Sea Kayaking Safety and Gear Checklist
- Mitch
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Pacific Northwest Paddling
Sea kayaking opens up incredible places to explore, but paddling on large bodies of water requires more skill than poking around a small, protected lake.
Paddling in the Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands, and the outer coast brings hazards such as wind, currents, boat traffic, and cold water into the equation.
Most guided trips are designed with beginners in mind, but as you begin venturing out on your own or with friends, clubs, or paddling partners, it becomes important to develop both the skills and judgment needed to paddle safely.
Skills and Safety
Before venturing onto open water, paddlers should have a few fundamental skills.
At a minimum, you should know how to:
• Rescue yourself and assist others
• Control your kayak with and without a rudder or skeg
• Avoid dangerous situations before they develop
• Stay put or turn around when the conditions warrant it
If you want to start building these skills, our Fundamentals of Sea Kayaking (FOSK) class introduces the core techniques used for sea kayaking around the Puget Sound and San Juan Islands.
People Hazards
Puget Sound is a working waterway. Power boats, tugboats, ships - never try to pass in front of one, or between a tug and what it is towing. Make yourself visible, but never assume right-of-way, or that they can see you!
Survival Skills
When paddling in wilderness situations, it is best to know how to administer aid on the spot, and have the means to contact outside help. First Aid/CPR classes and how to avoid and treat hypothermia are a must.
Signal flares and VHF radios are good for summoning help, but do not make you any safer - they only help you when things have gotten out of hand.
If you are going to be on the coast, you must know how to negotiate the surf. This requires practice, because the surf zone is particularly dangerous. You must know how to time your entry and exit through the surf zone, and how to brace when you need to.
Also be aware that landing spots are few and far between, and without proper planning, you can be in for a long paddle on an open coast, with no place to land.
In other words, don't take any trip lightly.
Sea Kayaking Gear Checklist
Basic sea kayaking safety gear includes:
Boat and flotation
• Kayak with sealed bulkheads or flotation bags
• Sound hull and deck
• Properly fitted spray skirt
Clothing
• Appropriate immersion protection
• Rain gear
• Spare clothing stored in a dry bag
Personal safety
• Life jacket (PFD) with whistle
• Signal flares carried on your person
Rescue equipment
• Bilge pump
• Paddle float
• Tow line
Paddles
• Primary paddle
• Spare paddle secured on deck
Navigation
• Chart or map
• Tide or current information
Comfort and protection
• Sunscreen
• Lip protection
• Hat and sunglasses
What to Wear Kayaking in Cold Water
Proper thermal protection is needed to prevent, or at least slow, rapid heat loss. After 10-15 minutes of immersion, most people lose the use of their hands, arms, and legs due to the lack of blood being pumped to the extremities. This makes any kind of rescue procedure difficult if not impossible.
Dress for the water temp, not the air!
Dry suits are comfortable even when it's warm out. You can always wet the outside of the suit to cool off.
Wet suits, w/paddling jacket or dry top, are flexible outfits for warmer or marginal conditions, but never as comfortable or warm as a dry suit
Check out our Cold Water Kayaking blog for more specific info on what to wear paddling in the Pacific Northwest.
Hypothermia
The greatest single danger to sea kayakers. Hypothermia is the lowering of the core body temperature. If allowed to drop too far, the body cannot generate enough heat on its own to rewarm. Immersion in cold water robs your body of heat 25 times faster than air.
The average salt water temperature in the Puget Sound and San Juan Islands ranges from 46° in the wintertime to 53° in the summer. Fresh lake and river water are much colder in the winter!
Common Sea Kayaking Safety Mistakes
Many paddling accidents happen because small problems compound into larger ones. Common mistakes include:
• Dressing for the air temperature instead of the water
• Not practicing rescues before paddling open water
• Skipping weather and wind forecasts
• Carrying safety gear but not knowing how to use it
• Overestimating distance or underestimating currents
Avoiding these mistakes goes a long way toward making sea kayaking safer and more enjoyable.
Paddling Trips
Until you learn more, and build your confidence and skills to the point where you can safely explore on your own, it is best to go on trips with more experienced paddlers, either friends you trust, paddle clubs, or commercial outfitters. This is a good way to learn different areas, and the vagaries of the sea environment with people who (hopefully!) will not put you in over your head.
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