How to Kayak

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Kayaking is a popular water sport. It’s a great way to exercise while enjoying your time out in nature. Before you start kayaking, you'll need the proper guidance, or else you'll end up flipping upside down! Keep in mind, the water can be unpredictable and you should always wear a lifejacket when kayaking.

Part 1
Part 1 of 5:

Kayak Entry

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  1. You should never go kayaking without a lifejacket. Either buy a lifejacket or get one from a rental company. Slide the lifejacket on over your head and clip the straps together on your chest. Pull the loose ends on the straps to tighten the lifejacket and fit it tight on your chest. [1]
    • You should also wear a hard-shell helmet if you’re going white-water kayaking or kayaking in a river. It’s not a good idea to do this your first time out, though.

    Tip: As a rookie kayak enthusiast, go out kayaking with at least one other partner or an instructor. This way, you’ll have help nearby if you fall out or run into trouble.

  2. If you’re taking the kayak out from a beach or shoreline, look for a smooth area where there’s a gradual slope into the water. Avoid areas where you see rocks or debris sticking out of the water. [2]
    • If you’re getting into a kayak from a dock, you don’t need to worry about finding a calm spot to take the boat out.
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  3. To move the kayak, look at the front of the boat for a fabric strap. Grab this strap and drag the kayak slowly to take it closer to the water. If you’re with someone else, feel free to carry the kayak together to keep it off of the ground by holding it from each end. [3]
    • You don’t need to do this if the kayak is tied to a dock.
  4. Drag the kayak directly to the edge of the water. Hold the paddle behind you while you drag the kayak with your free hand. Continue dragging the kayak and let it down so that the cockpit is resting on the spot where the water meets the shore. [4]
    • If the paddle is in front of you and you drop it in the water, it may float away.
  5. Set the paddle flat against the back of the cockpit and sit on the edge of the kayak. Then, slowly scoot your butt into the cockpit and bring your feet in one at a time. Slide back in the seat so you’re sitting up straight and extend your feet out in front of you to sit in the kayak . [5]
    • If you’re getting in from a dock, use the edge of the dock to balance yourself. Set your feet inside the cockpit and stay low to balance your weight. Balance the paddle on the edge of the dock while you get in and sit in the seat.
    • If there are footrests inside of your kayak, put your feet on them.
    • Most people do not wear shoes when they’re kayaking. If you do want to wear shoes, throw on some water shoes.
  6. When you’re ready to embark on the water, grab the paddle and raise it vertically on your side. Dig the blade into the shore and scoot your weight forward repeatedly to push off into the water. [6]
    • If you’re with any other people, ask someone to just push you into the water. This is a lot easier than scooting yourself in.
    • If you’re embarking from a dock, either wait for the tie rope to be untied by the dockmaster or untie it from the boat yourself and leave it tied to the cleat on the dock.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 5:

Paddle Placement

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  1. In your kayak, hold the paddle horizontally in front of you. Hold your paddle with both hands in case you drop it. Grip the bar with a fist by wrapping your thumbs under your 4 fingers. [7]
    • If you aren’t comfortable while you’re holding the paddle, you’re doing it wrong. The paddle should feel comfortable in your palms.
    • You don’t need to squeeze the handle hard to hold it. However, don’t relax your grip to the point that your hands slide around the bar.
  2. Grip the paddle in the middle so there’s an equal amount of space in between each hand and the blades on each side. Make minor adjustments with your grip to stay comfortable. [8]
  3. The fins on the end of the kayak paddle are called blades. These blades are not identical on both sides, so inspect them to see which side is smooth and concave. Turn the paddle in your had so that the smooth and concave sides face you.
    • When you paddle, orient the blades so that they’re perpendicular to the surface of the water.
  4. Inspect the long sides of each blade. The straightest horizontal edge always goes on top. If there is an angle at the end of each blade, the angle always points up and away from you. Flip the paddle around so the left and right side swap if your blades are upside down.

    Warning: Always check your blades before you paddle out. If your blades aren’t angled correctly, you may totally throw your balance off and fall in the water.

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Part 3
Part 3 of 5:

Paddling Technique

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  1. Sit up straight in your kayak and keep your core engaged. You can lean forward a little if you have to, but you may lose control of the kayak as your center of gravity shifts if you start moving your torso back or to a side.
    • Keep your feet on the footrests while you’re paddling. If you don’t have footrests, keep your feet stretched out in front of you. You can bend your knees a little bit if it’s more comfortable for you.
  2. Lift your paddle up a little but keep your elbows under your shoulders. To propel yourself forward, twist your chest a little in whichever direction it feels comfortable to start. If you turn to the left, shift your paddle a little to the left and vice versa.
    • Most of your power comes from your chest, not your arms. This is why coiling your upper body back is important when you start paddling.

    Tip: When you paddle on the right side, you’ll turn slightly to the left. When you paddle on the left side, you’ll turn slightly to the right. By alternating between paddling on the right and the left, you’ll push yourself forward.

  3. As you start the stroke, tilt the blade you pulled back down 15- to 25-degrees. Push the raised blade forward while lowering it towards the water. Do this in a kind of semi-circle so that the raised blade goes up and lowers down almost perpendicular to the water.
    • If it helps, imagine that you’re turning two gears with each arm moving in opposite directions. The arm moving forward turns at the same time as your other arm lowers back behind you.
  4. Push the front blade down into the water so that it’s just under the surface of the water. Then, pull the blade back towards you. At the same time, pull your back shoulder forward to untwist your torso. Push the blade you have raised out of the water forward while doing this.
    • If you’re paddling correctly, you should eventually feel your core, chest, and shoulders getting sore at roughly the same time.
  5. As you drag the paddle underwater, curl your torso towards it so your shoulder is always pointing at the blade that’s underwater. Then, start lifting the blade out of the water while lowering the blade on the opposite side. Push the raised blade into the water and pull it back while uncoiling yourself to keep paddling forward.
  6. As you paddle, you will feel how the kayak shifts slightly with each individual stroke. Find a pattern where that shifting is even on both sides to keep your kayak moving straight. Use an equal amount of strength with each stroke to move consistently and smoothly.

    Tip: If you fall out of the kayak at any point, stay calm. First, flip the kayak back over. Then, reach over the kayak grab the opposite side of the cockpit. Start kicking and get as close as you can to the horizontal surface of the water. Pull yourself up while kicking hard and reorient yourself in the seat. [9]

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Part 4
Part 4 of 5:

Turning and Slowing Down

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  1. To turn left, extend the right side of your paddle out in front of you and lower it into the water. Twist your torso to the left and drag the paddle backwards in a semi-circular motion while uncoiling your upper body. Repeat this stroke if you need to keep turning and reverse the direction to go to the right.
    • Your chest turns in the opposite direction that you’re moving the paddle to compensate for the shift in your center of gravity.
    • Maintain your center of balance while doing this. It can be kind of tempting to lean towards the paddle while you do this, but you may fall into the water if you lean too far.

    Tip: You can repeatedly paddle like you normally do on one side of the kayak to turn, but this is kind of difficult to do correctly and it’s not particularly energy efficient. It’s much easier to use one or two sweeping strokes to change the angle of the boat and continue paddling forward.

  2. If you want to slow down or go backwards, paddle the same way you go forward, but in reverse. Stick your right blade underwater, slide it forward, then lower your left blade underwater as you raise the right blade out. Slide the left blade forward and repeat this process to either slow yourself down while travelling forward or paddle in reverse. [10]
    • To slow down while turning at the same time, just stick one of your blades into the water and hold it still. To turn right, put your right blade underwater. To turn left, stick your left blade underwater.
  3. If you’re trying to line up with the dock when you’re coming back or if you’re kayaking with other people and you’re close to bumping into someone, hold your paddle vertically with both hands. Then, stick one blade underwater with the flat side facing away from you. Slowly push the blade away from you to push yourself sideways without changing the angle of the boat.
    • If it’s more comfortable, point the blade towards your kayak and pull it towards you on the opposite side to move the same direction.
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Part 5
Part 5 of 5:

Getting Out

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  1. If you’re returning to a dock, paddle straight towards the side and slow down gradually as you get close. When you’re within 10 feet (3.0 m) of the side of the dock, brake entirely and use draw strokes to line up with the side of the dock. [11]
  2. If you’re landing on the beach or shore, paddle forward. Find a calm part of the shore with an even, flat surface to land and angle the kayak towards that. Continue paddling forward until the front of your kayak slides forward on to the ground. [12]
  3. For a shore landing, once your kayak slides on to the ground, use the sides of the cockpit to push yourself up. Step into the water and hold the paddle in one hand. Grab the strap on the front of the boat with your other hand and pull the kayak on the shore. For a dock landing, hold the side of the dock and carefully lift yourself up on to it. [13]

    Tip: It can be kind of hard to balance yourself when you stand up on the kayak for a dock landing. Just go slowly and keep your weight low to avoid falling.

  4. For a beach landing, grab the front of the kayak by the strap and slide it all the way on to the shore so that the water isn’t within 10 feet (3.0 m) of the boat. Otherwise, the kayak may get pulled out into the water. For a dock landing, use the rope on the dock to tie the boat to the cleat. [14]
    • If you’re taking the kayak out of the dock, grab the strap on the front of the kayak and pull it up on to the dock.
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    How do I perform a roll when kayaking?
    Ky Furneaux
    Survival and Outdoors Expert
    Ky Furneaux is a survival expert, outdoor guide, and professional stuntwoman based in Australia. She’s been featured in over 100 films and TV productions, and has hosted, produced, and participated in some of the most extreme TV survival shows including MTV’s Made and Discovery’s Naked and Afraid. She has authored 5 survival books, including "The Superwoman’s Survival Guide" and "Survive: The All-In-One Guide to Staying Alive in Extreme Conditions", with the goal of sharing her knowledge of survival techniques with others. As an accomplished stuntwoman, she won a Taurus Award in 2012 for Best Female Stunt Performer and has doubled stars like Jennifer Garner, Anne Hathaway, Jaime Alexander, and Sharon Stone.
    Ky Furneaux
    Survival and Outdoors Expert
    Expert Answer
    Rolling a kayak takes practice and focuses heavily on your hip movements and coordination. Start by understanding the basic technique: once you’re underwater, reach up and position the paddle blade flat on the water’s surface. Push down firmly on the blade while simultaneously flicking your hips and driving your knee upward on the same side. This motion helps create a “C” shape with your body, which generates the momentum needed to roll back up into your kayak. But again, expect to spend some time building your muscle memory and refining your movements. You can take a lesson from an experienced instructor or practice in a pool or calm water can be really helpful.
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  • Question
    How do I kayak faster?
    Parker Sumwalt
    Community Answer
    Rotate your torso more than your arms. Your core is stronger than your biceps. Reach farther out with your paddle so you cover more water with the same amount of strokes.
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  • Question
    How do I position my arms when paddling?
    Community Answer
    Place both arms straight out and directly forward. Hold the paddle straight from side to side, then proceed to paddle. If you have longer arms you may have to move your arms outward along the paddle.
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      Tips

      • Expect to get a little wet while you’re kayaking. Wear a wetsuit if you want to stay insulated from the water.
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      Warnings

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      Things You’ll Need

      • Lifejacket
      • Helmet
      • Water shoes (optional)
      • Paddle
      • Kayak

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      Expert Interview

      Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about outdoor survival skills, check out our in-depth interview with Ky Furneaux .

      References

      1. ↑ https://www.popularmechanics.com/adventure/outdoors/how-to/a20652/getting-started-in-kayaking/
      2. ↑ https://www.seeker.com/kayaking-for-beginners-what-to-know-before-you-go-1765390893.html
      3. ↑ https://www.seeker.com/kayaking-for-beginners-what-to-know-before-you-go-1765390893.html
      4. ↑ https://youtu.be/43s7QUzCW2E?t=113
      5. ↑ https://youtu.be/43s7QUzCW2E?t=144
      6. ↑ https://www.seeker.com/kayaking-for-beginners-what-to-know-before-you-go-1765390893.html
      7. ↑ https://youtu.be/7CThukQ8b0s?t=41
      8. ↑ https://youtu.be/7CThukQ8b0s?t=41
      9. ↑ https://youtu.be/hnGjPUfOyvc?t=127
      1. ↑ https://www.myactivesg.com/Sports/Canoeing/Training-Method/Canoeing-for-Beginners/Recreational-kayaking-how-do-I-stop
      2. ↑ https://www.kayakhelp.com/how-to-get-in-and-out-of-a-kayak/
      3. ↑ https://www.kayakhelp.com/how-to-get-in-and-out-of-a-kayak/
      4. ↑ https://www.kayakhelp.com/how-to-get-in-and-out-of-a-kayak/
      5. ↑ https://www.kayakhelp.com/how-to-get-in-and-out-of-a-kayak/
      6. ↑ https://www.popularmechanics.com/adventure/outdoors/how-to/a20652/getting-started-in-kayaking/

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To kayak, find an area where the water is calm and shallow and place the kayak in the water. Next, steady the kayak with your hand, get in, and slide down into a sitting position. Place the right side of your paddle blade in the water and rotate your torso as you pull the blade through the water alongside the boat. Retract your right arm while simultaneously extending your left arm, then rotate your grip and take the next stroke! To learn more about maintaining a secure posture in the kayak, read on!

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