Inflatable Kayak Blog

Taking good care of your kayak is important, but taking care of your accessories is important, as well. One of your most valuable accessories is your life jacket or paddling vest. It should be cleaned and checked periodically. Most of the time, you’ll find specific instructions for caring for your particular PFD on the manufacturers’ label. Recommended cleaning methods may vary, but in almost all cases you should not put your PFD in the washer or dryer. This could damage it. Also, make sure it’s dry before putting it away for the winter. Giving it a chance to air dry outdoors will usually suffice. Also, don’t store a life jacket in plastic because that will trap in moisture, which can result in mold damage. Check all the straps, zippers or clips for any damage, too.

Keeping your personal flotation device (PFD) in good shape isn’t very complicated but it pays off in the long run. A good life jacket or paddling vest will last a long time if cared for properly.

Choosing the length of your kayak paddle can be confusing, especially for beginners. First off, understand that most anyone can use most any paddle and get the job done. So, paddle length is not such a crucial factor that it will destroy the fun you’ll have in your kayak. After you’ve been paddling for awhile, you’ll have a better idea what you like or don’t like in a paddle. If you do have a choice in paddle length, here are a couple of general questions to ask your self.

1 – What type of kayak are you going to paddle? Hard shell and folding kayaks tend to be narrower while inflatable kayaks tend to be wider.
2 – How tall are you? Taller people generally use a longer paddle. However, this is an area where exceptions may eventually occur. Some people have a more upright paddle stroke while others are flatter which could result in taller people choosing a shorter paddle or vice versa.

Cannon Paddles has taken these two areas and put together an excellent kayak paddle length guide that helps you choose the length of your paddle, factoring in your height and the width of your kayak. A quick look at their paddle sizing chart and you can make a basic decision on where to start. Eventually, down the road (or should I say down river) you may change paddles but at least you’re starting out with a reasonably good fit.

National Safe Boating Week (May 16 – 22, 2009) takes us right up to Memorial Weekend, which is always a busy time for boaters and paddlers. This year the National Safe Boating Council is spreading the message of safe and responsible boating with the “Wear It!” safety campaign, increasing awareness about the importance of always wearing a life jacket or PDF (personal flotation device) while on the water. To learn more about life jacket wear and the options that are available when it comes to comfortable and lightweight life jackets, you can go to the safe boating campaign web site page that features Life Jacket Information.

Cold water can rapidly incapacitate and even kill a paddler in a very short time, removing heat from the body 25 times faster than cold air does. Survival can be reduced to minutes. Cold shock is what happens when you are suddenly immersed in cold water. The most common shock response is not being able to control breathing. There is a gasp reflex that happens as soon as your skin is in contact with the water, and if you head is underwater you will immediately drown. This can only be prevented if you wear your PFD at all times.

Following the hue gasps comes hyperventilation. This causes diminished blood flow to the brain resulting in confusion, dizziness and possible loss of consciousness. Prolonged hyperventilation can cause a tingling in the hands and feet, which progressively develops into severe cramping of the extremities.

Finally there is a risk of heart attack. When your head and chest are exposed to cold water there is a sudden increase in heart rate and blood pressure that may result in cardiac arrest. You could also experience pain, claustrophobia and general disorientation caused by the other shock responses, which will also raise the heart rate and blood pressure beyond normal and can also trigger a heart attack.

Whether you are an experienced cold weather paddler and are familiar with this dangerous aspect of paddling or if you are just starting out in cold weather let this serve as a reminder to keep safe and know what to expect from very cold water.

You might think that it’s a long and tedious process to pump up an inflatable kayak, pontoon or float tube every time you go out, but it’s really not that difficult or time consuming. People often say that’s why they wouldn’t own an inflatable boat, but when you compare the time it takes to strap the boat on top of a car or truck or deal with a trailer, spending 8 to 10 minutes inflating your kayak is minimal effort. The high-pressure bellows style pumps that come with most inflatable kayaks can really blow some air with very little foot pressure.

There are also electric inflatable boat pumps that can be hooked to vehicle batteries or plugged into cigarette lighter outlets that can speed the process up. They won’t do the whole job though. Electric pumps normally don’t inflate your boat completely. You’ll need to ‘top it off’ with your foot or hand pump.