Kayaking Journal Home : Kayaking News Home : September 2005
September 17, 2005 06:11 - If you're going out on the water, bring along your helmet
I was amazed recently when I was on a paddling excursion on the Roaring Fork river here in Colorado and saw a group of paddlers negotiating a set of Class III rapids, and not one of them was wearing a helmet. Now I know that there’s a daredevil attitude among a lot of young people these days (as I suppose there always has been), but there’s a big difference between riding a motorcycle without a helmet and paddling a whitewater kayak without one.Unfortunately, the media and advertising industries only perpetuate this idea that a helmet is optional equipment while kayaking. Many magazines and product catalogs show people gleefully paddling away as bare-headed as the day they were born. It’s as if they’re afraid of losing sales if they show people acting responsibly on the water.
Now I know that a lot of sea and flatwater kayakers figure that they don’t need a helmet, but they can be at just as much risk for a head injury, especially in heavy surf.
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September 20, 2005 07:11 - Keep a Kayaking Logbook
Many sea kayakers keep logbooks, and if you don't have one yourself, you might want to start the practice on your next paddling adventure. Not only is a kayaking logbook a great place to record logisitical data and weather information, it can be a wonderful way to re-live your favorite kayaking moments years or even decades later.Kayaking logbooks also allow the observant paddler to record water features and obstacles in areas that they regularly traverse. Seasonal weather, wind, and ocean patterns can also be documented in a logbook, along with local wildlife and any other paddlers or boaters. This is also a great place to record different launch sites, and the conditions you encounter at each of these sites. This can make your next trip to the same area a much safer and more pleasant experience.
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