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In the words of Chris Duff, whose solo circumnavigation of New Zealand's South Island is chronicled in his book Southern Exposure, "when I tell them I am afraid of the sea, I want them to believe me."
This man, above all, should know. He paddled 1,700 miles of perhaps the most exposed coast on Earth (photo at right), at times battling 50-knot winds, 8-foot seas, and even bigger surf landings.
That Duff finished his heroic voyage is a testament to three things. First, his paddling skills and knowledge of the sea were rock-solid, honed by the experience of his previous expeditions (North America and Britain, among others).
Second, Duff didn't let his ego get in the way of staying ashore when the weather was poor. On so many occasions he writes of the difficulty of sitting around for days at a time as gales pounded the coast, but he had the patience to wait until better weather arrived.
Third, Duff had the right emergency equipment. When he became trapped on a beach miles from civilization, his VHF radio allowed him to contact rescuers so he could regroup and continue the trip.
This series of three articles elaborates on these important but often intangible aspects of sea kayak safety: equipment, knowledge, experience, and judgement, and discusses what a kayaker must do to return safely from each trip.
In this issue we discuss the clothing and equipment necessary to cope with the realities of ocean kayaking.
Wear a PFD
Most boating fatalities involve people who were not wearing a personal flotation device (PFD, or lifejacket). For this reason alone, it only makes sense to wear a PFD whenever you get into your kayak.
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A PFD will keep you afloat if you are so exhausted that you can no longer swim, or if you hit your head or are otherwise incapacitated.
In addition to a PFD, always wear a spray skirt. Without a spray skirt, water from waves or boat wakes can enter the cockpit and swamp your kayak. Compared with nylon skirts, neoprene models cost a bit more but are the most waterproof.
Technical Clothing
When kayaking, getting wet is inevitable, whether the wind is blowing spray in your face or water is dripping off your paddle. Therefore, paddlers should choose clothing that will keep you warm when it is wet and will dry quickly.
Unfortunately, most clothing manufactured today, like jeans and common t-shirts, is made of cotton. Because cotton fabrics absorb large amounts of water, wearing wet cotton in cold weather is actually worse than wearing nothing at all.
Instead, kayakers should choose technical clothing made of wool or synthetic fibers, like polyester or nylon. These fabrics are hydrophobic, meaning they repel water and provide warmth when wet.
Paddlers will find that, at the end of the day, poly underwear keeps them warm even if it's soaked, and nylon pants or shorts will be dry before dinner is ready. Perhaps more importantly, if a paddler capsizes, technical wear will keep him much warmer once he gets back in his boat.
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