[Blaze]

To Kayak or Not

I've been goofing around in the surf with my O.K. Scrambler. I've recently picked up a sit-inside white water kayak, but I'm too aprehensive to bring it into the surf until I learn how to eskimo roll. If anyone knows where I could find some Eskimo Roll classes, or if there is anybody out there willing to give me a lesson, let me know.
Probably the best way to find out if sea kayaking is for you is to go with an outfitter on a day paddle. Many offer trips for raw beginners. Central Coast Kayaks offers the "Tomol Tour for novices, Paddle Sports (805) 899-4925 in Santa Barbara has beginner paddles, Channel Islands Kayak Center has the "Coastline Paddle Experience" others have similar outings that include all rental of a kayak, all the gear you need, and some instruction. See the Outfitters page.
After that you should consider taking an intro class such as Central Coast's Introduction to Paddling to learn more about "strokes, paddling weather, necessary kayaking equipment, personal and group management, launching and rescues."
You can go on to rent kayaks and join in an SBKA.ORG beginner paddle.
Renting gear allows you to try out different types of boats, such as sit-on-tops or sit-inside kayaks, and decide what's right for you if you decide to get your own equipment.
Sit-on or sit-in debate:
*Originally the only kayaks were sit inside. The Eskimos didn't have roto-molding plastic technology, only skins and bones....
*But now new kayakers have a bewildering choice of designs.
Many consider sit-on-top (SOT) kayaks as casual recreational kayaks without the capabilities to handle adverse conditions, but with the bonus of extra width and excellent stability, which is of paramount importance to the casual paddler. The can be cheaper, but often heavier, than sit inside (SI) kayaks.
Sit-inside (SI) kayaks are often more comfortable for longer paddles, carry more gear, and handle rougher weather and therefore tend to be the choice for touring and expedition kayaking. But the SOT designers are working on adding more capability to SOTs all the time.
SI kayaks have less initial stability than the SOT recreational kayaks, yet still have a fair bit of secondary stability, but more importantly, have the capabilities to handle more adverse conditions. Initial stability is the "tippyness" or lack thereof that you first feel when you sit on or in a kayak. Secondary stability is the self righting force that helps a kayak roll back upright when it's leaned farther over by a wave or the kayaker.
The SI paddler needs to learn to wet-exit a kayak and to get back in (called a "rescue" or "re-entry"). These skills are generally aquired in a one-day basic proficiency course plus a little practice. The paddler of a sit-inside kayak is protected from cold water, and wind, which is also a comfort factor. Wind chill can substantially reduce the temperature experienced by the kayaker.
The bottom line is most people start out in SOTs because they are easy and less intimidating to use. Many kayakers stay with SOTs and enjoy recreational paddling, caving, and even some open water trips (SOT paddlers have made the Channel Crossing). Others decide that they want the added seaworthiness and speed of a touring SI and go that way. Some get a specialized river type kayak for ocean surfing:
WHAT TO WEAR

The consensus seems to be to first consider immersion and dangers of hypothermia. According to the Coast Guard, hypothermia at 50 to 60 degrees produces exhaustion or unconsciousness in one to two hours, and the expected survival time is one to six hours. Note that most of us wear type III PFDs that will NOT keep an unconscious person face up, which means that you will likely drown even with the PFD once you loose consciousness. Several kayakers have reported on how quickly (only a few minutes} immersion in cold water (winter So Cal ocean water temps are in the mid 50's) can rob you of strength and judgment.
As to what to wear, a popular choice was a "Farmer John (or Jane)" wetsuit with a paddle jacket top. Avoid cotton as a base layer, which holds water and chills. A surfer's lycra "rash guard" or a Polartec (warmer) base works and can help keep you warm even when wet. Poly pro is also suitable for a base layer. Some paddle jackets are "semi dry" with seals at the neck and wrist. Or you can wear a neoprene jacket as a top but neoprene jackets are restrictive for paddling. Even though they can provide more protection the thicker they are the more resistance and more energy can be wasted fighting the jacket. Don't forget a hat or even a hood in very cold conditions, as a lot of heat is lost from your head.
Sit on top kayakers seem to dress warmer as they are more exposed, likely to get wet, and easier to cool off.. Sit inside kayakers need to make choices balancing safety and comfort. People with little body fat may be more susceptible to hypothermia...
Reasons to dress warmer: Cooler water and air temps, sit on top kayak, surfing, practicing rolls, going out alone, rougher water, learner body type, beginner, safer.
Reasons to dress cooler: Warmer water and air temps, sit inside kayak, calm waters, in a group, expert.
More:
Randell Washburne in his book The Coastal Kayker’s Manual p 53 says: “ In warm-weather, cold-water environments, finding a suit of clothes that provides reasonable immersion protection without cooking you when you paddle is an almost impossible task, and a decision has to be made about the acceptable level of discomfort while paddling versus the degree of risk of capsize, which might force you to swim. If your brace and roll are very strong, you may judge the risk to be minimal and dress more for the air than for the water.
Or, as happened to a few paddlers, one dunking in cold water may convince you to always wear full immersion protection, no matter how hot the weather. As a compromise, you might adjust your clothes toward immersion protection during times of more significant risk, such as exposed crossings.”
Wayne Horodowich suggests: "Practice and perfect your capsize recovery skills so you won't have to spend much time in the water. This will give you more options for what you wear. Your two main goals regarding capsize should be: minimize exposure to the elements and be back in your kayak with kayak being sea worthy again."
Washburne goes on to talk about layering options and risk factors. Even when talking about the colder conditions in the Pacific Northwest, he rejects 1⁄4 inch wet suits, survival suits or mustang suits as too hot and bulky to paddle in. He says, “Many kayakers choose light wet suits as a compromise between paddling and in the water comfort. A 1/8 to 3/16 farmer John (no arms) worn over polypropylene underwear and under pile clothing or a shell provides good weather protection and fairly good immersion protection.”
Derek Hutchinson from England, who paddles all over the world says, in The Complete Book of Sea Kayaking, “..if I know I’m going to get wet, either surfing or demonstrating, I wear a thin, zipperless wet suit Long John over a long sleeved Hele-Hansen “liffa” shirt. On the other hand, if I don’t’ see much likelihood of getting wet and I’m embarking on an extended trip, then I am all for the “old comfort” outfit (polypro underwear, woolen pullovers, baggy trousers and a paddling jacket). Of course, he’s an expert paddler.
Most of what’s written is for sit inside kayakers, sit on top kayakers have different conditions. Their ride tends to be wetter than a person in a sit inside. The sit inside kayaker is wearing a spray skirt, which adds an extra torso layer. And the sit on top kayaker has an easier option to slide off his boat and cool down in the water and then has an easier time getting back on (but practice in a safe place with a partner first!).
On the other hand, the sit inside kayaker may be less likely to unexpectedly end up in the water, in my experience. Kayakers who plan to spend more time in the water may like the additional buoyancy a wet suit provides. Bottom line for kayakers in our area is you have to make your own informed judgment about what to wear based on conditions, your skills, the nature of your paddle, the possibilities for rescue if you end up in the water, and even your body type. Sit on top kayakers may prefer a farmer John or full wetsuit at all times, with an appropriate top, while many sit inside kayakers make the decision to skip the wet suit on hot days, if conditions are benign and he (or she) has partners he trusts to assist. But if they expect to be rolling, surfing, or facing tough conditions they may decide wear a wet suit, even in summer. Paddling in Alaska or the Pacific Northwest or other colder water regions may choose to wear wet suits (or sealed dry suits) at all times, even in a sit inside kayak.
Wayne Horodowich suggests: You may wish to consider an emergency dry bag with extra clothes when you go out with a group. Pile pants, pile pullover and pile cap (you can loose considerable heat through you head) are light but effective. Because of the size this bag it will probably end up strapped to the back deck. Don't store it in your main hatches because you don't really want to open any hatches when on the water unless it is a day hatch.
In your day bag which is kept behind your seat bring a space blanket for wind protection or a garden size plastic bag that can be made into a paddle vest to keep the wind off of the torso.