Kayaking Activities

Kayaking Activities

Kayaking is an enjoyable activity for many people. Getting out on the water brings about relaxation and serenity. While for others, the adventure and adrenaline rush is what they are seeking. With so many different types of kayaking, such as recreational kayaking, whitewater kayaking, surf kayaking, sea kayaking, spork kayaking, and kayak finishing, there are many ways to have fun on the water.

Spending the whole day on the water can be a daunting task if you are a beginner kayaker. You might think you’d be bored spending all that time on your kayak, with nothing else to do but paddle. If you have activities to keep you busy and entertained, you can have an enjoyable full day out exploring on your kayak. Kayak games also come in handy if you are kayaking with a group of people. Here are some activities and games that will keep you occupied.

Things To Do While Kayaking

People love paddling for a number of reasons. Some do it for the health benefits, while others do it for fun. Paddling can become repetitive at times, and you may want to take a break for a while. There are many different things you can do to freshen up your kayaking experience.

Take Some Photos

Nature can not only be an escape, but it also provides beautiful scenery. Lakes and rivers are often surrounded by trees, mountains, and natural landscapes. Some locations even have wildlife around that you can capture. You can capture incredible shots from kayak locations.

Bird Watching

If you are a lover of birds, this is the perfect option for you. Kayaking locations often offer great views of some of the rarest bird species on full view. You can take along a pair of binoculars to get the best view of the flying creatures.

Camping

Kayaking locations usually have campsites for paddlers to settle down for a night or two and continue their kayaking explorations. If you love camping, find a campsite near your kayaking location and add to your kayaking experience.

Picnic

If you are kayaking with other people, having a picnic in your kayak can be an enjoyable new experience. Tandem kayaks and inflatable kayaks would be ideal to have your picnic in. Pack your basket and start picnicking.

Go for a swim

Anchor your kayak and go immerse yourself in the beautiful waters that the kayaking waters have to offer. After a long hot day out on the water, this is a great way to cool off.

You can even take a closer look at the creatures in the water and go scuba diving. If swimming isn’t enough to get you going, you can also surf the waters on your surfboard.

Geocaching

If you are a fan of treasure hunts, mystery, and solving puzzles, geocaching is perfect for you. The game uses GPS-enabled devices. You are sent a set of coordinates, and you then have to navigate your way to the location and find the hidden container.

Once you find the container, you must replace it with an item of equal or greater value. You can join in on the fun and register on the website to receive the locations.

Kayaking Activities

Fishing

Most paddlers go fishing on their kayaks. Kayaks do not have a motor and therefore make them ideal for fishing because there is no noise to scare the fish away. You can easily access narrow rivers with your kayak. If you’re not a fan of catching fish, you can also just admire the underwater world. Keep in mind that some locations will require a permit to fish.

Slalom

Previously known as whitewater slalom, canoe slalom is a competitive sport for kayakers to do. Kayaks navigate their way through upstream and downstream gates on river rapids. There are sometimes also obstacles along the course of the rivers. The course needs to be done as fast as possible.  

The downstream gates are marked with green and white poles. The upstream gates have red and white gates. The course includes up to 25 slalom gates. In the 1940’s it became identified as a competitive water sport. If you want to play like a professional, here are some rules that official competitions use.

Polo

Two teams battle it out on the water with a water polo ball. Like any normal game of polo, the aim of the game is to score a goal. The goal is placed 2 meters above the water. The fastball sport is sure to provide an adrenaline rush of fun to your kayaking experience. You can read the official rules of the sport to get a better understanding of the game.

Sprint 

The calm water sport is a fun way to test the speed of your kayak, as well as give you a good workout. The sport debuted in 1936 at the Summer Olympics. The paddlers use a double-paddle blade to race through the waters.

If you are exploring with other paddlers, this could be a fun sport to try out. If you want to play as the athletes do, here are some guidelines to help you.

Stand Up Paddling

If sitting in your kayak is not exciting enough for you, you can try to stand up paddling. As the name suggests, you paddle while standing up. It has become a well known and fast-growing sport worldwide.  

Games To Play In Your Kayak 

There are many games you can play in your kayak and with your kayak. These games work well if you are with children or just want to have fun with friends you are kayaking with. Here are some games you can play on your next kayaking trip.

Kayak Basketball

Unlike basketball on land. Kayak basketball isn’t limited to two teams. The ball used can be a ball of your choice. The cockpit of the kayak is used as the basket and scoring area. The goal of the game is to shoot the ball in someone else’s goal.

Relay Kayak

This game will test your paddling speed. The relay races can be in a loop format pr down-and-back format. You can decide how you want to “tag” your fellow kayaker. This game is a great way to make use of your time on the water.

Kayak Frisbee

The game is similar to the way Frisbee is played on land. This type of game would be ideal for large groups of kayakers. You can divide into teams and try to pass the frisbee to your teammates until you reach the “end zone” as the other team tries to intercept the frisbee and do the same.

Gunwale Bobbing

This is a fun game if you are prepared to get yourself wet. The game is played with two people per kayak. Like the game “tug of war,” the aim of the game is to be the last person standing on the kayak.

Your opponent needs to try and make you fall off the kayak by jumping, wiggling, and doing any other movements to knock you off balance. It could be easy to pick up an injury while playing, so be extra careful not to hurt yourself while playing.

Stick It On

For this game, you will need a roll of sticky tape. Each kayak will have a piece of sticky tape attached to it. Boundaries will have to be in place for the game so that you don’t find yourself paddling too far out. Divide yourselves up into two teams. The aim of the game is to collect all the other teams’ pieces of sticky tape from their kayaks.

I Spy

This game makes use of the beautiful scenery around the lakes and rivers. The game is similar to the well-known game of “I spy.” Kayakers will take turns to pick out something around them, and the other players will have to guess what it is.

Staying Safe

With so many activities and games to choose from, you are likely to have a lot of fun doing whatever kayaking activity you choose. You can spend a whole day out on the water and enjoy kayaking as you’ve never experienced it before. In order to have as much fun as possible, it is important to not injure yourself and to take the necessary safety precautions when engaging in activities and games.

It is necessary to adhere to normal kayaking safety protocols, such as wearing your PFD when you are on your kayak. When engaging in the water sports mentioned above, such as polo and slalom, some sports require you to wear protective headgear, like helmets and face masks. You will need to be wearing a life jacket for all the activities mentioned above.

If you’re planning to go swimming or do any other activity that involves you jumping off your kayak, make sure you know beforehand how to get back on to your kayak in the water. Be careful of what type of water you’re in. For example, it is not advisable to play games in the water with strong rapids.

Safety is always important when it comes to kayaking. Activities can be fun, and oftentimes, we don’t want to think of safety when we are having fun. Remember to stay safe and adhere to kayak safety guidelines at all times.