to prevent the possibility of having the air valves in my paddle float freeze up rendering the float unusable.  However, I always carry my inflatable float with me.  I have it partially inflated and strapped inside my cockpit just forward of my seat.  It provides support for the back of my thighs and reduces the amount of time that it takes me to complete the inflation whenever I use a paddle float for re-entry.  Some people have questioned the wisdom of using a piece of safety gear in this way.  Others have raised the concern that the float might get in my way when exiting or entering my kayak in an emergency.  I do not dismiss these concerns.  However, I have carried my paddle float this way for almost 20 years with no problems.  As an instructor, I have literally done hundreds of wet exits and re-entries and my paddle float has never caused a problem.  I might also counter that I am more likely to notice a leak in my paddle float before I need it in an emergency since I would likely see that it wasn’t holding air when resting my legs against it.  No matter how you carry your paddle float, or what style you carry, you should always check your safety gear regularly.

Pumps and paddle floats may be relatively inexpensive pieces of gear when compared with kayaks, paddles, sprayskirts, life jackets, flares, VHF radios, and practically everything else a sea kayaker carries, but as safety gear that may one day save your life or someone else’s, they do warrant some thought and consideration when it comes time to purchase.  What brands and styles have you purchased?  Were you happy with your purchase?  Have you tried using your pump and/or paddle float recently?  Is it working the way it should?  I’d like to hear from you.

Sherri

My old paddle float inside my cockpit

I had a request from one of my readers to talk about the topic of “outfitting a life jacket”.  It has been said in reference to your safety gear, “if it isn’t on your person, then you can’t guarantee it will be there when you need it.”  The trick is finding ways to carry all this gear that will keep the items accessible and yet not hinder your ability to paddle or perform any rescues/recoveries.  As a sea kayaker, buying your PFD is just the beginning.  There are several additional pieces of gear that you will want to carry with you ON your life jacket, so buy a life jacket with plenty of roomy pockets and lash tabs.

First of all, here is a list of some of items that a sea kayaker might want to carry on his/her PFD.

• VHF radio
• Flares/Signaling Devices
• Strobe Light
• Knife
• Whistle
• Rescue Stirrup
• Compass
• Repair Kit
• Drinking Water

This is a pretty daunting list, but I can carry all these items in and on my own PFD.  In addition, I wear a tow belt.  If you paddle in remote areas, you may want to devise a way to carry a very small emergency survival kit should you end up stranded somewhere without your kayak.  Your survival kit could be as basic as an emergency blanket, some matches, and water purification tablets in a small waterproof drybag or dry box.

Now comes the question of HOW to carry all this stuff.  I have an older style Stohlquist Mocean PFD which has 3 large pockets and 2 lash tabs.  I also have a Lotus Designs PFD backpack that I use to carry things on the back of my PFD.  Unfortunately, Lotus Designs is no longer in business and I am not aware of a similar PFD backpack being made specifically for use on life jackets.  However, I have used other small hydration system backpacks like those sold by Camelback.  They can be quite easy to attach to the back of any life jacket.

My VHF radio fits in a specially designed pocket on the front of my PFD.  My radio is about 10 years old and is quite large.  Newer radios can be much smaller and easier to fit in a pocket.  In the large pocket behind the radio pocket, I carry a rescue stirrup.  Also inside that pocket and attached to a D-ring inside the pocket, I have an orienteering compass, a signal mirror, a laser flare, and a Fox 40 whistle.  On the other side in a large bellows pocket, I carry a small, basic on-water repair kit in a small dry bag.  the repair kit contains some Gorilla Tape, epoxy putty, a garbage bag, a few zip ties, and a couple large elastic bands that will fit around my hatch cover rims.  A Spyderco knife with the saltwater-resistant metal blade is attached to the lash tab on the front of my life jacket.  The lash tab on the back shoulder holds my rescue strobe light.  The Lotus Designs PFD backpack holds a plastic hydration bladder with drinking water, a dry bag with my flare gun and flares, and a large, heavy duty orange survival bag that can be used as shelter or for signaling.  I have a small string attached to the bag containing my flare gun so that I can more easily remove it in the event of an emergency.  The string clips to a D-ring on the right side of my PFD.  I can grab and pull the string with my left hand to pull the flares out of the pocket in which they are stored on the back of my PFD.  Despite carrying all this gear, my life jacket still has plenty of buoyancy to keep me afloat, and with the occasional exception of my radio antenna, none of it gets in my way when I am paddling, rolling, or trying to re-enter my kayak from the water.  I do plan to get a smaller radio in the future which should hopefully rectify even that small issue.

While this is the list of what I carry and the way in which I choose to outfit my own life jacket, but no means is this the only way that it can or should be done.  I would suggest that you talk to other sea kayak instructors and skilled paddlers to see what and how they choose to carry important gear with them on the water.  Think about what you will need.  Remember that items must be easily accessible, preferably with one hand, and consider what would happen if you wet exited and found yourself separated from your kayak.  I’d love to hear what other gear you may carry with you, and how you have solved the problem of “how” to carry it.

Sherri

Attaching a basic Camelbak hydration bladder backpack on a Kokatat PFD.

Arguably the most important stroke in kayaking is probably the most difficult to master.  Luckily, just about any forward stroke, regardless of how poorly executed, will move your kayak forward.  However, most of us are interested in being able to paddle farther with less effort and fatigue.

I just got back from teaching at the Door County Sea Kayak Symposium.  I spent three days teaching a lot of novice sea kayakers.  The one piece of advice that I always give for improving your forward stroke is to work on “rotation, rotation, rotation.” You can’t rotate too much when performing your forward stroke.  After twenty-two years of sea kayaking, I’m still working on increasing the amount of rotation in my forward stroke.

But rotation is sometimes a misunderstand term.  The rotation does not come from your shoulders.  It originates much lower in the core muscles of the back, abdomen, and  legs.  When you are paddling forward, you should be pushing on the foot brace with your leg on the same side of the kayak that you are performing the stroke.  In other words, when you take your stroke on the right side of the kayak, you should be pushing on the right footbrace with your right leg.  Your right knee will straighten as your right hip rotates backward in the seat.  The left knee bends a little at the same time.  By this time, your torso will be rotated so that your chest is facing the right side of the kayak.  Now plant your paddle on the left side of the kayak and repeat.

The power does not come from your arms.  Think of the paddle as the propeller of your kayak and your abdomen, back, and legs as the engine.  Your arms are just the connecting rods that transfer the power from the engine to the propeller.  Your arms should not be pistons pumping back and forth as you “arm paddle” your way to exhaustion.

While you may find that instructors disagree on some of the finer points of the forward stroke, I can’t imagine that you’re going to get any disagreement on the importance of good rotation in making your stroke stronger and more efficient.  The two video clips I have included in this post are from my two favorite DVD’s on the forward stroke.  The first is from Ben Lawry’s forward stroke DVD and the second clip is Olympic gold-medalist, Greg Barton, from his DVD on the forward stroke. Both DVD’s are great resources for improving your forward stroke.  Better yet, get some actual in-person instruction.  I offer forward stroke clinics that include video analysis as part of the course. You even have a unique opportunity to learn directly from Ben Lawry himself.  Ben will be teaching a series of kayak skills classes in Madison, including a “Forward Stroke Clinic” coming up in a little over a week.  I would highly recommend this class.

I’ve given you several different ways to get started improving the most important stroke in your kayaking repertoire.  You have no excuses.  Get out there and start practicing!

Sherri

My friend and former student, Carl Vopal, inventor of the Paddling Partner Stability System, gave me one of the units to try out.  I installed it in the day hatch of a Current Designs Sirocco that I use for my introductory sea kayaking classes.

I have been very pleased with the quality of the system and method of installation.  I should say, though, that I did not have to do any cutting on my installation.  Carl gave me a base mount that he had cut when giving demonstrations at Canoecopia.  That base mount fit in my Sirocco without any additional cutting.  The canister filled with bb’s installs quickly and easily when needed, but can be removed before lifting or carrying the kayak.  I am using 9.5 lbs of bb’s for ballast, the maximum weight recommended by the manufacturer.

Base mount installed in day hatch of the Sirocco

The Sirocco has a large enough cockpit to accommodate taller and heavier paddlers, but it is not a boat that has a high degree of initial stability making it challenging for many beginning students.  When using this kayak for classes last summer, I had several students who suffered repeated capsizes.  The only other kayak that I have used for teaching that has caused similar difficulties for students was the old Dagger Meridian which had a similarly rounded  cross section on the hull.  My hope was that adding some ballast to the Sirocco would tame some of its twitchier characteristics.

I have not carried out any specific measurable and repeatable  tests as part of this review.  My impressions are totally subjective and anecdotal, but I think that the results thus far have been significant enough to indicate that the Paddling Partner is achieving the goal of improving the feeling of initial stability for my less experienced paddlers.    As I stated earlier, I had 3 different male students who each experienced multiple capsizes during their “Intro to Sea Kayaking” classes last summer before adding ballast to the the boat.  Since installing the unit in May, I have only had one student capsize unexpectedly in the Sirocco.  This falls more within the normal number of capsizes that I expect students to experience in my classes.  I have paddled the kayak myself with and without the ballast and I would say that it does not significantly change the feel of the kayak and how it handles.  My impression is that the added weight anchored low and along the keel line slows down the speed at which the kayak crosses the line from being upright to capsizing giving  paddlers a split second of extra time in which to perceive the reduction in stability and take the appropriate measures to correct and prevent a capsize.  This extra time is critical for beginners who have not yet developed  instinctual responses to the movements of a kayak on the water.  With experience, a paddler’s reaction time tends to improve, or perhaps we just notice the reduction in stability sooner than the beginner does.

For paddlers who are under the recommended weight for their kayaks, the added ballast helps to lower the boat in the water bringing the actual waterline closer to the designer’s intended location.  Kayaks that are inadequately weighted and are sitting too high in the water will feel very tippy to the paddler.  This has not really been the issue in the case of the Sirocco in which I installed the Paddling Partner.  The students using my kayak were well within the weight guidelines for the kayak.  I think that paddlers who do not weigh enough or are using a boat designed for extended trips on day trips with no gear load are probably likely to feel a much more noticeable improvement in stability after adding a ballast system.  The three kayakers that I know who are very happily using the Paddling Partner in their own boats all fall in this latter category.  They are either smaller paddlers using boats designed for heavier people or are using an expedition kayak for day trips with minimal gear.

I sold kayaks at a local paddle sports shop for almost nine years.  One of the dilemmas faced by many sea kayakers buying their first kayak is that they want a boat that feels comfortably stable when first learning, but they don’t want something that they will quickly outgrow as their skills improve.  A Paddling Partner ballast system could be an excellent solution.  The starting kayaker can buy a more performance oriented kayak, but with the ballast system installed, he will feel more confident while first learning strokes, edging, and bracing skills.  The Paddling Partner will also help the person who wants to buy the big gear hauling kayak for the big annual kayak camping trip, but will be paddling the boat unloaded for the rest of the year.  The ballast can make up for the missing gear weight making the boat more manageable when not loaded.  At $125 for the Paddling Partner, it’s a lot less expensive than buying a second kayak.  If you already own a kayak that mostly fits your needs, but would like a little firmer feel when edging, adding a ballast system like the Paddling Partner could be the piece of gear that makes your boat perfect for you.  In the future, if Balance Solutions, LLC is able to offer the option of a longer base mount, this ballast system could be very helpful for adaptive applications in which paddlers need a greater than average amount of stability even when paddling wider recreational kayaks.

Not everyone needs ballast added to their kayaks, but this has been a suggestion that has been made over the years by noted kayaking authors such as Derek Hutchinson.  Up until now, the addition of ballast has been a do-it-yourself project in which you had to create your own method and devise a way to affix it securely to the kayak.  This wasn’t too hard in fiberglass kayaks, but it was a much more difficult proposition in plastic kayaks.  Carl has done an admirable job in creating a product that is adaptable to a wide variety of boats and materials, and I hope that this is a product that will remain available to kayakers for many years to come.

Sherri

I often find myself cautioning people not to use recreational kayaks on Lake Michigan, to be very respectful of the power of wind and waves on large bodies of water, and to take seriously the threat of immersion in cold water.  Recent events have brought home the reasons why I continue to give these warnings. At the risk of being accused of being some sort of sea kayaking elitist, I would like to share my thoughts.

On Wednesday, June 9th, a 9-year-old girl playing in a kayak as her family watched on the beach, was blown out into Lake Michigan by a strong wind.  Her father tried to swim after her, but could not swim as fast as the kayak was drifting in the wind (an example of why it is so important to hang on to your kayak and paddle after a capsize in windy conditions).  The little girl was apparently not a strong enough paddler to make progress back toward the shore from which the wind was coming (before you start feeling smug, I’ve seen plenty of adults struggle to make headway against 30-mile-per-hour winds which is what was reported in the area of the accident, especially when paddling slower less efficient recreational kayaks).  It is unclear whether the little girl fell off the kayak or perhaps jumped in thinking she would swim back to shore, but she disappeared under the water almost immediately (falling into 50-degree water wearing only a bathing suit strongly suggests that this little girl may have quickly succumbed to the effects of cold shock).  She was not wearing a life jacket that would have kept her afloat (Why should she?  How many adults would argue that the air temperature was too warm to wear a PFD and the water near shore was very calm.).

Last Friday, I was preparing to begin a class on Wind Lake at 4pm as a strong storm was approaching.  I had been monitoring the weather radio and internet radar images all afternoon.  I was hoping the storm would hold off long enough that we could get part of the class in before it rolled on through.  No such luck.  At 4pm, the students and I began to observe the lightning as we were getting the kayaks ready on shore.  We rolled the kayaks upside down and sought shelter in a nearby building and then watched in fascination as a 50-mile-per-hour storm front took the lake from flat calm to raging fury in a matter of seconds.  Waves built to over a foot (remember this is an inland lake, not Lake Michigan) and the lake was literally blowing sideways as the wind grabbed water off the tops of the waves and blew it faster than the waves could travel.  A tree snapped off next to us. It was something I will never forget, but I would have given anything to have had a video camera in my hands to record the scene to share with others.

Imagine being on one of the Great Lakes and not making the decision to get off the water soon enough.  That storm on Friday was traveling about 10 times faster than the average kayaker can paddle, and the worst of it blew through in about 15 minutes.  It is unlikely that any kayaker would have stayed upright in the winds.  This would have been a dire, life-threatening experience no matter what your skills or equipment.  Your only hope once you exited the kayak would be to hang on to your boat for flotation as you were blown through the water.  At least on Wind Lake, you would have been blown into shallow water fairly quickly.  If the storm was coming out of the west on Lake Michigan (as is often the case around Milwaukee) you would not be able to swim for shore.  If you were dressed for the water temperature, wearing a PFD, and could hang onto your boat (not an easy task), you might have been able to try re-entering the boat in 15 or 20 minutes after the storm blew through (if you kayak was not completely swamped with water).    This is the problem with recreational kayaks.  When they capsize, they fill with a lot of water and have minimal reserve bouyancy.  If you survived the 15-minute ordeal of the storm and hung on to your kayak, there still would be no chance that you could re-enter the boat.

When I suggest that someone should not paddle a recreational kayak on Lake Michigan, it is not my intent to keep them out of an elite “sea kayaker’s club” or to wreck their fun.  Rather, it is my hope that they will have a long, safe and fun life full of much kayaking.  In order to make sure that you always stay safe, please use the appropriate kayaks and equipment on the waters you paddle.  Dress for the water temperature.  Wear your life jacket.  And ALWAYS respect the power of the wind, current, and waves on any body of water.

It has been said that “it is always better to be on shore wishing you were on the water than to be on the water wishing you were on shore”.    To borrow the words of a good friend, Dick Silberman. . .

Paddle safe,

Sherri

On October 28, 2009, the State of Wisconsin enacted legislation that prohibits the transport of water or plants from one body of water to another on your boat, boat trailer, vehicle, or other gear. For kayakers that means that you need to make sure that you clean all water, mud, and weeds from the inside and outside of your kayak, paddle, and other gear when traveling between different lakes and rivers.

I’ve been doing some kayaking programs for the Brookfield Parks and Rec Department at Foxbrook Park.  Those of you who are Brookfield and Waukesha residents may be aware that launching your kayak in Foxbrook Park lake is not allowed.  The reason that kayaks and other boats are prohibited is not a matter of liability, it is an attempt to prevent the spread of non-native invasive species of plants and animals into the lake.  I have to make sure that my boats are spotlessly clean before doing programs at Foxbrook Park.

In the last decade, zebra mussels have been introduced into just about all the inland lakes of southeast Wisconsin.  I don’t know that you can pin the blame for that fact on kayakers, but I don’t know that we can be completely eliminated from suspicion, either.  Many of us, myself included, have paddled on Lake Michigan and then traveled to an inland lake for some practice a day or two later.  Any water that may have been sloshing around in the bilge of our cockpits could potentially harbor the tiny progeny of a dreaded invasive species.  Zebra mussels may have gotten a lot of press, but we could also be harboring pieces of the obnoxious algae that seems to be proliferating in every lake.

Hopefully, we would all take the time to empty and sponge out the water and mud in our kayaks before taking them somewhere else.  From now on, we are required by law to do so.

Sherri

Are you thinking about getting a tandem kayak?  I would caution you to consider this option very carefully if this is going to be your first kayak.  While tandems do have their place, in most cases I don’t think that they are the best option when you are first getting into the sport.  Here are some important points to consider before taking the plunge.

The "Big Blue Whale" - our Necky Amaruk tandem on the Fox River

1. Tandems are heavy, usually anywhere from 75-100 pounds.  Even with two adults, lifting and carrying this much weight, especially if you have to lift it on top of a vehicle, can be a significant obstacle to using the kayak.  It is much easier for two people to make two trips carrying two 45-60 pound solo kayaks than to make one trip carrying a heavy tandem.   If you are buying a recreational tandem with the idea that you can use it as a solo kayak as well as a tandem, keep in mind that you will have to lift and carry all that weight by yourself.  Even if you spend the money to get a fiberglass or kevlar kayak, you most likely will not see much, if any, weight savings.  Manufacturers can only make plastic tandems up to about 18 feet long.  Many of the composite tandems are 19-23 feet long.  Whatever weight savings you may reap from the lighter material is lost because of the added length of the composite boats.
2. Avoid buying a shorter tandem to reduce the weight.  Shorter tandems are less stable than longer tandems.  The shorter a kayak is, the less water it will displace, and in most cases the less stable it will be with two adults in it, especially if they are heavier than average adults.  Shorter tandems also create more problems because the two paddlers are sitting closer together and may end up hitting each other’s paddles if they do not keep their strokes in sync.  Shorter tandems are also less useful if you want to go camping with your kayak.  The short tandems have much less storage space when compared with two solo kayaks. Although it may be easier to store some bulkier items in a tandem because it is usually wider than a solo, the total cubic capacity is much less than two sea kayaks.
3. Would you be willing to consider getting a trailer to transport your kayak instead of cartopping?  If you have a taller vehicle, it may not be feasible for you and your partner to lift the kayak up onto the roof of your car or SUV.  Even compact cars can be used to pull a small kayak trailer, but it is more expensive to get a tow hitch mounted on your vehicle and buy the trailer than it is to simply put a rack on the roof of your vehicle.  (Don’t get me wrong, though, despite the expense a trailer is a great way to carry kayaks whether you end up with a tandem or singles)
4. Contrary to what you may think, buying a tandem may not provide you with any cost savings over buying two solo kayaks.  Especially with recreational kayaks, you can potentially buy two solo boats for the same or less than you will pay for a recreational tandem with a rudder.  While I normally don’t advocate getting a rudder on a solo kayak, I would strongly recommend that you get a rudder on any tandem kayak.  A rudder will be a huge benefit in a tandem making it easier for you and your partner to maintain a consistent paddling rhythm and avoid clashing your paddles when your strokes get out of sync.  This leads to my next questions. . .
5. How well do you get along with the person you plan to paddle with in the tandem?  There are many people that should not be in a tandem together.  Kayak guides and instructors euphemistically refer to tandem boats as “divorce boats”.  This incompatibility can be made even worse when the paddlers are just learning how to kayak.  It is always much easier to blame the other person in the boat for any difficulties when you are struggling to learn a new skill.
6. Are you looking to improve your kayaking skills?  The learning curve in a tandem is much slower.  You don’t get the immediate feedback in a tandem that you get when you paddle a solo kayak.  In a solo kayak, you usually know right away when you are doing something wrong.  The boat doesn’t go where you want it to go.  When you make a positive change in your technique, you instantly know that the problem has gotten better.  In a tandem, when the boat is not responding as you wish, it can be hard to know if the problem lies with you, your paddling partner, or both of you.  Even if you improve your technique, you may not be able to perceive any improvement in the handling of the kayaks, and skills like edging can be more difficult to learn when you have to work together as a team to accomplish them.  Do you want to learn how to roll your kayak?  While tandems can be rolled, it is virtually impossible to learn the skill in a tandem.  You will need both paddlers to learn how to roll individually in solo kayaks, and then you will need to learn how to coordinate your movements to roll the tandem.
7. Owning a tandem as your only kayak can be very limiting if your paddling partner does not want to go out kayaking as often as you do, or is not able to go out as often as you.  A solo kayak gives you the option of going kayaking any time you want.  While my husband is the person who got me started in kayaking, it turned out that I did a lot more paddling than he did.  I would have been seriously limited if I had to depend on going kayaking when he could come along.
8. Do you have kids and think that a tandem is your only option for paddling with the family?  Most kids can begin paddling their own kayak somewhere between ages 5-8.  Naturally, they will not have a lot of stamina at that age, but you can hook up a towline to your child’s boat to give them an assist whenever they need it.  Most parents don’t take their kids on long, strenuous paddles even in a tandem.  Tandems tend to be very wide and deep in the cockpit areas which can make them very awkward for children to paddle.  Regardless of whether you opt for a solo or tandem in this situation, I would strongly suggest that you buy kid-size paddles for any children in your family.  It will greatly increase their paddling stamina.
9. Tandems are generally very stable, but if they do capsize, they fill with a lot of water and can make it much more difficult to perform rescues and re-entries.  Once again, this problem is much more pronounced in the shorter tandems because the percent of the kayak that is walled off for flotation is much less than in a longer tandem kayak.
10. If you decide after awhile that the tandem you purchased wasn’t the best choice for your situation and you want to get solo kayaks instead, you will most likely find it harder to sell your used tandem.  Most people in the market for kayaks are looking for solo kayaks.  It will probably take you longer to find a buyer and you will have to come down more on your asking price than if you were selling a solo boat.

While I know that this list may make it seem like I am “anti-tandem”, that is not really the case.  My husband and I own a tandem and enjoy paddling it together at times.  It has been useful in situations where we were taking out a friend or family member who was uncomfortable on the water.  My husband took me out in the tandem for my first kayaking trip after abdominal surgery in case I found that I wasn’t able to paddle.  We took the tandem out to Colorado several years ago instead of our two solo kayaks so that I could fit my whitewater kayak on the roof rack.  While we enjoy having a tandem on occasions, I’m just glad that we got solo kayaks for our first boats.

If after seriously considering all of the above points and evaluating your own personal situation you decide that a tandem is still the best option, go for it.  I just know from personal experience selling kayaks for almost nine years that most people who thought they wanted a tandem ended up opting for two single kayaks after thinking about it more carefully.

Sherri

I’d like to applaud some paddlers I know, who shall remain nameless just in case this embarrasses them.

One former and future student of mine is taking a refresher course this summer wanting to especially learn his rescue and recovery skills.  He was already signed up before a recent unexpected capsize reinforced the need to be proficient in those areas.

A couple I know, who have also had previous instruction, took a private lesson to work on rescue skills in a tandem which was something that they hadn’t done before.  Having just purchased a new tandem, they wanted to make sure that they knew how to do the wet exits and re-entries under the unique circumstances that a tandem presents.  They also wanted to practice using the paddle float and rescue stirrup they just bought.

Several paddlers are willing to admit that they need to improve their forward stroke having already taken, or will soon be taking, a 3-hour class focusing on just that stroke alone.

Why mention these paddlers?  Because they are showing good common sense and judgment, and are being proactive about becoming kayakers with efficient and effective skills.  When was the last time you tried performing a rescue, in a real or a practice situation?  Could you stand to improve your stamina and endurance by learning to execute your strokes with greater efficiency and power?  Do you actually know how to use all that safety gear you carry?

The above-mentioned paddlers happen to be students who have taken classes from SherriKayaks Outdoor Programs, but I’m certainly not the only place that you can get good kayaking instruction.  You could immerse yourself in skill development and paddling culture by attending a symposium like the Door County Sea Kayak Symposium, among others listed on the “Events” page of this website.  I’ll be there too, and while I might be an instructor, I know I’ll be learning a lot myself as I work with the other instructors and the participants who are attending.

It’s important to keep learning and challenging yourself in life, and that applies to your kayaking as well.  The satisfaction and sense of accomplishment when you learn or master a new skill is like nothing else.  The confidence you gain by knowing you can better handle situations as they arise on the water contributes to your overall enjoyment of the sport.  And being around other people who enjoy paddling is just a lot of fun!

There is still time to take a class locally, or plan a mini-vacation to one of the beautiful destinations where kayak symposiums are usually held.  You won’t regret it!

Sherri