Dan Carns
There is a lot of talk lately about kayakers encountering near misses with power boats and some videos of kayakers getting hit. Unfortunately, as the sport gains in popularity I’m afraid this will only get worse. Florida is around the top of the registered boat list across the country with Lee, Collier and Charlotte County topping out at over 80,000 boats in 2018. The good news is that we, as a community, can take a whole bunch of precautions to ensure our own safety!
First and foremost, let me remind everyone that once you’re in the water it is virtually impossible to don a life jacket, it’s floating and your body is completely submerged with only your head out of the water, so the time to put it on is at the launch. There are now countless life jackets designed specifically for kayaks with high backs, lighter in weight and more room for unrestricted movement. My next suggestion is to mount a flag pole to the rear of your craft to make you more visible in the water; a number of companies combine lights and flags together. All too often I launch in total darkness, only to hear a boat running with no lights and no way to detect you if your also lightless. The water here in S.W. Florida can be very shallow, particularly alongside marked channels and power boats can only steer when underway. While most boaters will try to give you room there may be only a little to give so, it’s our responsibility to give way. Kayakers tend to be fairly relaxed regarding their surroundings but must remain vigilant of oncoming boat traffic, especially in congested boating lanes and if you’re with other kayakers make sure to cross channels as a group. (https://www.boat-ed.com/florida/handbook/page/3/Navigation-Rules/)
If you’re in the market for a new kayak you may want to take your kayak’s visibility into account. Unless you’re a duck hunter I wouldn’t consider a camo colored boat, as you want to be visible to others. I’m also not a fan of this new blue camo look or green due to certain light conditions that may blend your position into the environment. Bright yellow, red, orange or bright green are all hi-vis colors that may give you an advantage regarding visibility. Some kayaks may not come in these bright colors, so using other methods to brighten your position will help. You may also want to consider a paddle with a yellow blade so that if all else fails you can wave your paddle to an oncoming boat. Kayaking and kayak fishing as a sport is exploding in popularity and with just a few considerations you will be much safer on the water!
It’s A Wild World- Get Out There!
Fishman Dan
