Les Allen
Jo Bulsing
Tahe Kayaks
in WA
Most people at this stage are not really sure if they are going to like it, how well they will do or what to do if they capsize. This is quite normal as it is an unknown, which is why most people when they first start out set very low goals and think it might be better to buy a sit-on top, just to see what it is like. The difference between a cheap sit on top and a sea kayak is impossible to describe. Cheap sit-on tops are more of a toy to be played on while you are down the beach. If that is what you want then you have purchased the right craft. A sea kayak is an ocean going kayak that offers speed, comfort, performance and safety. A sea kayak is for people who want a sport, to see the coast of WA or a recreational pursuit that can develop to offer a range of opportunities. With sea kayaking you can go out in storms for an adrenalin rush, surf , play in rock gardens and reef, exercise the whole of your body, relax on calm days and discover a world of your own or paddle on a balmy summer evening marveling at the lights with the only sound being the dip of your paddle. Sea kayaking can offer a lot of different things and is suitable for all ages and fitness levels, providing you know what you are doing.
If you have not purchased a boat yet it is worth while coming to a training session and learning about kayaks and talking to people who own boats to make sure you make the right choice first time. I see many people who buy the wrong boat first off then find it was an expensive mistake.
If you have already bought a boat, you need to get some knowledge and skill that will take you out of the very high risk bracket and bring you down to a low risk paddler. This can be done with L1 skills and knowledge, combined with some additional equipment. Our training days will equip you to start down that road.
Novice paddlers when they first start out have very modest ambitions as they do not know what their kayak is capable of. I have paddled 128 km out to sea to the Montibellow Islands, crossed Bass Straight and paddled from Israelite Bay to Broome. Now most people would not contemplate these paddles but it gives you some idea of what a good sea kayak is capable of. With the right training and equipment you can explore this wonderful coast and see some amazing things. Our training can do all this for you.
Some of the things you should be aware of.Off shore winds If there is an offshore wind forecast you will not see how strong that wind is until you start to get off shore. Then it will get rougher, harder to turn and handle the seas. For novice paddlers, off shore winds are by far the most dangerous conditions you can paddle in because the danger is not evident until it is too late.
Capsize. You must be able to get back into or onto you boat in the conditions you have capsized in. Don't think "it won't happen to me" or "I will just swim in". Capsize drills are the first thing you should master.
Sea Sickness, injury or fatigue. Having a way of communicating with the shore, paddling with a competent paddler who has the skill, strength and equipment to get you back to safety is a must as one day you will need it.
Kayak strike On the shore or in the water you must always be on the ocean side of your boat. A 10 cm wave can accelerate you boat to 10 to 12 km per hour in a distance of 20 cm. 25 to 30 kg hitting you can damage or break legs, stun you if it hits you in the head or sprain ankles and knees. All these things have happened and do happen regularly to new paddlers. To imagine the forces at play think of two people holding your kayak at head hight and you run into it a full pace. Yes that's the type of forces that a boat can hit you with in very small waves.
Skill, knowledge and equipment solve all of these and many, many more of the risks of ocean kayaking.
