Solo Kayaking- My experience
So, it has been six months since I first brought my kayak and honestly, I am LOVING it! I try and go out at least once every two weeks (usually more) and the joy of paddling along while the sun rises has been amazing. I also think the tranquillity and being able to go my own pace with no real destination/goal with each trip (although this year I do hope to do a few longer planned trips) has really helped my mental health and I usually feel way better after going paddling. I will admit I have been caught in a few rain showers (heavy hail 10 minutes after setting off is not ideal). However, I usually laugh it off once I have dried off a bit! So, in today’s article I wanted to share a few of my experiences solo kayaking- particularly as a 20-something woman who does not fit the ‘typical’ image of a solo kayaker.
Equipment: Firstly, I wanted to mention equipment; I’m not going to lie there has been days where I have struggled to carry my kayak from my car to the dock and vice versa (and I do get people watching me struggle lol). However, this has not yet put me off and so far I have managed to carry all my equipment by myself, even with the additional items I’m starting to buy for my kayak (e.g., seat, dry bag etc.). I’m not sure how this will continue into the future; I will probably end up needing a larger dry bag to put my stuff in to make it easier to carry from my car to the dock however, so far so good.
Other people: So, I just wanted to mention my experience with other people when I have been out kayaking (both other water users and people walking the canal paths etc. etc.). So far, pretty much all my experiences have been good, as I mentioned earlier people do tend to watch me struggle with my kayak from the car onto the dock but honestly If I saw a young woman (who looks like a 14 year old girl) carrying a kayak I’d probably watch as well lol. When it comes to other water users, usually a quick ‘hello’ or ‘good morning’ is really all anyone has said to me. I have seen people who I would describe as more ‘dedicated’ to the sport, give kinda funny looks as I slowly paddle by wearing orange crocs and watching the swans, however, nobody has ever said anything mean and I see it more as a ‘I’ll stay out of their way, they will stay out of mine’ situation. In terms of people who walk the canal paths and along the river nobody has ever said anything untoward to me, a few people have made comments about the wildlife etc. but I enjoy discussing wildlife, so I don’t see this as an issue. I have considered what I would do if someone did harass/catcall me and honestly, I kinda feel protected in my kayak; yes, there is a chance I might get yelled at or something, but it is highly unlikely they would jump into the canal to get to me, so I feel pretty secure. Recently I also received a Go-Pro for my birthday so I could film my kayaking and that offers a sense of protection in that if anything did happen, I would have video/photo evidence.
Safety: In terms of my own safety when kayaking especially solo kayaking (which is what I tend to do given I don’t know anyone else who owns a kayak), I generally feel safe and cannot recall a situation when I didn’t. However, I always take precautions- buoyancy aid, whistle, my phone is in a waterproof case, emergency supplies, letting people know my location, when I should be back etc. I also know how to swim and most of my kayaking locations (canal, river, lake) are popular with walkers, other water users so if I was to get into trouble there would be people around. I have not tried sea-kayaking yet and won’t be trying this until I have done a few trial sessions with an instructor/with other people present- I imagine the risks of something happening would be higher and so I would need to consider this. However, for now I am happy paddling along my local canals.
I am really enjoying the freedom of solo kayaking, and hopefully will get a lot more opportunities to go this coming year, and write about my experiences, I hope you find this post insightful/useful in some way (at the very least had a laugh at the thought of me wobbling around carrying a kayak). If you would like to hear more about my kayaking adventures, I hope to have a ton more content coming this year, including some YouTube videos and articles; so keep an eye out for them!
What is your experience solo kayaking? Let me know in the comments or over on social media!
