What Are The Most Safety Precautions for Kayaking

Their 3 "Golden Rules"

Plus 2 more

1. Your boat must be buoyant. So Sit on Top or kayak/canoe with adequate buoyancy that it will float if capsized
2. Know your route. Be it lake, river, sea. Know where you're going and that it is safe for your ability.

In ireland

Drysuit all the time.

PFD

Waterproof Vhf that's on your person

Phone

Tell people of your launch, route and return.

Examine winds and waves before setting out.

Make sure paddle is leashed to kayak at all times.

Kayaking alone not recommended.

And lakes. Irelands weather pretty much means our water temps never get "warm".

If your paddling around with friends on a scorching hot day and just exploring then you might be ok if you fall in.

Test out for yourself though. Paddle about for an hour then throw yourself off and get back on. Then with the temp and wind combo you will be fairly miserable pretty quick without a drysuit.

Be safe

OTT? I was coming from a kayak fishing angle where you might be on the water for 8hrs+

I still would hinder on caution regarding people thinking that just cos its sunny, the water is warm. Sure look at the recent rescues in Cork, lost their phone, no other means of comms and not suitable attire. Be safe!

OTT

I'll pick one aspect.

Drysuit

Mine cost approx €700 in 2008? and only got it for that because a mate picked it up in Canada.

Advising a beginner that they must have one to kayak, and all year around is OTT.

Yes of course err towards safety always.

But it's easy to shout SAFETY FIRST and BE SAFE when you have all the gear.

There's hundreds of paddlers in this country would hardly wear one ever.

Slalom

K1

Polo

Then most river paddlers would only dust a dry suit off in November (if they own one).

Plenty playboaters happy with dry cag and good paddling shorts.

Beginners need to start somewhere.

Most of them start down at the CI centre or WWKC or Salmon Leap or Kilcock or Laois or Ribbontail or Kilkenny or GKC or any of the colleges.

Might never see a Drysuit or a VHF radio in their paddling life.

The CI advice above is good

3 Golden Rules

Be able to swim

Wear a BA

Never paddle alone

No need to scare off the new entrants completely

Eventually, but your first two posts didn't refer to 8+ hours on the water at all.

In fact, you talked about paddling for an hour on a sunny day, then throwing yourself in and see how you get on. I've done this on the river and paddled home for an hour, and I was perfectly fine.

Other than when I did courses when I was young, I've nearly always paddled alone for over a decade now. I've enough people to be dealing with on dry land and enjoy the time to myself. Not the safest way forward, but I try not to take any chances.

I only go out in good weather. I check wind direction and tides. I have a VHF radio, PLB device, phone, drysuit in the winter and wetsuit in the summer. Also have a spare paddle and bilge pump on board. And also let people know where I'm heading.