You should also wear a hard-shell helmet if you’re going white-water kayaking or kayaking in a river. It’s not a good idea to do this your first time out, though.
If you’re getting into a kayak from a dock, you don’t need to worry about finding a calm spot to take the boat out.
You don’t need to do this if the kayak is tied to a dock.
If the paddle is in front of you and you drop it in the water, it may float away.
If you’re getting in from a dock, use the edge of the dock to balance yourself. Set your feet inside the cockpit and stay low to balance your weight. Balance the paddle on the edge of the dock while you get in and sit in the seat. If there are footrests inside of your kayak, put your feet on them. Most people do not wear shoes when they’re kayaking. If you do want to wear shoes, throw on some water shoes.
If you’re with any other people, ask someone to just push you into the water. This is a lot easier than scooting yourself in. If you’re embarking from a dock, either wait for the tie rope to be untied by the dockmaster or untie it from the boat yourself and leave it tied to the cleat on the dock.
If you aren’t comfortable while you’re holding the paddle, you’re doing it wrong. The paddle should feel comfortable in your palms. You don’t need to squeeze the handle hard to hold it. However, don’t relax your grip to the point that your hands slide around the bar.
When you paddle, orient the blades so that they’re perpendicular to the surface of the water.
Keep your feet on the footrests while you’re paddling. If you don’t have footrests, keep your feet stretched out in front of you. You can bend your knees a little bit if it’s more comfortable for you.
Most of your power comes from your chest, not your arms. This is why coiling your upper body back is important when you start paddling.
If it helps, imagine that you’re turning two gears with each arm moving in opposite directions. The arm moving forward turns at the same time as your other arm lowers back behind you.
If you’re paddling correctly, you should eventually feel your core, chest, and shoulders getting sore at roughly the same time.
Your chest turns in the opposite direction that you’re moving the paddle to compensate for the shift in your center of gravity. Maintain your center of balance while doing this. It can be kind of tempting to lean towards the paddle while you do this, but you may fall into the water if you lean too far.
To slow down while turning at the same time, just stick one of your blades into the water and hold it still. To turn right, put your right blade underwater. To turn left, stick your left blade underwater.
If it’s more comfortable, point the blade towards your kayak and pull it towards you on the opposite side to move the same direction.
If you’re taking the kayak out of the dock, grab the strap on the front of the kayak and pull it up on to the dock.
