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Wherever you look these days, it seems like there is a kayak. TV shows, TV commercials, magazine ads for Viagra, and just about every other car on the interstate appears to have kayaks. Once only available in specialty stores, from people who really know something about kayaks and kayaks, kayaks are now available at major sporting goods chain stores where anyone can walk in, buy a kayak, walk out of the store with it. and get into the water with absolute peace of mind. I have no idea what they are doing or what they will do when things no longer look like the fun moment they saw in the commercial. So what is the problem, you ask? What is the worst that can happen?

Well, to begin with, you could die. Kayaking is a very safe sport, extremely fun and relatively easy to practice. The cost of entry for someone who wants to join the ranks of kayakers around the world can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars, depending on the quality of the kayak and the equipment you purchase. For example, you can go to a major sporting goods store and come out with some kind of kayak, life jacket, and paddle for around $ 300.00- $ 400.00, assuming you’ve bought one of the cheapest models in the store. showroom floor, and minimal costly (read, heavy, unwieldy, and cumbersome) palette and PFDs. Will it float? Yes. Is it appropriate for the water you paddle in? Maybe, but that’s the point. Chances are, neither you nor anyone at the sporting goods store will know if a particular boat is safe or appropriate for the water you are paddling on. That is why there are specialized stores; And that’s why you should at least speak to your local kayak experts before paying a major chain store to put you at risk, for a few dollars.

Kayaking is a water sport, which means that it is done in the water. Water is not our home, no matter how at home we feel. When kayaking, there is always the possibility of taking a bath. This is true for any boat or water sport. If you end up in the water, several factors come into play that will determine your result. First, what kind of water is it? Cold water and fast-moving water are, in themselves, dangerous. Water with obstructions, visible or submerged, can also be quite dangerous if you do not know them and / or their location, or if you have an unplanned encounter with them. Marine life can pose a threat, as can wind, weather, tides, boat traffic, and just getting lost. Tidal influences, for example, left a mother and her young son stranded on a muddy plain for hours before a Coast Guard helicopter took them to safety. They were less than 400 feet from shore, but could not safely walk through the mud and it would be 5 hours before the tide gave them enough water to get out of the mud plain. Being eaten alive by mosquitoes and not seeing-ums while stuck in the mud without food or water was probably not the adventure this mother was hoping for. A little local knowledge, a map and a tide table would have helped. But you’re not likely to get any of that from a sporting goods chain.

So far, I have referred to flat water kayaking because it seems so benign; But let me take this opportunity to say simply, flatly: whitewater kayaking is absolutely dangerous and should never be attempted without instruction, and that includes surf kayaking. Basically, you could break your neck or get trapped and drown doing this type of kayak without first learning some technical skills. But even sea kayakers and kayakers planning to paddle swamps and estuaries need to learn some skills and become familiar with the tides, currents, weather, and other local details like wildlife and boating. All it takes is a bit of wind to turn a relatively calm tidal river into a choppy mess – even experts won’t row. And, along many parts of the coast, if you don’t know the tides and currents, they will likely drag you somewhere you don’t want to be and can’t go back.

Recently, in southeast Georgia, three men in their twenties undertook a 2-hour self-guided tour of a rowing trail marked with numbered markers corresponding to a free map given away at the State Park where the journey begins and ends. They did not stick to the course and did not know how to navigate or read a map. Their adventure kept them out hours after their scheduled return time and by then the wind had changed, making it impossible for them to return. They had no food and had finished the water earlier in the day. The water was warm and there was little chance that they would drown or suffer from hypothermia, but one of them was surprised by a dolphin that appeared next to their cabin and dropped him into a few feet of water. In that area, oyster beds are common and he was lucky he wasn’t injured in one. The men left the combat conditions of the surface and landed along a line of trees where they began to walk, hoping to find a way. They walked several miles before being found and finally returned to their vehicle 11 hours after setting out on their 2-hour adventure. That’s not the worst, but it’s not ideal either.

Kayaking is fun; and everyone should give it a try. But kayaking is a sport that can and has killed people who weren’t planning on dying when they dropped the kayak from its luggage rack. If you want to enjoy this sport, you must start on the right foot, with an education. You can learn more than you imagine just by taking a guided tour from a professional provider; but the classes are available for the more serious or safety conscious rowers who really want to stack the odds in their favor. Read books, kayak magazines, and surf the internet for the information you need to stay safe on the water. A little information and a lot of common sense can help you; But consider the risks and consequences inherent in the water you are going to paddle in and get the proper instructions if you really want to be as safe as possible on the water. What’s the worst that can happen? That is exactly the question you should ask yourself.

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