The kayak angler's kit: staying afloat, being seen and keeping tools within reach

A kayak puts you at water level with almost no room for gear. Whatever you carry has to fit within reach of your seat, stay put when the boat tips, and still work with wet hands. This guide covers the non-lure kit: the equipment Texas requires, what keeps you afloat and seen, how to get back on if you go in, and how to keep your tools from sinking.

What Texas requires on a paddlecraft

TPWD's paddling page says state and federal law require a personal flotation device for each person aboard (it recommends a USCG-approved Type III to V), an efficient sound-signaling device, for which it says an approved whistle would suffice, and a white light source visible from 360 degrees if you are paddling in reduced visibility or from sunset to sunrise. TPWD's equipment page for vessels with no motor or sail adds that passengers under 13 must wear a Type I, II or III wearable life jacket while the vessel is underway, and that on boats under 16 feet used in coastal waters after dark, Coast Guard-approved night visual distress signals are required. The same page says a vessel without sidelights and a stern light that is practical to fit must show at least one bright light, lantern or flashlight from sunset to sunrise.

Texas law asks adults to have a properly fitting life jacket that is easily accessible. TPWD's own advice goes further: wear it. The National Weather Service says to always wear a life jacket in and around the water, and that cold water can take away muscle control in your arms, legs, hands and feet within seconds. A kayak can flip without warning, and a jacket stowed under a bungee is hard to reach from the water.

If you go in

A UK sea-kayaking handbook says the main thing is to get back into the boat in the shortest possible time, because a few minutes in cold water can leave your hands too numb to work flares, knots or a skirt. For a sit-on-top it describes the straddle (cowboy) re-entry: flip the kayak upright, pull your upper body onto it, swing a leg over and slide into the seat. A paddle float turns the paddle into a stabilizer, and a rescue stirrup is one way to lash a spare paddle to the deck. The handbook says self-rescue skills are worth practicing often and in real conditions, near a competent companion if possible or alone in sheltered water.

Practice before you need it, in water you can stand in, with the jacket on. Keep a way to call for help on your body: TPWD suggests a cell phone or, in coastal areas, a handheld VHF radio, plus a GPS unit, and says never paddle alone, tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return, and check the forecast.

Anchors: the part that can roll you

One anchor-trolley maker's instructions say that anchoring a kayak in strong currents, waves or high winds is not advisable and could lead to swamping or capsize, and that you should always be prepared to pull up the anchor, cut the line or ditch the anchor with a weak link made of a cable tie. It says to set the anchor point off the bow or stern, so you sit in line with the current and wind, to practice in calm, sheltered water and to keep a sharp knife at hand to cut the cord. That is one maker's caution, but it matches common sense: a line pulled tight from the side can drag the gunwale under. In a river, think hard about whether to anchor at all.

Landing fish and keeping tools

A hook in you, in a boat

First-aid notes here come from MedlinePlus and other pages named at the bottom, and they are for information only. They are not medical advice and do not replace a clinician, 911 or Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222. If you are unsure, get medical care.

MedlinePlus describes two ways to remove a hook that is just under the skin, a line loop or pushing the point through and cutting it behind the barb, and says not to try if the hook is deeply embedded or near a joint, tendon, eye, eyelid or artery. A hook in the eye is an emergency. Keep cutters in reach, because you will be sitting in a small boat with a hook in your hand and a long way to the ramp. Barbless hooks or a pinched barb make this far easier, as TPWD advises.

Weather and heat

The National Weather Service says to move to shelter at the first thunder and to move away from lakes and other bodies of water; a kayaker on open water is exposed, so be off the water early. In heat it lists heavy sweating, weakness, cool and clammy skin, cramps and nausea as signs of heat exhaustion, and says to cool down and sip water. TPWD says to wear protective footgear and bring drinking water, sunscreen and insect repellent, and during hunting season to wear bright colors and watch for blinds. It also suggests staying in shallow areas or outside the main channel where powerboats run.

Keep reading

This is general information from the pages named below, on the dates shown, not legal or medical advice, and not rescue training. TPWD's rules change, and your boat and waters may need more; check TPWD and take a paddling course.

For more reading, we suggest these articles

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