Holding A Paddle

The paddle, an essential part of your kayak gear, needs to be held in a manner that will create optimum performance for your kayak, and maximum comfort for you. Hold your paddle with both hands so that the middle of the paddle shaft is centered between your thumbs. You don't have to grip it very tightly, you may wear yourself out that way. Hold the paddle over your head with your upper arms horizontal and your forearms vertical. This is the maximum power position for paddling.

Tippy Kayaks

Well-designed kayaks wiggle easily in the water. You actually need to lean your kayak in order to turn it. When you are sitting in your kayak, you will feel that it is easy to tilt your boat a few degrees, but increasingly hard to make it lean any further. Then, it feels almost impossible to go any further. This is called secondary stability. That means a kayak is easy to lean and very hard to flip, no matter how "tippy" it feels.

Using A Bilge Pump

In shallow water, you can invert a kayak to dump out any water that's found it's way into the hull. However, if the wake from a power boat suddenly sends a pile of water into your kayak when your out in deep water, you will need a plan. Bailing cans can be awkward, but a bilge pump will save your day. A bilge pump stores nicely under deck rigging, and is within arms length when you need it. Shove the bottom down into the bilge, and start working the handle up and down. Make sure you direct the stream of water overboard, and you may want to keep a bilge sponge on hand to get the last few drops.

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