Seakayaking for beginners
 

Hi everybody!

I'm totally new to seakayaks, but not to sealife, having sailed and
generally navigated for many years (more than 20).
Me and my girlfriend would like to go on vacation in the Mediterranean Sea
renting a seakayak. We'd like to use it for coast excursions, camping on
beaches or similar, so never going from island to island, in the open sea.

Do you think this would be anyway dangerous, given a normal attention to sea
signs (avoiding navigation with bad weather or windy/wavy days)?

I'd like to understand if it is totally mad to go out for a two weeks
seakayak vacation, having no prior experience.

Thank you in advance for any advice and experience report.

Bye,
Fabio

Seakayaking for beginners
 

It might not be dangerous per se, as long as you stay near populated areas.
I think your primary problems are going to be general camping/touring stuff
versus on the water stuff. I'd suggest you, at the very least, learn how to
do affect a rescue and get back into a swamped boat.

"kilyerd" wrote in message
...
Hi everybody!

I'm totally new to seakayaks, but not to sealife, having sailed and
generally navigated for many years (more than 20).
Me and my girlfriend would like to go on vacation in the Mediterranean Sea
renting a seakayak. We'd like to use it for coast excursions, camping on
beaches or similar, so never going from island to island, in the open sea.

Do you think this would be anyway dangerous, given a normal attention to
sea
signs (avoiding navigation with bad weather or windy/wavy days)?

I'd like to understand if it is totally mad to go out for a two weeks
seakayak vacation, having no prior experience.

Thank you in advance for any advice and experience report.

Bye,
Fabio

Seakayaking for beginners
 

I think it is within reach. Get in some pool instruction and some local
experience first and have fun on your trip. When you are out on your own
loaded with camping gear it is not the time for your first upset and
re-entry. Find a club nearby and go out and have some fun a few weekends
before your big trip. My preference for a trip like this would be for 2
boats not a tandem. With 2 boats you should have one person still mobile to
assist the other person in the event of an upset. I personally went over on
a fla****er river trip last weekend and lost my paddle and hat (don't ask -
I talk with my hands and was sitting still taking a break - in my defense I
was not in a fla****er boat, it was a tippy-er WW kayak) and my paddling
partner was pressed into service to retrieve my stuff - when he could
control the laughter ;- Let us know how it goes. ---- A paddle log would be
great!

--
KENNETH MCCLELLAND
"kilyerd" wrote in message
...
Hi everybody!

I'm totally new to seakayaks, but not to sealife, having sailed and
generally navigated for many years (more than 20).
Me and my girlfriend would like to go on vacation in the Mediterranean Sea
renting a seakayak. We'd like to use it for coast excursions, camping on
beaches or similar, so never going from island to island, in the open sea.

Do you think this would be anyway dangerous, given a normal attention to
sea
signs (avoiding navigation with bad weather or windy/wavy days)?

I'd like to understand if it is totally mad to go out for a two weeks
seakayak vacation, having no prior experience.

Thank you in advance for any advice and experience report.

Bye,
Fabio

Seakayaking for beginners
 

Thank you for your replies.
I'm very sorry we can't try anything before our big trip.
In fact, we live in Italy, and I've never seen seakayaks clubs or renters
here.
We're already accustomed to camping (we normally are bike travellers, but
someone stole us our bikes) and so this won't be a problem.

Following your messages, I think we'll spend the first days making some very
short trips and some "rescue exsercises", too.
On the other side we both feel safer being in the same tandem boat, instead
of being in two different (and it also is cheaper!), so I think we'll keep
on this track.

Thank you for your replies and suggestions,
I hope to write you a cool report on our vacations soon.

Bye,
Fabio

Seakayaking for beginners
 

"kilyerd" wrote in message
...
Thank you for your replies.
I'm very sorry we can't try anything before our big trip.
In fact, we live in Italy, and I've never seen seakayaks clubs or renters
here.
We're already accustomed to camping (we normally are bike travellers, but
someone stole us our bikes) and so this won't be a problem.

Following your messages, I think we'll spend the first days making some
very
short trips and some "rescue exsercises", too.
On the other side we both feel safer being in the same tandem boat,
instead
of being in two different (and it also is cheaper!), so I think we'll keep
on this track.

Thank you for your replies and suggestions,
I hope to write you a cool report on our vacations soon.

Bye,
Fabio

You should be fine. Take some basic rescue gear (paddle float, bilge pump,
tow strap), compass, maps, dry bags, and you'll be all set.

Seakayaking for beginners
 

Buona fortuna, Fabio. As a cyclist, kayaker, and canoer I wish you
well. You should be under way by now. Tell us about your journey.
-JM


In article ,
kilyerd wrote:

Thank you for your replies.
I'm very sorry we can't try anything before our big trip.
In fact, we live in Italy, and I've never seen seakayaks clubs or renters
here.
We're already accustomed to camping (we normally are bike travellers, but
someone stole us our bikes) and so this won't be a problem.

Following your messages, I think we'll spend the first days making some very
short trips and some "rescue exsercises", too.
On the other side we both feel safer being in the same tandem boat, instead
of being in two different (and it also is cheaper!), so I think we'll keep
on this track.

Thank you for your replies and suggestions,
I hope to write you a cool report on our vacations soon.

Bye,
Fabio