kayaking

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>>642530
Yes, if you're out kayaking alone and something goes wrong you're in deep.
If you have access to safe water (not running) then you could just practise a lot, but you will need to do your own research into saftey. I would say take a course just to learn the most basic stuff like different paddel strokes, capsize drills etc.

>Also, what the general rule or what are the regulations when it comes to kayaking?
legislation on that changes wherever you go. Generally there are organisations that will tell you the good places to go kayaking orhow to get authorisation if needed.
In Britain we can go on pretty much any water so long as we enter and exit from public land.


A few things to keep in mind:
>you are the bitch of the river, make way for everyone else
>if there's an obstacle or rapid, always get out and analyse it before going
>if you swim, lean back and keep your feet up, getting your foot stuck while in moving water is a good way to get killed
>always carry a knife capable of cutting straps
>bring throwline every time
>learn to roll, it makes life a lot easier
>if you swim, don't grab onto your kayak, that fills it with water and it will sink. Recovering a sunk kayak is a fucking nightmare
>never trust a branch to hold your weight
>never buy a second hand drysuit

I never took lessons.

My first outing was flat water.

I have taken thre chicks to the same lake and nailed all three of them, though it was later and not on the water.

> protip, the best looking one was the worst in bed.

If your not a dumbass lessons arent needed. Just dont go right into open sea or raging rivers, and make sure you have a life vest

I never took lessons but i go on reasonably calm rivers that only have a few white cap "rapids" and small lakes. rhe only thing lessons will teach you is proper paddling, which you can learn on your own, and eskimo rolls, which unless you use a spray skirt are useless.

If you have extra cash and time it cant hurt but for most its an unnecessary cost

Nah I didn't take lessons. Obviously it depends on your location but most of the bays, lakes, and rivers are a lot shallower than I thought they would be. (eg. can walk through). I am sure you can find a relatively shallow, flat, calm body of water to learn on.

Typically there are no regulations for kayaks, the exception being some places require you to have a license to use the boat launch. (both public and private places do this).

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I never took lessons but I grew up canoeing so kayaking was an easy adjustment. Stick to lakes at first, practice exiting after intentionally rolling, and have a buddy around and you should be able to figure it out on your own. Be careful on rivers, they are less predictable and sometimes there are obstructions.

>Pic related, an obstruction.

>>642530
No, Anon, just paddle the boat. Jeez dude.

Find a calm stream or lake to start in
Wear a life jacket
Look up how to do the stroke online
Practice

That's it

>>642530
You don't necessarily need lessons, but it would be dumb to try to practice alone. If you're going to get a kayak, get a PFD and and a spray skirt too, they're worth it.

Stick to flat water lakes before you do anything else. Even rivers that seem calm and flat can have strong undercurrents and strainers that could drown an inexperienced kayaker.

>all these people who never took lessons saying you don't need lessons
:^)

>>642646
Well if we can do it without lessons so can he, i dont really see the irony in that

>>642530
It depends on what kind of kayaking you are doing. If you are getting into white water, you should be able to roll without panicking from both sides of your kayak. Start with class 3 and slowly work your way up. Go out at optimal water flow for the section you are going for. And most importantly, never swim alone. If you can't roll back up, you are fucked if you are by yourself. Make sure you and your partner have your partner rescue skills dialed in. Techniques for this can be found on the internet, and practiced by the both of you in still water.

If you are just kayaking in water that isn't being broken up by rapids, just paddle the boat.

>>642655
People who don't take lessons often miss things out and never notice, or get used to a method that's worse and refuse to change.
It's the kayaking equivalent of "muh style".

Granted op is probably only touching flatwater so it won't really big a big problem.

Lessons are great for learning quickly, safely and making sure you learn everything. One can just paddle for a while and become equally adapt, but of course lessons have the aforementioned advantages.

People itt seem to be very "fuck lessons"

>>642837
> fuck lessons

You read my mind! Did your dad buy you a whore to lose your virginity or did you just do it without taking lessons?

Did you start out with the easy flat stuff first and work your way up to more advanced on your own?

OP you want fuck lessons go get fuck lessons or just go fuck around on your own and work your way up.

It is simple as eating pancakes!

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OP here. alright guys so I guess im just gonna buy a used kayak off gregslist, and a life jacket and look up videos. im mostly gonna go to lakes around my area, but I would one day would like to do a river. For the river, can I just rely on experience from flat water? Im obviously not gonna start right away but yea.

>>643032
I did a river as my first run, it was just a relatively calm one with low class rapids.

If you do a river just go with a bud, you'll learn to read the water patterns which will tell you where rocks are near the surface that you need to worry about

Only real difference between the two os in a river your always moving so be sure your nose is always facing down river, if you get turned sideways and hit a rcock you will tip, if you hit one head on with your nose your boat will likely just glance off the side of it and you can keep going

>>642530
kayaking is fucking easy if you don't underestimate your surroundings or overestimate own capabilities. just go and do it, increasing risk slowly, and you will be fine every time.

things learned from coastal kayaking during the summer:
>it's not stupid to wear a day-glo hat in the day even though it looks so
>get a long enough paddle to keep your spine straight, less tiring for the 10+ km trips
>time your crossings if there's many boats around, some will not see you
>mount 360 degree led lights at a high point if moving in traffic at night
>get a decent trolley if going for extended trips, especially in freshwater. make sure it's rated for both kayak and equipment
>enjoy the best way to travel comfortably in the wilderness

>>643032
Maybe. If you are going on flat water, the skills will translate. Just make sure you bring a buddy and have your swift water rescue systems dialed.

If you are going on rapids, you can probably get away with class 2 in your yak. However, once you start going in bigger stuff, you will need a smaller kayak with a spray skirt, and will need to know how to roll/eddie out/etc.

I just went with someone experienced and observed what they did which I guess counts as lessons. If you're going to the ocean I recommend at least going with a buddy that knows what they're doing. Flat water you can learn on your own.

>>642530
I just recently bought a kayak, and so far I've been able to use it without falling in or capsizing yet. I know it's gonna happen, but so far it hasn't. I've never had lessons. It wasn't as hard as I thought it'd be to use it. I was surprised at how easy it was to travel upstream.I mean, there was resistance, but it's doable.

Lesson aren't necessary but joining a local club is brilliant. You get to meet people with a wealth of skills and experience who will happily transfer skills and techniques for free (or a very nominal fee.) This way you also find people to go paddling with. Paddling on your own can be dangerous even in a flat water environment if the risks aren't correctly understood. Personally I started off with a local club but as I have progressed found it beneficial to receive some coaching to iron out any bad habits. From here I have qualified as a coach and leader.

Don't do dumb shit and take a buddy. As for access use common sense. In the UK it can be quite an issue however as long as the river is deep enough to float then go wild. I'm happy to answer any questions.

>>642556
This is generally the case with more attractive people. No one is willing to tell them they are bad at anything so they just continue on doing things how they've always done.

buy a kayak, try it out. if you like it, i suggest to take lessons. kayaking itself is easy but there a lot little things you don't get by yourself. for example the flowhabits of a river.

remember: more knowledge is always better and usually a good investion

>>644567
Do you need to buy permits to use a river? I remember my uncle ranting about the guy who owns part of the River Mole.

>>644845
no permits required at all to canoe or kayak in england and wales. Permits however are required for fishing. Issues exist because the "ownership" of rivers is still contested. Land owners believe they have riparian ownership. They can own the river bed but not the water that flows over it. going off this it is possible to paddle on any sections of river as long as you access and egress from publicly owned land. some places have bylaws for certain times of the year however to stop paddle sports during fish spawning season. Brittish canoeing have now adapted a common sense policy of respect and insure there is enough water to prevent any environmental impact.
abit long winded and complex but its a 100 year argument...