Every person has a side that wants to enjoy and test life to its fullest. People go for various adventurous sports activities, that offers them great excitement and thrill.
Kayaking is also one those activities which involve great adventure and a scope of experiencing fun and joy. Well, what we forget while we are doing such an activity is the amount of risk that it involves.
Taking a minute risk of life is not considered to be an idea and that is why important skills are required to be understood by the people who go out to enjoy a ride on the kayak. Bad skills can easily turn your good day into a bad one.
Kayaking skills ensure that the kayaker is safe and possess qualities that will keep him/her from any kind of accidental injury. Kayaking is not a very difficult sport activity. It involves the basic nature of simple boating and balancing. It does require focus and attention.
The key to have the best experience while kayaking is the skill of maneuvering the kayak. If you learn how to maneuver your kayak in rapid and rushing waves, then you have learned the basic feature of Kayaking.
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There are a few skills that you must know while kayaking in case of any emergency:
1. In Case Of Injury
If there is sudden accident that has taken place while you have been kayaking. In case of heavy bleeding you must hold that area tight so that blood flow stops.
Make sure you have a compact water proof bleeding kit. That should contain gloves and a big gauze pad. The person who is been wounded should sit patiently till the time dressing is completed.
Whip the wound properly so that it is dry. Keep it away from the water. Some injuries do not require an immediate help, but there could be times when an accident may cause excessive bleeding. That is the time when you need to understand and respond to it accordingly.
2. Exhaustion
While kayaking due the constant sunlight over your head and water below, there can be times when you might feel exhausted. This exhaustion could be due to lack of sugar level in your body. To deal with it you must always keep sugar close by.
When you have very low energy our brain starts to make hasty decisions. This could your first casualty. To handle the rough water or places where the weather conditions are exhaustive, you must keep a few packets of energy bars or things to eat. You must be energetic in the times of critical times.
3. Hypothermia
The water bodies have a tendency to sap heat. You must always carry measures for hypothermia prevention. Keep your body warmed up and must use the hand warmer pack till the neck to make sure that your body temperature is in control. There should be proper warming up measures. Do not over estimate your body and its condition.
Skills for repairing your kayak
There are a few skills for repairing your kayak, which is certainly very important for you to know and understand. These skills are as follows:
1. Rescue from sinking
If there comes a time when your kayak is not floating properly on the river, you must check the hatch cover. If that is poor or seal is bad, you might need to repair it as soon as possible. For this you will need to call another person for rescue. Reach the rescuers deck and hold tight the rim, while doing this both your palm should face up.
Now, the forearms should rest on the other kayak; make sure you now raise the flooded kayak to drain out water from it efficiently. Now you need to make an effective seal. This will help you to make your boat float on the water comfortably and avoids sinking of the kayak.
2. Puncture
Whether due to sharp rock or any other particle, your kayak could be damaged and to save yourself from drowning, the only way left is to make an immediate repair. With the help of another rescuer, Now turn the kayak upside down, so that you can detect the exact puncture.
You must always carry a sealed bag in your safety kit. First, you must dry the hole with a towel and make it dry and now put the tape across the puncture, so that it is sealed.
other important skills For Kayaking
1. Navigation
It becomes Harley difficult to cross the areas where the visibility is very low. Especially in the areas of where there is the presence of water.
During this time you must make sure that you stick by those areas which is shallow.
You must completely avoid the water, which is deep areas. Stay together in a group so that you can hear each other easily to navigate and tell directions.
Use your navigation skills to its best level so that you don’t land up in unknown or risky areas. Make sure that you are reading the charts and compass properly and steadily.
You must always visit in the areas which are familiar to you. Fog paddling could be very risky therefore make sure that you go on the days where it is sunny and the weather is clear.
2. Move quickly
If you see any kind of danger then you must move quickly and not wait for the act to take place. Losing each minute at this point in time would be very harmful for you therefore make sure that you don’t delay the movement at all.
3. Communication
For your safety you must learn all the communication signals that are required to be learnt by kayakers. Each signal is important in case of emergency. The Water body is one thing that can act strange at any point in time. Therefore, you must know how to communicate while kayaking.
3 Key Skills for Kayaking
Rescue a Runaway Kayak in Whitewater
Conclusion
As we all know kayaks are extremely good for those areas where there is a large water body. This happens because kayaks can handle big and rapid waves. It can also deal with high speed wind. Kayaks are designed in a way that it covers your legs by the deck.
The Life jacket is made up of material that covers your waist and keeps you dry. Kayaks are used with the help of double bladed paddle. You must remember to wear a life jacket to protect yourself from drowning. Carry appropriate emergency care kit and you must make sure that you remain within the ability limit while kayaking.
There are very less activities that can give you an experience like kayaking. There have fun and enjoy the world of kayaking safely.