Kayaking is fun, but there is one part that’s not, and that is flipping! Inexperienced kayakers may wonder how often that happens!
Do kayaks flip easily? Is it something you really need to worry about as a first-timer with poor skills?
Luckily, kayaks are not designed to flip easily. Here are the factors that can lead to kayak capsizing:
- What type of kayak you have
- The body of water you kayak on
- The weather conditions
- Your skill level and balance
Read on and find out how to stay on top all the time while kayaking.
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Do Kayaks Flip Easily?
Most beginners are concerned about whether the kayak can flip while you sit inside or on top of it. While we know that most kayaks are designed not to flip easily, capsizing does sometimes occur. This, of course, can be dangerous.
We will take a closer look at why kayaks tip over and what you can do to lessen the chances of it happening.
1. Water Conditions
If you kayak on a calm water body with a standard recreational kayak, the chances of it flipping over is very slim unless you’re doing something foolish like leaning over.
On the other hand, if you are in rough waters, such as rapids or a rough sea, your kayak might capsize more easily. Whitewater kayaking in the ocean using a lightweight kayak will drastically increase the chance of your kayak tipping over.
If you are in rough waters, your kayak might capsize more easily.
If you paddle in a sheltered harbor with calm waters or a slow-moving river, your kayak won’t flip easily.
2. Weather Conditions
Windy conditions can cause a choppy surface. This can lead to difficulty in handling the kayak on the uneven, wavy surface. Bigger waves can also be caused by stronger winds and may capsize your kayak if you are paddling in these conditions.
Bad weather can make it quite difficult for even the most experienced kayakers out there to stay on top and stay dry. Rain and wind are some of the main reasons why any type of kayak may overturn while you paddle.
A strong gust of wind that comes from out of nowhere will definitely have a good chance of flipping your kayak over. The best precaution is to avoid the water when the weather is bad or if there are strong winds.
3. Other Boats
You’re often not the only boat on the water! Depending on where you’re going, there may be power boats in the area. If so, these boats often can kick up quite a wake behind them, particularly if they’re running at speed or doing some waterskiing or wakeboarding.
If that’s the case, stay away from power boats and be prepared to deal with their wakes. When you come across a boat wake, you want to head directly into the wake. Don’t let it broadside you, even if you have to turn your boat temporarily in the wrong direction in order to face the wave correctly.
4. Type of Kayak
If you only use a recreational kayak for kayaking, you are quite safe, and it won’t flip over easily. Whitewater kayaks are much lighter, so even small waves or windy conditions can capsize them more easily.
Regarding kayaks, it also depends on the user’s skill. Fishing kayaks sometimes flip if fishermen lean over too much to get that fish.
It can also happen that a large fish pulls the kayak over, causing it to tip over. Different types of kayaks, such as sit-inside and sit-on-top configurations, can also impact the chances of tipping over.
Choosing a well-balanced kayak will also reduce the chances of it flipping over in most conditions.
5. Skill and Experience
The lower your skill, regardless of external conditions, the higher the chances are of you going under the water due to a capsized kayak. While it can happen to anyone, those with less experience lose their balance more often than more experienced kayakers.
Kayaking isn’t usually a difficult sport, but there is some technique to it that you can only learn by doing regular kayaking.
Experienced kayakers also learn certain techniques to reduce the chances of the kayak flipping over, even in very rough conditions. Kayaks used in professional kayaking are much lighter than recreational ones, so more skill is needed to manage them.
That is why it is important for beginners not to go out on the water alone and to train with an experienced kayaker.
Simple Safety Measures When Kayaking
You need to take care of several things before you go out on the water with any kayak. It doesn’t matter whether you are a beginner or an expert; everyone needs to make sure they take precautions to stay safe.
1. Safety Gear
One of the first precautions you should take is to ensure that you have the right gear on when you go out kayaking. Every kayaker should have a life jacket on when they go out on the water to keep them safe throughout.
There are different types of life vests available for every type of condition, so make sure you choose the proper safety gear.
Make sure your gear is evenly distributed on or in your kayak.
2. Choose the Right Conditions
This is also important: if you are interested in kayaking, choose the best and safest paddling conditions for your skill level. Don’t go out on the water if there are weather changes, such as the wind picking up or if there are any predictions for rain.
If you don’t have the proper training and experience, you should not go out whitewater paddling or rapid kayaking.
3. Correctly Arrange Your Gear for Balance
Make sure your gear is evenly distributed on or in your kayak so that the weight is evenly balanced. When the weight is evenly distributed, keeping your balance using your torso will be much easier, thus preventing your kayak from flipping.
Techniques To Prevent Flipping
Fortunately, there are a few techniques you can use to reduce the chances of your kayak flipping over.
1. Low Brace
The low brace technique is a great method to recover your balance when your kayak is about to flip over. This is the first technique any beginner should master before they go out on the water on their own.
To practice this technique, you must lean over to the side, push down, and slap the surface of the water as you lose your balance.
2. High Brace
This is a more advanced method than the low brace and is effective when your kayak is tilted almost completely to one side. The high brace is a very powerful stroke that will help you recover your balance while paddling.
It is basically the same as the low brace and is executed similarly by pushing against the surface. Both these methods are a great option and may save your life on open water.
Conclusion
We now know that a kayak does not easily capsize in normal conditions. But there are some cases where they do flip over. Hopefully, these methods will help you the next time you go out paddling your kayak.
