Daniel Konicek Staff Writer
With the sky opening up for spring, dedicated kayakers all throughout the Puget Sound will be eagerly strapping their boats to cars and heading to the nearest boat-launch or beach. The Pacific Northwest is one of the kayak capitals of the world, and getting out on the water can be quick, easy, cheap, and fun.
A kayak is like a very narrow canoe, usually seating one or two people, and is propelled forward with the signature double-sided paddle. Kayaks come in a variety of sizes and shapes, from the long, stable sea-kayaks to tiny sit-upon boats used in warm lakes and calm water. When shopping for or renting a kayak, there is a variation for every kind of adventure. Most sports outfitters will be glad to point newcomers in the right direction.
Kayaks are particularly effective in the Pacific Northwest. The Puget Sound offers a vast amount of relatively calm sea and an astounding number of islands and beaches to explore. Tourists from around the world come to Washington for the ability to ski one day and kayak the next. For someone looking to learn how to kayak, they could not be in a better place.
My personal kayak is a Dagger Cortez, a polymer sea-kayak with a foot-controlled rudder. The boat is light enough to carry, durable enough I can land it on rocky beaches, and stable enough to handle rough waters. This means I can feel safe and comfortable as I sit happily on the water enjoying the spring weather.
As easy as kayaking can be, safety is still of the utmost importance. Nobody should go out on open water without a life preserver, extra paddle and equipment in case of capsizing.
When buying or renting a kayak, sports outfitters are usually very good at providing the extra equipment and knowledge needed to have a safe adventure. Basic kayaking safety and technique can be learned in just one afternoon paddle, but newcomers should not attempt long paddles in open sea without simulating a flip at least once so that they are prepared.
Safety becomes more important the more ambitious the journey, so it is important to ask an experienced kayaker what you might need to know. An evening paddle in a small lake is much less complicated than exploring glaciers, but both are possible with kayaks.
