Kayak Skills
Navigation on the water; kayaking at night; high braces; easy to learn Eskimo rolls; capsize - lose your paddle - and swim with your kayak on your back to your paddle - and-- recover; forward strokes; a unique forward stroke cadence; edging to turn; cross bow draw and rudder; upside down re-enter and roll; self-rescue; tandem rescue practice; high winds and kayaking in high winds; use of a skeg; hypothermia and hyperthermia causes; prevention, and recovery and more...
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This articles covers basic fundamentals of kayak navigation on lake and river. I use practical examples of using map, compass, time, distance, pace, wind estimates, line of position, and range.
Kayaking at night is a kayak skill and it is a lot of fun. So that you can kayak during the hours of darkness safely, here are some principles and techniques of night lighting and night navigation.
A skilled high brace prevents an inadvertent capsize, is a good lead-in skill for an Eskimo roll, and it's a good way to cool off on a hot summer day. Our high brace page includes procedure and practice video. (video updated 3 Oct 2011)
Learn a good roll simply by applying your well rehearsed high brace. (video updated 3 Oct 2011)
An easy roll to learn is what we call the Lever Roll. (video updated 28 Sep 2011)
You capsize, you lose your paddle (although you should never let go of your paddle), you swim to your paddle, you re-acquire your paddle, and you roll. (video updated 28 Sep 2011)
Not just a party trick but a serious and useful skill. (page built w/ video 29 Sep 2011)
Here is a good article on the basic forward stroke, its principles, its methods, and ideas for long range efficiency. (video updated 3 Oct 2011)
An explanation and method of pausing between strokes, letting the kayak glide and preserving strength on long paddles. (video updated 28 Sep 2011)
Two powerful strokes; the draw for turning a kayak in tight quarters or against the wind and the rudder for turning the bow quickly. (video updated 29 Sep 2011)
Text and videos explaining the principles and showing the motion of edging or turning a kayak without a rudder. (video updated 28 Sep 2011)
Learn this four point balance method as taught by Kayak Lake Mead. It is the fastest method of getting back into your kayak. (video updated 28 Sep 2011)
Practice according to a hierarchy of paddling skills. (video updated 31 Oct 2011)
This article's purpose is to provide you with an understanding of wind and waves. Knowledge will increase confidence. Confidence will increase your skills in high winds.
The techniques for paddling in high winds.
This article gives the use of the skeg in trimming your kayak in the variable conditions of wind and in various loading configurations of your kayak.
An article about hypothermia, its definition, its causes, and its prevention.
This article discusses the signs of impending and the treatment of various levels of hypothermia.
This article describes a real life kayaking situation of hypothermia and the use of a self-recovery kit.
This is an article about the concepts of heat injuries; dehydration, heat exhaustion, and stroke. These are the things to know about hiking or kayaking in the desert during the big heat of summer.
Surviving in the desert heat; practical applications of preventing heat injuries in the desert.
Check out our kayak skills and fitness videos on Kayak Lake Mead's YouTube Channel.
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