Paddling and kayaking is an individual sport. It is best done in the summers, but doing it in winters is also a great thing to do. It is ideal to be done in a beach with small waves. Though kayaking is an individual sport, but doing it with a companion is also great fun. It is a great source of help and security if you are doing it with a companion. There are those who paddle in kayaking and if you go for that, you need to adhere to standards of safety. Kayaking is an enjoyable adventure sport.
There are certain utilities you must carry with you while you go for kayaking. You must have a paddle which helps to navigate and float, a bilge pump, not to forget an extra paddle in case one of it gets drowned. Though the blade needs to be removable but if you are too sceptical about that, you might want to look into a shovel and a rubber band joint for rowing. In case, there are any manoeuvres in kayaking say roll over or anything else, you need to detach the flip immediately hence this setup is important. Though using this setup will not provide you the freedom for an Eskimo roll as well as more manoeuvres similar to it. Getting a leash is another safe option to choose from. This leash acts as a telephone cord elastic wire and helps to rotate on the wrist strap.
These were some of the must have things everyone must have. However, there are instances when daylight timings are an issue. That is why, there is a flashlight which is needed to be carried all the time with us. There should also be a supplement torch battery with you in case battery of this one gets worn out. There should be a fanny pack or holster with you which must include items like a knife, a signalling mirror and a mini horn which is more of a compact air horn. The knife works a lot if you are kayaking and your safety belt has stuck while a signalling mirror is great to use as waves block all of the majority of sound.
There should also be a radio phone or a satellite phone to be carried in case of emergencies. Even if you are miles away from land, a satellite phone can help rescue you. You should also have a winding based drier and spare clothes in case of manoeuvring at the cost of health. In case you lose track of your path and are waiting for help, you might want to just put your hands inside the boat and keep your hands up tight so that you can stay hot and there is no or less dissipation of heat from the body. Many times it is also advised that if you are going into uncharted waters, you must bring thermos flask with some heated drinking liquid in it. Carrying food is also a good idea.
The best part to avoid natural calamities is reading a weather forecast. Most of the times, forecasts have saved a lot of potential accidents from happening. You can also inform about the route you are planning to follow so that there is a bread crumb trail to find you. The best way to get saved in a situation like this is to avoid hypothermia and to not take it lightly. That being said, taking a medical self-help kit is a great idea.
You must also carry a GPS if you are going in an unexplored terrain and avoid getting lost. There can also be some noise makers like pressure horns to scare away bugs and animals as it is a working and great equipment to have. Self-saving involves some techniques one must know. One of these techniques is manoeuvring over bad tides. One of these is paddle float. It involves a lot of skill and technique to master, but is worth the hard work.
Choosing the correct apparel is also a choice of make or break. At different times of the year, apparel choices change, however, you cannot go for an all season kayak wear in extreme winters. You can go for wind cheddars and decathlon shorts as they are very water friendly and have proven to be a good choice in the past for a kayaking wear. Layered clothing is the best. If in case your winters are not that cold during the day, you can wear a layer less and can wear it at night. You should also carry more of a warm body cover material for an easy kayaking experience.
Introspection is also very important when it comes to adventure sports. We must understand our body limits as well as the extent to which we can push our minds. If we are going for kayaking, it is not the physical, but mental endurance which comes into play as concentration at par levels is difficult to achieve. For everyone has different ways of doing so, many prefer listening to music while others go for shovelling warm up to maintain their concentration in that field.
Kayaking is more of a way to fight your inner fears and increase physical endurance of your body. While going alone might be a good idea at a veteran level, for starters, you must accompany a companion for the ease of kayaking. Being well prepared in advance gives you a lot of edge over unprepared individuals.