kayaking solo on a lake

Is It Safe to Kayak Alone?

A question that arises often for us: “is it safe to kayak alone?”

The short answer: “yes.”

The long answer: “not unless you’re taking proper steps to be safe; then it’s a yes.”

It’s easy to get carried away (and we don’t mean by any waves or strong currents, either) and say you can handle it without taking any precautions. At the end of the day, we all want to have fun while kayaking, so here are some safety tips to make sure your solo trip is a safe one, while still being a blast.

Blue Ridge Reservoir
Blue Ridge Reservoir

To start off, before we get to our actual list, let’s make a rule zero. If you’re going to be kayaking alone, always let someone know where you’re going, when you’re going, and when you get back. Better safe than sorry.

Now, let’s get to that list.

  1. Wear a life jacket – This one’s important, even if you’re not alone, but doubly important if you’re going solo. As the name implies, it can save your life in an emergency.
  2. Be cautious – Always, always, always maintain awareness of your surroundings. But, this also means not biting off more than you can chew. If something doesn’t feel safe, just don’t do it. That means if you’re new to something, new to an area, or your skills aren’t up to par, be honest with yourself and take it slow. Kayaking is a fun hobby and sport, but we all want to be safe while doing it.
  3. Avoid dangerous areas – Mentioned very briefly (as somewhat of a pun) in the introduction, as well as working off of number 2, this is highly important. Open water can be risky, but so can fast-moving water on a river. When you’re alone, this can be especially hard to navigate, so be careful out there.
  4. Finally, if there’s any trouble, don’t paddle through it. Find the nearest bit of shore and head there. It’s okay to get out of the tough situation, instead of trying to power through.

Now that you’ve gotten some safety tips for kayaking alone (and the right gear, like a life jacket, whistle, and waterproof flashlight, just in case), you can explore the beautiful waters at Canyon Lake or see what the Blue Ridge Reservoir has to offer. Just don’t forget your kayak that you can rent here.

Be safe out there and have fun!

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