Water Safety

Of all of nature’s elements wind is probably the one that most often effects us as paddlers. Living in a coastal environment means lots of interaction between land, air, and water. The dramatic differences between the temperatures of the ocean, bay, and land leads to one constant - wind! On sunny days in the summer the land heats up much more quickly than the water. As that hot air rises, the cooler air over the ocean is sucked into the void left by the rising hot air. This is called a sea breeze, and in our area the predominant direction is from the south. This sea breeze can easily reach speeds of 25 - 30 mph over open areas of water on the bays. One of the most important elements with wind that effects us

It’s that time of year again, finally! The days are getting longer, the sun is getting stronger, the water is winking at you, beckoning you to come on out. But wait! What exactly are you wearing?? Believe it or not, immersion in water as warm as 50-60 degrees can cause what is called “Cold Water Shock”. If you capsize in waters at these temperatures or below, your body’s first reaction is to gasp for air, followed by increased heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, and disorientation. In only a few minutes, your body can become incapacitated. Hypothermia is more well known and happens when the body can’t reheat itself or maintain its core temperature. Cold water shock can easily lead to hypothermia and both can be fatal. These preventable tragedies happen frequently in the

The Perfect PFD So you got some money for Christmas and you want to put it towards your paddling habit. How best to spend it? Of course your best option is to use it on professional paddling instruction from Coastal Kayak's ACA certified kayak and SUP instructors. The second best option is to invest in a comfortable PFD (personal flotation device, AKA lifejacket) that you will actually wear. Sad Fact: Drowning is the single biggest cause of death in recreational boating accidents. Over 80% of drowning victims were NOT wearing life jackets when found. Lame Excuses for NOT Wearing a Lifejacket: "This water is so shallow. I could walk across this bay." (But if you are lying unconscious in the water, it only needs to be 6 inches deep to be over your nose!) "I