When You Want To Enjoy The Great Outdoors, Kayaking Can Provide Just The Right Way Do So
There is something uplifting about the great outdoors. It can help you to forget all your worries for a while and break away from the daily rut of urban life. It can help you to recover lost passion and motivation as you see mother nature offering you her best in the most effortless manner. One such way to get some exercise, and enjoy your time outdoors is to go kayaking. It can be an activity that gets your adrenaline pumping through roaring rivers or help you relax on a calm river body.
If kayaking sounds intimidating to you then it is only because you have not prepared yourself properly. When you follow the right tips for this activity, you will love it even more.
Understand Your Limits
When you are being realistic about any activity, your expectations are real and therefore the chances of being demotivated are low. Knowing your limits is a great way to start anything. In kayaking, it means that when you are new to it, go for a gentle downstream river or lake that is easy and doable. You will be able to learn some important techniques within your first trip itself. As you get more seasoned, you can venture out on difficult and longer trips. So start by booking into a place that offers easy levels of kayaking.
Get The Right Equipment
You will only be as good as your equipment with you. Do not forget to take the best kayak accessories along with the right safety gear. Your safety gear will include a whistle that you will need to use in case you want to call out for help, and spare rope when you want to get back to the shore. Practice getting in and out of your kayak with all the kayaking gear that you have so that you have the much-needed practice first.
Dress Up For Kayaking
Remember while you think dressing up for the weather is right for you, this same principle will not apply when you are in the water. As much as you would like to stay dry while you are on the kayak, it will not be possible to do so as you will eventually get wet. This is because when you paddle, the water will drip everywhere including on you. Get some clothes that will help you to maintain your body temperature. The wind when paired with water on your wet clothes will make you feel very cold. At the same time, in case of hot weather, you will need to be careful not to get a sunburn. The right sunscreen will help avoid it. You will need to shade your head with a hat and your eyes with the correct sunglasses.
Learn The Basics
Just like in any other sport activity there are some basic rules that you need to learn and follow for your safety. Kayakers use hand signals to communicate with each other and ensure safety. If you are going in a group then it’s recommended to learn them so you can communicate easily. These are helpful in case of an emergency too. Other than that you must also learn what to do in case your kayak capsizes. You will need to focus on how to roll your kayak instead of trying to always maintain stability on top of it.
Look Out For The Weather Forecast
You may have put in all the efforts to ensure that you have a good time while kayaking but all will be in vain if there is a storm. That is why it is very important that you check the weather before you make any such plans. Checking out for any obstacles that can dampen the activity is surely going to be worth all the time. Some unexpected currents and water changing levels can be very dangerous for you to be in. Practicing in calmer water on how to overcome such obstacles will help you to steer around them easily.
Take It Easy
The words ‘Go With The Flow’ stand the truest when it comes to kayaking. This is because one of the actual things that you need to do when kayaking is to go with the flow. Unless absolutely necessary and you have the experience, you should not try to fight going upstreams. With the best safety gear on your side, in the first few trips, you should not go out alone. Always have a friend or guide who is seasoned in kayaking along with you to help you in case there is some trouble.
After all, having friends around you during any type of activity just enhances the experience, doesn’t it?
