Spirit Sails

Wind & Water Tips

Simple Sailing... No Strings Attached

Paddlesports can be very dangerous and physically demanding. The user of paddlesports products should understand participation in some paddlesports may involve serious injury or death. Observe the following safety standards whenever using any products:

• Get paddlesports instruction specific to your type of craft
• Obtain certified First Aid training and carry First Aid & Rescue/Safety equipment
• Always wear a Coast Guard or nationally approved personal flotation device
• Dress appropriately for forecast weather conditions - cold water, cold weather can result in hypothermia
• Check your equipment prior to each use for signs of wear or failure
• Never paddle alone
• Be aware of appropriate river water levels, tidal changes, dangerous currents and weather changes
• Scout unfamiliar water - portage where appropriate
• Do not exceed your paddling ability - be honest with yourself
• Consult your physician prior to beginning your paddlesports training
• You must not use alcohol or mind altering drugs prior to using this product
• Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for the use of this product

If additional outfitting is required, use manufacturer’s approved materials only - do not impair entry or exit access.

Read owner’s information packet prior to using this product.
The user of this product acknowledges both an understanding and an assumption of the risk involved in paddlesports. If you do not have an owner’s information packet, one may be obtained at no charge by calling the manufacturer of the product. If you have questions on a paddlesports product you own, call the manufacturer of product in question.

Before You Go
We welcome you to sea kayaking with a word of caution. It can be a safe and rewarding activity if common sense prevails and certain precautions are taken. Before you put in for a day’s paddle, check that you have the following:

• A kayak in good, serviceable condition, with plenty of secure buoyancy, fore and aft
• A paddle in good condition
• A sprayskirt that fits your boat
• A personal flotation device and whistle
• Clothing suitable for forecast conditions
• A bailer or pump
• An accessible spare paddle - minimum of one spare per group
• All safety equipment required by Coast Guard or other legal authority

In anything but the most benign conditions, also consider taking:

• An accessible flare pack
• A flashlight - even if you are only planning a daytime trip
• Self-rescue aids
• Rain gear and extra clothing in a waterproof bag
• A minimum of 25 feet of tow line
• Charts and tide tables - current tables if appropriate
• A compass, a first aid kit
• A knife, matches or a lighter
• VHF or a weather radio

Without wishing to alarm anyone, we make it clear sea kayaking is an activity demanding sound judgment and caution. This is always the case, no matter how experienced you are. Not surprisingly, your most vulnerable time is when you have most to learn, as a beginner. The greatest single danger to sea kayakers is hypothermia. Dress appropriately. Cold water kills. Learn about hypothermia and follow good survival practices.Here are some basic cautions and precautions to help you through early stages of kayaking:

• Thoroughly familiarize yourself with your boat.
• Start gradually in moderate weather, close to shore with an experienced companion.
• Experiment with strong winds only when blowing toward shore.
• Develop your paddling skills, including turning and bracing.
• Learn and practice a self-rescue method appropriate for you and your boat, including deep-water re-entry.
• Practice a group rescue so you can help others.
• Carry safety equipment. It will be easier to carry your safety equipment if you keep it stored in one bag.
• Leave a float plan - avoid paddling alone.
• Let someone know where you’re putting in and when and where you plan to return.
• Leave a full description of your car.
• Read all you can on the subjects of sea kayaking, weather, oceanography and cold water survival.
• Get a weather forecast each day you are out.
• Be sure you are using a boat for the purpose for which it was designed.
• Like any mariner, you must know the principles of navigation and seamanship.

Precautionary Notes
Make sure you are familiar with how to deal with the following situations which can occur in open water. Consult local experts or available literature for additional information on these important subjects.

Wind:
Avoid paddling when whitecaps are visible until you thoroughly appreciate their effect. Wind can:

• Upset a kayak
• Make it difficult to turn
• Create unmanageable waves
• Prevent you from holding a course
• Slow you down or stop you

Fog: Fog can result in sudden and total disorientation. You need a compass, but may gain orientation from sounds of beach surf, bells, fog horns, etc., as well as from steady wave and wind direction.

Current: You will encounter two principal types of current on the sea: Reversing tidal current and continuous ocean current. Strong current can aggravate conditions caused by adverse weather, particularly when current and wind are opposing. They can cause difficult eddy and wave conditions even on utterly still days, from the sheer force of the flow.

Precautions:

• Read your chart to help identify danger points.
• Use any available info to estimate slack or favorable current. Time passage or crossing for that period.
• Paddle in current under controlled conditions to familiarize yourself with its effect.
• Exercise caution when current and wind direction oppose each other.

Topography: Topography affects wind and water conditions in shallows, beach surf, headlands, cliffs and river mouths.

• Shallows - waves steepen and break heavily on shallows. Avoid these areas when waves are large or strong currents are forced to flow over them.
• Surf - waves steepen and break on beaches and shoals. Generally, try to avoid landing in surf with a loaded kayak. Avoid surf on rocky beaches.
• Headlands - conditions are frequently more difficult off headlands with increased wind (funneling), accelerated current and rebound waves. Seas become chaotic.
• Cliffs - cliffs limit landing sites and can cause chaotic rebound wave conditions
• River mouths - difficult wave conditions occur when a river outflow runs against the waves.

People Hazards: Watch for power boats, ships, towboats with barges and all other water craft. Make yourself visible and never assume you have been seen or have the right of way.

Lake Paddling: With the exception of tides, large lakes pose most of the difficulties and dangers of the sea. Waves, however, are steeper and more likely to break than on the sea….finally. The basis of safe sea kayaking is sound judgment, self-responsibility and technical competence. Join a club, take a class, read books and/or consult local experts to learn all you need to know about the sport. Remember that where you paddle, others will follow. Leave your campsite as you would like to find it.

With thanks to,

TAPS - Trade Association of Paddlesports - Go Paddle. Printed with permission.