Is it for me?

bullpost

I'm very much the wrong side of 40 but would like to get into kayaking.

I'd be interested in sea kayaking , though nothing too serious.

I'm a competent swimmer and confident on water but my balance isn't great - could never ice skate for instance.

I'm pretty fit - played five a side up to a year ago.

Is there any reason I cant get started at this stage of my life?

carthoris

bullpost wrote: »

I'm very much the wrong side of 40 but would like to get into kayaking.

I'd be interested in sea kayaking , though nothing too serious.

I'm a competent swimmer and confident on water but my balance isn't great - could never ice skate for instance.

I'm pretty fit - played five a side up to a year ago.

Is there any reason I cant get started at this stage of my life?

There is absolutely no reason you cannot get started now!

The balance thing is not that important, boats are stable enough and once you get the it moving in the water it stabilises a lot more - similar to a bike.

I think water comfort and confidence is the most important thing. Fitness helps but that itself will build over time as you paddle more and more.

The first steps you should consider is getting in touch with some clubs and partake in some of their open days or initial training days. They should be able to give you the basic gear you need to get started during the training and that will give you a feel for the sport without having to invest too much time or money.

So jump into it - you have nothing to loose and an awful lot of fun ahead of you!

bullpost

Thanks for that - that's good news.

Don't want to overstate the balance thing - I'm a regular cyclist.

Have some holidays soon so will probably head down to the coast and take an intro class.

carthoris wrote: »

There is absolutely no reason you cannot get started now!

The balance thing is not that important, boats are stable enough and once you get the it moving in the water it stabilises a lot more - similar to a bike.

I think water comfort and confidence is the most important thing. Fitness helps but that itself will build over time as you paddle more and more.

The first steps you should consider is getting in touch with some clubs and partake in some of their open days or initial training days. They should be able to give you the basic gear you need to get started during the training and that will give you a feel for the sport without having to invest too much time or money.

So jump into it - you have nothing to loose and an awful lot of fun ahead of you!

MugMugs

bullpost wrote: »

Thanks for that - that's good news.

Don't want to overstate the balance thing - I'm a regular cyclist.

Have some holidays soon so will probably head down to the coast and take an intro class.

Hi OP. My father paddled from 50 to 60.... Gave it up due to injury and a worried wife. He still comes out now and again and loves it. Never too old and never too late.

I got thrown out of Ice Rinks because my balance was so bad I used to Clothes Line people. Paddling is a different kind of balance and with a bit of practice wont even enter your head.

Check out this for local clubs or if your North East let me know

wet-paint

Age really isn't a barrier for boating, especially sea kayaking. Stick with it OP, you'll find it an incredibly rewarding experience.

flutegirl

bullpost wrote: »

I'm very much the wrong side of 40 but would like to get into kayaking.

I'd be interested in sea kayaking , though nothing too serious.

I'm a competent swimmer and confident on water but my balance isn't great - could never ice skate for instance.I'm pretty fit - played five a side up to a year ago.

Is there any reason I cant get started at this stage of my life?

Interesting comparison, I kayaked for the first time today and that's kinda how I was expalining the balance thing to people after. You get the hang of it once you get used to the kayak and get you position right. I'm the other side of 40, but what the hell. Give it a go and don't look back!!

Betsy Og

Is ability to swim (well) important?? I could probably manage one lenght of a pool or so but would be exhausted, poor technique.

That said, I can snorkel fine (even without any buoyancy aid). So if I'm wearing a BA, and maybe the snorkle and mask slung under my chin, would this be feasible?? (can swin fine with mask and snorkel, and can take rests by floating).

I'd be thinking of paddling on the Shannon estuary, but going parallel to the shore (i.e. not heading way out to sea).

Would love to get into it, not sure I'm ever going to properly crack swiming though.

carthoris

Betsy Og wrote: »

Is ability to swim (well) important?? I could probably manage one lenght of a pool or so but would be exhausted, poor technique.

The main requirement for swimming is that you will be able to help yourself - so if you fall out of the boat you should be able to swim to the bank. If you can swim a length of a pool that should be sufficient. You will have a BA when kayaking which will also help.

One of the key tenets of kayaking is that you should never kayak alone so you should have someone to help you if you do fall out and are not totally reliant upon your ability to swim.

A salient benefit of being able to swim is that it makes you more comfortable in the water and that means you can learn easier.

If you are starting out then you should look to find a club to give you an introduction as they will guide you through the process.

wet-paint

And of course, the above poster means that you should NOT paddle alone.


Being comfortable in the water is more important than being able to swim. As long as you're happy to float beside your gear and wait until you're X'd back in to your boat, that's good enough. A panicky swimmer is worse than a happy floater.

That said, you will end up in the water a fair bit, so I'd say your swimming will come along a fair bit just by being in the water more.

The snorkel will be a fair bit of a hinderance, tbh. The chin strap of the helmet is there too, and there'll be a lot of faffing about trying to get the mask up when you're in the water.
I guess it could have merit in a pool environment when learning to roll, but not really out on the water.

Betsy Og

The sit on type version of kayak appeals to me, no rolling required (I didnt kayaking years ago and did the rolling so I'm not paranoid about having to do that if it was the most suitable kayak for me). It would be sea kayaking (calm waters) I'd be interested in.

With the sit on top kayaks, is the ankle strap (like a surf board) more acceptable. I know you could get whacked by it or dragged a bit but is it so different from a surfboard to make it a total no-no?

V Eight

Wrong side of 40 but right side of 80!

Age is not a factor - River Kayaking is a gravity sport - once you get the technique you use the flow of the water. Your stamina will build up the more you practise the sport. Sea Kayaking use the waves and learn to gauge distances.

First few months Kayaking will make you question your balance - but this is the case for every one - technique and familiarity sorts it all out...

just go for it
VE