Questions tagged [kayaks]
Questions referring specifically to Kayaks. Kayaks can come in a few forms. There are Sit in kayaks and Sit on Top kayaks, both come single or tandem. You can have kayaks made from plastic or fibreglass, as well as inflatables.
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Are longer kayaks faster than shorter ones?
I've been researching which kayak I'd like to buy, and I keep coming across the notion that longer kayaks are faster than shorter ones. I can understand that shorter kayaks have a greater tendency to ...
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How does one steer a two-person kayak?
My wife and I recently bought an inflatable, tandem kayak. I grew up canoeing and we've had many enjoyable outings on the water together, so I thought two-person kayaking would be relatively easy. ...
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Is there a kayak / paddleboard for large people?
I am a very large man - I am 6'4" and weigh 450 pounds (I've lost a 100 pounds in the last year). I bike or walk everyday, (and swim laps occasionally) but want to add another sport to my exercise ...
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What is the difference between a Canoe and a Kayak?
Canoes and Kayaks have a lot in common, and for the most part I can look and say that is a Canoe and that is a Kayak. But I have been seeing some vessels that blur the line between them. It seems ...
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Plastic or fiberglass for a kayak?
I'm an intermediate level kayaker but have only paddled plastic boats. I'm looking for a kayak to do multi-day trips in on the ocean. What are the differences between plastic and fiberglass?
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Can I use one helmet for both kayaking and skiing?
I am doing little kayaking and just a bit more skiing (the seasons for both are very short where I live). Both of these need helmets, but I feel reluctant to buy 2 items, each of which will see little ...
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If you are kayaking on a lake when whitecaps start happening, what is the best direction to get off the lake?
I am stealing Charlie Brumbaugh's question about canoeing on an open lake, because for kayaking you would get different anwers, and it's important to distinguish those.
If you are kayaking on a lake ...
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Why are we moving in circles with a tandem kayak?
We just bought a tandem kayak, we took it to the water and we can’t make it go straight.
My husband is bigger than me so he sits on the back. We rented kayaks before, so we are wondering if it could ...
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Kayaking in the UK
My husband and I are both avid walkers / hikers but for a long time have been wanting to get into kayaking. Both of us have kayaked in the past. Separately we did it on school trips - many years ago - ...
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Is there a difference in performance between a fishing kayak and touring kayak?
Last year my wife and I rented a couple of SOT kayaks and used them to paddle around our local lake. We enjoyed it so much we have decided to purchase our own this year.
We are looking at some entry ...
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How can I take my dog kayaking?
I wonder if there are any dog crazy people like me out there who have ever tried to take their dogs kayaking or floating down the river. Has anyone seen anything created for dog-friendly kayak ...
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What’s the best thing to wear on your hands when sea kayaking in very cold weather?
What product or combination of products best protects your hands while kayaking in winter? I’m interested in a system which provides comfort for extended paddling but also the peripheral activities ...
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How do choices in design of a paddle-craft influence its handling characteristics?
If you imagine cutting a canoe or kayak along each axial plane, you get three shapes. If you cut along the waterline and look down from above, you get the plan. Cut thwart-wise at the widest point ...
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What safety equipment should I carry for sea-touring by kayak?
What equipment should I carry in case of emergency on a coastal kayaking trip? I normally do short trips (1 week or less) around the islands of northwest Scotland. I tend to travel solo (sometimes no ...
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What factors should I be aware of when storing a kayak?
I've seen various images / comments online of how people decide to store their kayaks.
Some people wall mount them, some have a rack, some stack them with padding, some hang them (horizontally / ...
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Can I use a Canoe Paddle with a Kayak?
I am thinking about getting a Kayak, I am very comfortable paddling my canoe with a single paddle.
My motivation is that I can canoe silently with a single canoe paddle that does not need to break ...
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Kayaks vs canadians (canoes) from a beginner's perspective
As far as I know canoeing is the generic term which contains e.g. canadians and kayaks. What do I have to look for as an absolute water sports beginner in terms of:
costs
knowledge (eskimo roll and ...
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Is it possible to put a kayak in the water in Berlin and reach the Baltic via lakes and rivers?
Looking at a map, it seems possible to kayak from Berlin to the Baltic with minimum portage. Does anyone know if this is possible or if any information sources exist?
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What's a realistic distance to expect boys aged 11-17 to sea kayak in a single day?
I'm thinking about taking my Scout troop (boys aged 11-17) on a sea kayaking trip. What expectations should I have for the distance that we can travel in one day? Assume good weather (clear skies, ...
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White-water (slalom) kayak in calm waters (lake)?
I plan to spend this Summer near a lake and would like to start kayaking.
I have never kayaked before. I would like to get a second hand kayak, but the only one I can find nearby is a wild-water ...
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What are the options for kayak self-rescue without a paddle float?
In a standard kayaking class, you're taught solo self-rescues using a paddle float and assisted rescues using another kayak. Then there are eskimo rolls. But I've also heard about other self-rescue ...
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In kayaking how would you escape an underwater whirlpool current if you were trapped in one?
In kayaking I've heard a term called the 'washing machine'. Apparently as a river is flowing over terrain it can create whirlpools and currents that swirl in all manner. Occasionally a condition can ...
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Where should a person who can't hold a paddle sit in a tandem kayak?
This question is related to this, and perhaps others on the site, although I don't think it's an exact duplicate.
I have friends who would like to take a two-person kayak trip down a stream in the ...
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What is the best way to transport a kayak?
I am planning on purchasing a kayak for next year, and am trying to strategize on how to transport my boat. I have a small 4 door car no rack and my wife has a slightly larger 4 door crossover style ...
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How to dry paddling gloves
I currently use MEC Humboldt paddling gloves for cycling in warm/cool - windy/wet weather as they offer better protection than my thin runnning gloves and are not as hot as my winter gloves. My issue ...
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How do you repair a plastic kayak?
So roughly a month ago my other half and I brought ourselves each a SOT plastic kayak, we've been out on the water for maybe 2 hours total paddling time, but mine filled up with water.
We found a ...
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What types of kayaks are suitable for occasional class 1 and 2 rapids
According to the scale on this Wikipedia page (the International Scale of River Difficulty), what are the types of kayaks in the following list that are suitable to occasionally handle class 1 and 2 ...
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Preventing hand blisters while paddling
I went kayaking for the first time this weekend, and it was a blast! Unfortunately, I also ended up with some abraded skin on my hands, where the paddle shaft had chaffed the skin. I've done other ...
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Kayakers throwing their paddles when running waterfalls
I was watching a YouTube video featuring clips from award winning kayaking films.
One thing I immediately noticed was multiple instances of kayakers running waterfalls who seem to be intentionally ...
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Will a laser pointer work for pointing at whitewater?
I have been doing whitewater kayaking for some time now, and still have a great deal to learn. For difficult places, it is normal for me to stand outside and talk about which lines are good and which ...
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How did cartographers map out shores before modern times?
I was down at high rock lake N.C. and I was making a little map of the shore lines in my kayak, or at least going to. I ran into a problem, I could not judge the distance from the last mark I made to ...
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Is it likely to be my technique or my muscles that cause my arms and shoulders to ache so soon after I start kayaking?
I've never had a stamina or ache problem with rowing a row-boat or paddling a canoe, although my limits have declined with age. However, my arms and shoulders tired very quickly the few times I tried ...
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How do I Eskimo roll a kayak?
If I am whitewater or sea kayaking, it is possible that my kayak will get overturned leading to a live or death situation.
I've heard that it is possible to roll the kayak so it is right side up ...
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How to avoid cracking your windshield while strapping down a kayak
I have an 18 ft. fiberglass sea-kayak, which I mount to the roof-rack of my junky old station wagon with Yakima "Sweetroll" saddles - ratchet straps around the saddles and bow and stern to the bumpers....
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What is a "stitch-and-glue" kayak?
I decided to kill some time today and look at pictures of wooden kayaks online. I kept seeing the phrase "stitch-and-glue" with respect to some of the kayaks. What does this term mean?
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Do dog life jackets have the same ratings as humans?
I'm looking into purchasing a dog life jacket for kayaking with our Shetland Sheepdog puppy, when he is fully grown (6months, he's currently almost 4months).
Ideally this will be for rough water such ...
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Cargo capacity of a kayak
I've been paddling three times (one week each) in rental (Canadian) canoes. My girlfriend and me brought all gear and food with us and there still was plenty of room for our dog in the boat.
I know ...
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How to make my kayak Eskimo roll reliable in rough water?
How do I develop my kayak “Eskimo roll” from something I can do most of the time in a calm lake or pool to something I can trust to work close to 100% of the time in real sea or river conditions?
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Which buoys and markers should I look out for when kayaking (or other water-recreational sports)?
I live near the ocean (South Shore MA) and am new to kayaking. So far, I've paddled in streams and rivers that connect to that ocean. My last kayaking adventure involved me being oblivious to boaters ...
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How to fix a leak in a fibreglass kayak?
I have got an old kayak from a friend of mine who no longer needs it. As he told me, there are 3 leaks in that Kayak, one of them is very visible being a coin-sized hole (:D). The others are pretty ...
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Why should the heavier person sit in the back of a tandem kayak?
Today I went to paddle with a friend and he said that I should sit in the back because I'm heavier. But why is that?
How does this help with the weight distribution or handling of the kayak?
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What attributes does a good reliable beginner kayak have?
My Wife and I are looking into getting into recreational kayaking, no rapids or anything. Trying to find a good reliable Kayak that we both can get. We are looking for a sit in and ideally with some ...
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How to lock a kayak
In my garage, and when it is parked around town, I lock my bike to a rack via a U-lock or at least a cable lock.
How should I similarly secure my kayak?
I realize that a determined thief can break ...
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"Unsinkable" sit-on-top kayaks
Several plastic sit-on-top kayaks are being marketed as "unsinkable" and "sea-worthy". However, I read that few people had to beach when the did not close the front hatch properly.
My question is: ...
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What are the navigation considerations on the Ohio River between Pittsburgh PA.& Wheeling WV?
I want to travel by canoe from Pittsburgh Pa to Wheeling, West Virginia on the Ohio river.
What are the navigation considerations? Also I will have a bike and trailer for the canoe, will be ...
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Roof rack system suitable for both bicycle and kayak?
My wife & I are just getting into (non-sea/ocean) kayaking and biking, and we're thinking about ways to transport our equipment on our car.
My guess is that once a pair of cross-bars are set up ...
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Training for Kayaking out of season
Kayaking is a lot of upper body and core strength, with an amount of lifting as well. Outside of the good weather kayaking season - winter months for Sit on Tops for example - what are good ways to ...
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Keeping your butt dry in a kayak
I have started looking at sit on top kayaks. Several have looked promising. Though I just realized, in most of them the lowest point in the boat is where your butt goes. I normally travel in a canoe ...
- 30.2k
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Kayak for fishing and low class rapids?
I am in the market for a kayak and am wondering what type of kayak or what features I should look at given my requirements. Here's the details you'll probably need to help me out:
I'm 6'1" and 215 ...
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Kayaking with a shotgun
I like using small boats for duck hunting. I was recently given a sit-in two-seater kayak that I have painted and I am ready to take out on the marshes. Although I have used small canoes and the ...
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