How to Kayak - A beginners guide
First up it's important before you go paddling to make sure you have the correct clothing on, we’ve gone into this in more detail here!
Pre Paddle Check
Before you jump in its important to check to see if the boats has any holes (other than the cockpit and maybe a drainage bung!) A boat that fills up and sinks really will spoil your days fun. Make sure the bung is screwed in by the way!!Next check the foot rests and back rest, a good efficient forward stroke is all about body rotation not an all arm gun show, and these points of contact between you and the boat are very important to how you kayak. You will need to adjust the foot rest so that you have good even pressure on both feet, as you paddle forwards and pull with your right arm you will be pushing on your right foot rest and visa versa. The back rest is important for two reasons, firstly as you push with your feet it stops you falling off the back of your seat and second, helps maintain a good upright body posture, again this is very important. DO NOT SLOUCH IN YOUR BOAT!
Getting on the Water
There’s two main ways of getting in the water: The first option in known as the seal launch. If you have a nice flat bank or beach that is level with the water simply pop your boat down on the ground, get in and shuffle your way to the water like a seal would! Easy and simple. The second option is if you’re getting in from a bank or jetty.
- Firstly put your boat in the water parallel to the bank.
- Sit yourself down on the bank and put your legs in the boat.
- Next carefully reach across and put one hand on the far side of the kayak cockpit at about the middle of the cockpit. Leave you other hand holding onto the bank.
- Next keeping your weight as low as you can lift yourself up and across over the seat, slide your legs into the boat and get your bum down as quick as you can.
- If this has gone well grab your paddle, you need to make sure you have left this in easy reach! If this has gone wrong your now in the water! Empty your boat and start this step again.
Moving your boat - The Basics
Fingers crossed your now in your boat with your paddle, footrest and backrest are adjusted and comfortable and you’re ready to move- the important part of learning how to kayak!! (I am assuming you’re right handed! If not just reverse everything)
Hold your paddle so your hands are about shoulder width apart, hold the paddle tight in your right and lose in your left hand. You will turn the paddles with your right hand so the blades are perpendicular to the boat when you drag it through the water. This should become clear when your sat in the boat!
- Now the main thing to concentrate on is a nice even paddle stroke on either side. A lot of people will hop in a boat and complain there boat keeps turning to the left, the reason for this is most people are right handed and your right arm is slightly dominant and stronger resulting in the boat turning to the left as you move along.
- Place the blades in the water roughly by your feet and try and get the paddles as vertical as possible. When placing the blades rotate your body (not just your arms) as much as possible.
- Start to rotate your body back, as you rotate push on your footrest and pull the blade through the water close to the side of the boat. Try to keep your other hand (top hand) at roughly eye level as your bottom hand moves through the water. The length of your stroke will change depending on what boat and water conditions you’re in. For the purposes of this beginner guide though think about putting your paddle in by your toes and take it out by your hip.
- Now you need to do the same on the other side! Take the right blade out of the water, cock your right wrist so the left blade can now enter the water vertically, rotate your body (left arm forward) again, plant the blade in the water, rotate, push and pull again keeping the blade close to the boat. And that’s your basic forward stroke, continue this on both sides fingers crossed your now be going in a straight line! Couple of top Tips on how to kayak in a straight line
- Try to keep your forward stroke close to the side of the boat to keep the boat running straight through the water.
- Place the blades further away from the boat to turn the boat or to correct it of you going off course.
- Don’t over grip your paddle especially on your control hand, over gripping can cause fatigue, relax and enjoy.
- Look at something on the bank that is straight ahead of you and keep focused on it - this should help you go in a straight line.
Getting out the Boat
So you’ve been for a paddle and now it’s time to get back to the side and get out, getting out is pretty simple and is just like getting in but in reverse. If you can find a level piece of bank or beach to slide up on, perfect! If you can’t and you have to jump out on a bank then pull up alongside it and pop your paddle on the land. Now put one hand on the back of the cockpit and one on the bank, next in one swift cat like manoeuvre try to lift your bottom up out of the boat so that you can either stand in the boat or at least get your bum on the back deck of the boat, then move your weight across on to the land, keep your weight as low as you can at all times and always keep hold of the boat.Where can I paddle
Here I can only give you local information sorry! The Thames is a truly lovely river that has something to offer for everyone at different times of the year! To paddle on the Thames ideally you should have either a Thames license which is available from the Environment Agency (E.A) or be a member of the BCU. The Thames offers everything from quiet laid back summer crusing to full on white water play boating (normally this only occurs in the middle of winter though) and the EA really do fall over them self to encourage kayakers to get out and enjoy this fantastic river. There are also a number of other rivers that can be enjoyed for further information have a look at Pub Paddles a great and very informative book with hundreds of suggested trips in the south east.
