Kayaking is one of the gentler ways of being in nature, but water does not forgive carelessness. Most trouble can be avoided while you're still on the bank – with good preparation and a few habits. Below are the ones worth keeping in mind on every trip, from gear and reading the conditions to the most dangerous obstacles and what to do after a capsize.
Is a buoyancy aid compulsory on a kayak trip?
The regulations don't directly require an adult kayaker to wear a buoyancy aid on inland waters – but they do require due care for your own safety and matching your gear to the conditions. The obligation does appear, however, in the rules of rentals and many bodies of water. Regardless of the regulations, the answer is: yes, you always wear it. The buoyancy aid should be sized to your weight, fastened and worn the whole time you're on the water, not kept under the deck “just in case” – after a capsize in cold or fast water there aren't those few seconds to put it on. Check that it isn't too loose – once done up, it shouldn't be possible to pull it off over your head. Children wear one without exception, in a size matched to their weight, ideally with a collar that supports the head.
How to assess the water and weather before a trip?
Before you leave, check the water level – a high, fast level can be dangerous even on an otherwise easy river, because it speeds up the current and stacks up the hazards. Glance at the forecast: if a thunderstorm is coming there's nothing to discuss, you stay on the bank, because on open water you are the highest point around. On large, open lakes and reservoirs reckon separately with the wind, which in a dozen or so minutes raises a short, steep wave – which is why I show the weather along the route on the map. An offshore wind can be treacherous: it pushes you out to the middle of the water, from where it's hard to get back.
Which obstacles on a river are the most dangerous?
The most dangerous are fallen trees and branches just below the surface – so-called strainers – through which the water passes but a kayak with a person in it does not; the current can pin the boat against them and hold it underwater. When you see such an obstacle, pull in to the bank in good time, don't try to force your way through. A separate matter is weirs and drops: below the fall of water a backwash forms – a so-called hydraulic – which recirculates and can hold you even in a buoyancy aid; weirs must be portaged along the bank, and start the portage suitably early, because the current above the weir speeds up. Watch out too for low footbridges, spans and jams, where it's easy to capsize and get trapped.
Why is cold water more dangerous than deep water?
In spring and autumn, and in the mountains even in summer, the water can be just a few to a dozen or so degrees. After a capsize in water like that comes cold shock: a sudden gasp, quickened breathing and a fast loss of strength and hand function before you manage to reach the bank. That's why in the colder seasons you dress for the temperature of the water, not the air (a wetsuit or clothing that doesn't strip heat away at once), keep closer to the bank and don't stray from the group. After every soaking, change into dry clothes before the shivering sets in.
Can you kayak alone?
It's safest to paddle in a group, staying within sight and earshot; the weakest in the party sets the pace and the strongest brings up the rear. Agree simple signals: a raised paddle means “stop, gather up”. Let someone on shore know which way you're going and when you plan to be back – it's the simplest insurance if something goes wrong and there's no signal. Keep a charged phone in a dry case; if needed, call the emergency number 112, and on the water also the WOPR water-rescue number 601 100 100.
Safe trips with children and beginners – what to remember?
With children, choose short, easy, tried-and-tested stretches, away from weirs and busy open water, and plan more stops than seem necessary. Put a less experienced person in a two-person kayak with someone more assured (I write about dividing the roles in the guide on steering a two-person kayak). Before you set off with a group of beginners, run through a quick “what to do after a capsize” on the bank – there's no time for it on the water.
Alcohol on a kayak trip – why is it a bad idea?
Alcohol and water are a bad pairing: it slows your reactions, muddles your judgement of the situation and only seems to warm you, in fact speeding up the body's cooling. Steering a kayak after drinking is an offence – not under road-traffic law, but under the Act on the safety of people on water areas. It carries a fine, and your gear can be towed away at the user's expense. Leave the toast for the evening by the fire, once the gear is already pulled up on the bank.
What to do after capsizing a kayak?
A capsize can be handled if you know what to do – and most end in wet clothes and laughter, not drama. Don't panic and hold on to the kayak: it stays afloat, is easy to see and gives you buoyancy. Always hold on to it from the upstream side – the side the current comes from – and never get between the kayak and a rock or a bridge pier, because the water can pin the boat with enormous force. If the current carries you, get onto your back, feet pointing downstream and near the surface, so you can push off obstacles with your feet, and drift calmly at an angle towards the nearest bank. There is one exception to this, and it's the most important on Polish rivers: if the water is carrying you straight at a strainer – a fallen tree or branches that the water flows through – that position will pull you under the obstacle. Then turn onto your front, swim head first, hard, straight at the obstacle and try to haul yourself up onto it, above the water. Passivity is the most dangerous thing here. Don't stand up on the bottom in fast water – it's easy to trap a foot between the rocks. Gear that threatens your safety can be let go; you'll recover the paddle and kayak later, the most important thing is you and the people around you.