Exactly 25 years ago I wrote my first kayaking article called “Survival Swimming”, which was published in SEA KAYAKER Magazine. I thank editors Bea and John Dowd for having faith in me to write an article worthy of their magazine.
I’ve experienced a lot and learned some things since then. The other day I mused, how do I feel today about swimming versus kayaking? Which skill is more essential? Back then I was taken aback at the dearth of sea kayakers who were competent swimmers or even wore wetsuits or drysuits in cold water. Back then, I definitely believed that swimming was more important than kayaking. Upon 25 years of reflection, today I still believe that swimming is more important than kayaking. Let me ‘splain.
Dozens of kayakers have told me they don’t plan on capsizing when they go kayaking (who does?), which they use as an excuse to not dress for immersion and to have faith that nominal or even nonexistent swimming skill is okay. Then you read the sea kayaking accident reports: time and time again the kayaking victims got cold and could not swim, with often fatal results. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Learn to Swim Well
If you are not a competent swimmer (i.e., cannot swim 500 meters in rough water), this winter is a good time to hone your swimming skills. If you already know how to do the crawl, breast stroke, side stroke, and back stroke, then just work on improving your form while increasing your swimming stamina (which keeps you in kayaking shape). That’s what I do. Each stroke has its strengths. Use the crawl for speed, breast stroke in a following sea, back stroke against waves, and side stroke with your face away from the waves when moving perpendicular to wind.
If you have trouble with one or more of those four strokes, then go to a heated pool and have an instructor teach you (e.g., community colleges, the Red Cross, and YMCA offer inexpensive classes, or you can find an underemployed swim team member to coach you). In a few weeks you should have the basics down and be ready to practice in rougher water.
As the seasons turn and the sun warms up the water, practice distance swimming in a local lake and engage in adventure swimming in nearby creeks and rivers. And don’t forget to swim in the sea (this winter you could book a vacation to Hawaii, the Caribbean, or perhaps Australia where the water is warm right now). As I look out at my snowy yard, I dream of the Bay of Islands in New Zealand (I’ll do a blog post on it in a few weeks).
Be sure to practice swimming with your paddle. Should you tip over and lose your boat in the wind, current, or surf (it can happen!), you definitely don’t want to be up the creek without a paddle.
Dress for Immersion
Sea kayaking attire is a personal thing. One cannot tell a kayaker what to wear while paddling. So let me just say this: dress for the water, not the air. “But what if I get too hot?” someone always asks. Roll a couple of times, and you will cool off. What? Can’t roll? Ah, another skill to master.
The main thing is to suss out the conditions you will paddle in, and then dress appropriately. In the photo above, taken last week at Pillar Point where the infamous Mavericks wave resides, I’m wearing the gear I will need to paddle in 50F water and air, 15-knot winds, 5-foot waves, and sharp rocks. For warmth I’m wearing a full, custom-made wetsuit; two thin neoprene scull caps, one with a visor; neoprene divers’ booties with a hard gripping sole to protect my feet from urchins and sharp rocks; and thin neoprene gloves.
For impact protection I’m wearing a helmet and a special PFD (personal flotation device) that has 15 pounds of buoyancy and Kevlar sides and back—in case I get hit by a boat or a rock. The PFD also provides a bit of warmth. Note that I do not depend upon my PFD to “keep me afloat” until help arrives should I capsize and lose my boat (a real possibility in these conditions). A PFD is an accessory that will assist you in floating, but will not keep your face out of the water if you are unconscious or numb (either from impact, hypothermia, injury or illness) in rough water.
Test Clothing, Accessories, and Swimming Skill in the Water
Before you take off in your kayak, always evaluate yourself in the water, without your boat. If you will be paddling in calm cool water on a pleasant day, don’t trust the illusion that it’s “mild outside” so you don’t need to test the waters. Just wade out and swim around for about three minutes or so, no big deal. Does your anorak fill up with water and impede your mobility? Uh oh—better put on your drysuit. Does your drysuit leak? Better adjust that zipper right now. Your head is cold? Put on the neoprene hood stuffed at the bottom of your gear bag. Your rubber boots fill up with water and make it almost impossible to tread water? Swap the boots for those extra thick divers’ booties. PFD hike up around your face? Readjust it or try out the spare.
In the photo above, taken a week ago at Pillar Point in Half Moon Bay, California, I’m swimming in the surf and rocks where I plan to paddle. It turned out that after five minutes of body surfing on the reef, I was still warm and my gear worked. I played with my kayak in the rocks behind me in the picture. Yay!
I leave you with these words of wisdom, spoken by the late storm sea kayaking king, Steve Sinclair: “Kayaking is an in-water sport!”
Comments, questions? Here’s an assignment for you: Inventory your kayaking apparel. Is it truly adequate for the conditions in which you paddle? How do you know? Oh yes, please share your kayak swimming stories, good and bad.
I learned long ago, if you want to be a good hitchhiker, learn to walk. Hitchhiking is a moving-feet-on-the-ground sport. Analogy works for row-boating, canoeing, sailing,… Never thought of myself as being particularly smart in figuring this out. Comes with experience. The North Atlantic was cold, growing up. I dress for water when I paddle ’cause I ain’t good enough to stay dry—but more because I like being in the ocean. It feels good, even when it’s cold. But it feels better if I’m warm enough to feel it.
Also, can verify from pers-exp that pdf’s do not keep you alive when paralyzed or unconscious. They just make it easier for the flotsam gatherers to spot you and drag you ashore. Another story I may re-tell some day.
When I started kayaking I definitely spent as much time in the water as in my boat. Getting in and out of my boat fast was one of the first skills I had to master (thanks to your instruction). When I started surfing, I fell out a lot. Still haven’t learned to roll but no problem – I can fall out and get back on again in a jiffy in pretty hairy conditions. Without being comfortable in the water, i.e. swimming, I couldn’t be out there at all. And because I am at least as comfortable in the water as in my boat I don’t have a big fear factor about tipping over. Also, I find wetsuits hot and uncomfortable until they get wet. So usually I go swimming before I even get in my boat. And while I’m kayaking, I frequently go overboard just to cool off and stretch my legs (aaaah). So, yeah, an IN-water sport.
Thank you Jack and Nancy for your insightful comments. I would sure like to hear Jack’s story about his experience with PFDs. Next week, on this very blog, Jack will share another swimming story–trapped underwater–in ice! Be sure to tune in.
Kayaking usually begins with the first swim and then all the ones to follow, and of course those yet to come. It has been said that swimming is what you do in-between kayaking. Swimming is sometimes not your choice, or if you like to dive while you are kayaking, then by choice, either way there will be swimming.
This reminds me of my experiences from the early river days in the 70’s and long swims down rapids climbing the ladder while being pulled over, under sideways and down the whitewater then recovering, hopefully, at the end of the sluice box. Oh, and how many times have kayaking stories started with…and there I was again swimming in the tumultuous sea that I was just paddling in “helicopter blades everywhere man…”
As a child one of my family’s usual holiday spots was a campsite on a property that occupied a large bend in a river, the river was a series of pools seperated by numerous rapids. Many days were spent putting in at the upstream end and pulling out at the downstream boundary, then repeating as desired. We did this for many years, then we built a kayak. Prior to this we used to just do it using the feet first principle and occasionlly some form of flotation, our only protection was sandshoes to protect our feet. Stupid right!
Did this teach me to swim better, maybe, did it give me confidence in the water, yes, the most important thing it did teach me was to protect my butt!
Eric, I read you post with interest. You always have great articles that make one think.
However I have a hard time relating to your wetsuits and dry suits.
Just last Sunday I went for a paddle in what some locals regard as a miserable day.
The sun was not shining and the air temperature was a freezing 27C (that should be 80F in your money) with similar water temps.
It even started to rain, of all things!
We were well prepared for the “harsh” conditions: long sleeve Lycra top and large brimmed hat to avoid sunburn with liberal amount of sunscreen on our faces.
Yep, a bit nasty but I want to rub it in while you guys are freezing.
You mentioned a trip to Australia this winter?
If anybody is interested in a mid winter vacation Downunder I am looking to possibly work out a “kayak exchange”: I’ll hook you up here with the intention of you reciprocating in the future.
I figured that travelling to international locations with my hard-shell kayak is not going to happen. Renting on location is often not possible. And then there is the local knowledge factor.
So, if swimming or kayaking in Australia is something that tickles your mind drop me a line and see if we can work out something.
I have several British style kayaks that I could lend to the right person….
Eric, I’m a strong proponent of swimmer first, kayaker second. You have to be able to swim to save your life if you get dumped off/out of your kayak and for some reason can’t get back on/in.
This also applies to any sport that takes you on the water: surfing, sailing, etc.
I have very fond memories of surfing with you in a Tsunami double kayak at Maverick’s several years ago. We dumped many times, no doubt due to my inexperience. But still, we were several hundred yards from shore. I’m glad I have the swimming skills that would have brought me safely to the beach if necessary.
Hey Eric, great reminder about the importance of swimming and immersion protection! I have just a couple of points that haven’t been mentioned here yet.
One very important point is the psychological factor involved. Taking one extreme, if you can’t swim at all, you will likely be terrified when kayaking in water deeper than a few feet, no matter how calm it is. I spent years teaching kayaking and it was not uncommon to have a student who panicked when paddling only 30 feet from shore in a harbor! It was usually the case that they either couldn’t swim (a requirement for taking the class but not everyone admits to it) or was a very poor swimmer who had only been swimming inside in a heated swimming pool.
At another level, if you aren’t a confident swimmer in rough, cold water, then you’ll still be unprepared mentally to be out there kayaking. I think you make this point in your post above. It really is amazing how much more comfortable you’ll be after taking a swim in surf or whatever conditions you are paddling in.
Another point that should also be understood is the fact that sea kayakers often paddle in areas where swimming to shore is not an option, even for a very good swimmer. One example would be paddling at the Golden Gate on an ebb (outgoing) tide. The current can run up to 6 knots and will sweep you well out to sea if you end up swimming. Or when paddling a couple of miles offshore in rough seas. In situations like that, losing the boat is not an option! The ability to roll and re-enter the kayak from the water is essential in those cases. Actually, ability to re-enter is essential, period.
Going to gnarlydog’s point, I don’t ALWAYS wear a wetsuit (there I said it). If I’m kayaking in a warm climate with warm water, say Baja, then the wetsuit isn’t needed as long as I know the water is warm enough to swim without one. And, a bit more risky perhaps, I’ll sometimes kayak without a wetsuit in cold water in relatively benign conditions where I “know” I’m not going to capsize and if I do I’ll roll, and if I don’t roll, I’ll get back in the boat within seconds, and if I don’t get back in the boat, or lose the boat…..well I’ll wish I hadn’t been so stupid, but I won’t last long enough to regret it for too long!
By the way, to the Aussie contingent, the water off the Northern California coast is always cold, due to strong upwelling of deep water, year-round. There is some variation in temperature, but not much. When strong northwesterly winds blow in Spring and early Summer (or any time of year), the upwelling increases and the water temperature drops a few more degrees.
I think the main thrust of nearly all the posts, except maybe Gnarlydogs holiday plans, are aimed at skills and confidence (skill = confidence), whether it be swimming or rolling. If our skills aren’t up to scratch then we should improve them, if they are then we should hone and Polish them. Our confidence should also extend to our equipment, both our choice and use of it. If we choose wisely then there is one less thing to worry about when we are out there. The less I have to worry about, particularly when things get hairy, the more fun I have and as discussed in a previous thread this is the point of doing what we do.
Hey everyone, really good comments. I’d like to remark on a couple of them.
1. Yes, the psychological factors re swimming in calm or rough water are very significant and not to be underestimated.
2. John Lull said when far offshore losing your boat is not an option. I agree, but if you do…. This is a big topic that I may address in a future blog post, but for now I’d say EPIRBs are good….
3. Those lucky downunder folks and their 80F water. When Jim Kakuk and I went to NZ last winter (their summer) the first thing I noticed was that many folks wore Lycra, mostly for sun protection! I’m hep. I’d love to be able to just wear Lycra, but as pointed out earlier, the water often gets colder in the summer on the northern California coast, because of the Arctic current going south, so rats!
4. As for surfing a double at Mavs, I took my brother John out there because he’s an exceptional swimmer, and I figured he would be fine, which he was. I decided not to mention white sharks! (see my “how to deal with sharks” post).
5. And to tie the FUN post with the current swim post, I agree with Wayne above when he says the less to worry about, the more fun is to be had.
6. Jim Kakuk above refers to “helicopter blades” in his comment above. Steve Sinclair, a storm kayaker, referred to the spume coming off waves in big wind as “Like helicopter blades, man.”
Great article, Eric. As a R.C. water safety instructor, I’ve always been amazed that anyone would want to do any serious kayaking without being able to swim…if I couldn’t swim, I’d be terrified in any water over my head. To me it’s the least common denominator for any water sport, whether diving, sailing, kayaking, etc. It’s all you have once separated from your equipment.
Tony
John Lull –
John, I thought your post was great and thought-provoking, but I don’t agree with the hybrid “challenging conditions” argument you advanced: ( I’ll sometimes kayak without a wetsuit in cold water in relatively benign conditions where I “know” I’m not going to capsize etc. etc. ) It’s an exercise in logic that just makes no sense to me.
I read your book Sea Kayaking Safety and Rescues and thought it was excellent and well written, but I have to admit that I was very disappointed by the short shrift given to the subject of cold water safety.
Capsizing in cold water – when you aren’t dressed for immersion – causes at least 90% of the fatalities in our sport, and there’s no arguing the fact that not one of those dead paddlers ever – in their wildest dreams – anticipated that it would be their last paddle when they put the boat in the water on that final occasion.
You’re a smart, thoughtful man, and a leader in this sport. People look up to you. They want to be great paddlers too. Your opinion and the example you set carry a lot of weight and influence, and I’d be willing to buy a truckload of beers to woo you over to the “no exceptions” side of the field.
I wrote an article for the November 2010 SK Magazine newsletteer – The Anatomy of A Bad Decision – that I hope you’ll read, and reconsider your position on this issue. We need you on our team.
Newsletter: http://www.seakayakermag.com/2010/10e-newsletters/november/november-nl.htm#1
SmartMagic’s forum comment & historical perspective on the issue:
http://www.seakayakermag.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=3186
Warm Regards,
Moulton
500m is a good distance to swim, hard enough in a pool for the majority of us…I think? Imagine in a lake, worst, in the ocean with waves and currents. Now to make thing interesting, do it with a neoprene skirt, just to add more drag, to slow you down…just a bit! Now try to swim 500m in a pool with a skirt, pretty exhausting….lake…ocean…yikes!
Good point Jim…there are good reasons to learn how to roll.
(note: not necessarily in order of priority)
1) It’s fun and practical.
2) Impress your friends. It’s like going for a walk with a cute puppy, you will make new friends.
2) Like you said, it is an easy way to cool down. If you can’t roll, use your friend’s kayak, do a “bow Eskimo rescue”
3) It can save your life
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