Discover if you can kayak at night, learn safety tips, and enjoy a unique, thrilling experience on the water. Stay safe and have fun!
Although paddling is mostly measured a daytime activity, kayaking at night certainly has its attractions:
Stars in clear sky, you can see the moon reflected in the water and no queue in the crowds to indulge the moment. It is a moment when everything is there for you and nothing else occur than nature’s splendor.
In the case – let’s say “in the case” – no matter what, just a minute before you head out for a night kayak paddling, feel free to remember you safety rules and tips for night kayaking.
Mind you that the first step will possibly be to join the forces of the dark side.
Paddling in the dark brings another new world. Imagine how it would feel to enter another complete situation where even your sense of sight is no longer available.
For a short time a road a person knows well changes into the unknown, when driving along a moonlit lake. Again, the tones of the cut bow in water and precise splash are augmented when I hit the paddle.
Additionally (and at the same time,) enjoying the night with a lack of moon and clear skies is just like being out of earth. Besides,
the aurora borealis and biolightscapes are wonders of nature that only the night can reveal. Sun is down and night has fallen, so there are so many motives to get on water,
whether you like company in the form of other kayakers or you want to be alone with vista and nature, catching fish or traveling new places. Therefore, you need to go through some key stuff that is lawful and safe for night kayaking.
Know The Risks
Let’s be real. By paddling at night there are dangers which go with normal daytime paddling and other extra ones. The tasks here are unlikely temporary difficulties that can be overwhelmed like delay of reaction time and difficulty in incidental location.
Time-tested and proven risk-management practices should be chosen to accommodate where you are going, the season, and the length of the expedition. All the old routine of safe paddling still applies—still wear your PFD, still leave a float plan with a reliable for and still check the weather before we paddle.
Check the idea of varying your habitual attitude to the surface of the water by being more concentrated in the area of the shore and preferring night time crewing only with a partner.
Know The Laws & Regulations: Can you kayak at night legally?
“Is a midnight test a legal kayaking?” this question remains one of the most common amongst kayakers who are training to go out and ride their kayak at night.
On top of that, no legal rules of the USCG created for the one that would make kayaking in the nighttime unlawful.
But on another hand, it is every state that has its own rules about paddling during the nighttime on the water. In conclusion, my boating experience has been both thrilling and educational.
I recommend that you learn the best practices before you embark on your journey.
In case you’re attentive, here’s the actual Rule 25 – Sailing Vessels Underway and Vessels Under Oars, as listed by the US Coast Guard
“A boat under rowing followers adheres to those rules for the sailing vessels, yet if it differs, it shall hoist an all round white light or immediately show an electric torch with one holding a lantern which shall show white light in abundance previously prevented the collision.”
All of the non-motorized kayks from less than 8m to 7m are regulated as the rule clarify below, including the most used brands such as kayaks and canoes.
Possible Risks Of Kayaking At Night: Is Paddling At Night Safe?
It`s getting hot, it seems like you are always getting cold, flipping over, severe weather, drowning – these are the ones that quickly come to my mind as being just some of the risks and dangers commonly related with the paddling sports such as kayaking.
Now, add low light situations and poor visibility into the mix, and you have your answer:
It is one-hundred percent correct that kayaking in the night is a sort of insecure nature activity.
I am not talking to you like that so as to scare you into canceling your night kayaking trip. On the other hand, to me, paddling in the night is rather a trip to a complete different world.
That doesn’t make the risks any less actual:
A need for a different, composed treatment of senses would definitely arise – your primary sense, eyesight, would be greatly reduced under low-light conditions,
bringing misunderstandings of the size, distance, and position which play a key part in your decision-making.
However, the most concerning factor can be the visibility of your kayak on water. While a knowledgeable boat captain can travel safely at a normal speed which is also within the signposted speed limit,
it is still difficult to notice a paddler in a kayak in a moonlit night.
Summing it up in one sentence, it is a common denominator – the brightness of the star. The way you prepare for your night cruise will generally control what kind of danger you will be exposed to in a kayak.
One more possible risk that should be taken into account is that of wildlife – for example, an alligator could be dangerous at night even if it was sedentary during the day, not so at dawn.
Here’s the thing:
The extreme danger of night kayaking is the chance of abandoning the presence of dangers, expecially the one you have no knowledge of, and undervaluing the true risk that entails the activity.
That you’re here learning about night paddling safety pretty much proves that you know it already. It is obvious that you realize that kayaking in the night can be dangerous. At least that is a good indication, we can be optimistic.
Night Kayaking Essentials: What Do You Need To Kayak At Night?
Whether you’re launching your kayak at night because you have no other choice or want to experience the moonlit watercourses, the rules of the game are the same:
Keep special safety measures, take the precocious for other vessels and yourself, and foresee the unexpected in front. Don’t be caught off guard as the night is when you may have to whether the emergency or not.
Certainly, as a night paddler, you would be uneasy if you are a beginner. These 3 humble safety rules will demystify your apprehensions.
Rule #1: Make Guaranteed Others Can See You (Kayak Lights)
New kayakers are advised to be as remote as is possible to commercial sailing boats and powerboats. You will make win light/dark navigation as well as signals and indicators during the time of this type of visibility your final collisions and accidents will be reduced only if you do not know how to read night navigation lights and signals.
By the way, what if they are not escaping you along with the other vessels’ traffic?
First of all are other ships that come with aloneness of the water. Since this is the contrary situation for me, listen to the sound of water beating on the rocks where the bats are using their apps.
Wear something great, and fashionable, be it a flirty or cute outfit, and do not overdo it with accessories. Just be yourself.
Most of the times, night paddling visibility is a matter of using light bases for brightening up the kayak and/or a sound maker that is loud enough to be heard by others.
Navy air horn or a distance call will be an economic, simple and practical choice. Your safeguarding that it has a decibel rating of 120dB or higher.
The United States Coast Guard rules outline that a white light on its water-resistant side in a 360-degree position that could be the beam of a torch, lantern, or flashlight should be displayed. It will be your Main light for the steering, as well as others will see you due it.
Make your kayak lights at your back and not in front of you to evade having them as the light source. This means that you won’t need to change your eye location and damage your night vision.
Red and green triangular lights, or sidelights, are not State required, but they may be very useful in case your on water companions or boat has sidelight. Green is your port side and red is your starboard side; follow this rule and never place any colors opposite of each other.
Here’s how to read the putting of red and green lights on other vessels:
In case you see a combination of green as well as red lights in the opposite skiff with the latter light`s position on the left side, it means the skiff is sailing away from you.
When you see green and red lights prepared in the same way, in which the red light is on the right, you know that you are heading to the opposite course.
In conclusion, it is powerfully recommended that my personal safety launch gear should also contain a separate light (either flashing or strobe). Hopefully this illumination device will be put on the equipment vest. A flash of light from the bow is a generalized distress indication for marine vehicles; it should be employed under emergency cases only.
Rule #2: Make Guaranteed You Can See (Lights)
Your safety on a kayak night-time journey may knowingly depend on a few things: you become visible and noticeable to those around you on one side, and you stay alert and vigilant on the other.
Hence, the main law of night kayaking is “if be seen is the first one, then ‘see’ is the second rule.”
The time is 30 minutes for getting your eyes dark-adapted to moonlight not to the near condition of pitch-black night! Nevertheless, you’ll find to estimate, place, and define respectable things like other ships, landmarks, and rolling waves in the exact size, distance, and position.
A waterproof headlamp cannot withstand under water but it can be used with caution to save for emergencies while you still keep your night sight since both white light and bright artificial light hurts the sight at night. Maintain it as far as possible for only emergency tasks, or simply switch the lights off.
Rule #3: Bring Safety Gear
One significant point that I would like to bring out is to wear your life jacket the second you step foot to the beach.
It should be known that wearing a PFD is a necessity on any vessel, even kayaks. With regard to the laws and the policies of the USCG, it certainly shouldn’t be a question to consider!
Here are other samples of safety gear that you should have on board before you set out on a night paddling trip:
- A mobile phone or a VHF radio, which is believed to help in dealing with emergencies or making a call.
- Food and drinking water
- Extras garments, in case you are drenched.
- Optionally provide an ignition source resembling a torch or an emergency beacon to give the other travelers a warning in case of an accident.
- A first-aid kit
- Whether an air horn or signaling whistle will be appropriate for this noisemaker should be decided by the referee.
It is better to have a dry bag that would be perfect for holding all the smartphones, other devices and great documents that is safe against getting wet. It is suggested that everything you need goes into a private survival kit from your ID, smartphone, a first aid kit, extra batteries, a flashlight and other portable electronic devices.
Extra Things To Consider When Kayaking At Night
Check The Weather
Checking the weather before setting out on a paddling trip is one of the elementary safety rules of kayaking:
Be aware of your surrounds and know what conditions you should anticipate knowing whether it is day or night. This applies mainly in respect to the safety.
Paddling at night is already a challenging activity, but there are situations when even a gentle wind and stormy clouds fasten things up to a complicated level. If you think that the tough conditions during the day are too much for you, dark hours are definitely not the best time for testing your paddling proficiency.
Looking back at weather predicting, it is certainly true that it is often off target. It is not sensible to go out to the waters without consulting the weather conditions, and always look for updated information.
In case you smell even unclear doubt regarding report, and you have chance to hold your trip, do it. There would constantly be chance to go next day.
Check The Tides
Such analysis is essential if you’ll be on the waterways that are significantly or even wholly reliant on on tides. This specially applies to kayakers on the sea and ocean waterways, and the brackish rivers.
The inexpert kayakers could get in this trap that they launch a kayak in a high tide only further to drag it in mud or sand till the time they are ready to return back to the opening point of the tide that is low.
Depending on their luck, they may either be super lucky or talk to people stuck on mudflats or they may just get wet mud-covered for the day.
What is more, apart from strong tides, their action distorts the water external into currents, normally pulling or pushing you.
As with preparing for rain, the accurate check of the time of the high and low tides high tides and low tides is no less than the accurate check of weather forecast.
If one is informed of the randomness of tides and their extreme range, such pieces of information plus the effects they pose to the current will help you plan for a safe kayaking night trip.
Plan Your Route & Stick With It
It doesn’t matter whether you’re kayaking during the day or at night; the rules of on-the-water steering still hold:
Create a plan, stick firmly to it, constantly check your position and keep going as if you will die if you stop.
I am sure that you have seen these waters from different viewpoints countless times before. However, the sky that gently covers you at night will still look completely different this time.
Easier than you can imagine, getting lost and changing your course among layer of utmost darkness requires a lot more than your eyes can accomplish.
Paying attention to facts, and staying aware every moment is a crucial factor which can keep you safe. The vast majority do not just judge the distance, the time, the speed, and Direction – everything should be thought of and delivered with great precision when kayaking at night.
It makes more sense that you investigate and ensure there are no low-head dams on the route you’re planning because they can unsafe to your safety when waters are high and this is especially the case at night.
If so, you have to be right in the mind of the brief and follow all the steps of his escape as it all could happen.
Moreover, provided that you prefer to paddle at nighttime, get a particular device for your kayak that will allow you to navigate well in the dark.
Global Positioning System, known as either GPS, is a variety of devices which will donate info about your current position, direction and speed, allow you to track your route and follow it closely.
Individual, I feel the use of a GPS device is a must have device and per se a must have on the gear list of every night-time paddler.
But most significantly, a paddling compass and a map is the best manual back-up – you must not be lacking such things at any given time, since technology quits working all too often.
Sending Out An SOS
For security purposes as well, night paddlers should also make the use of an emergency light, which is a small, collapsible and battery operating LED light that can be seen for more than one maritime mile and can strobe to signal the rescue crews in a case of emergency.
This 360-light degree light is capable of attaching to the PFD’s shoulder strap moreover it can make accompaniment close to
the PFD all the time. Certain flashes of younger models are thusly turned on when submerged into water.
Of course, one could be drifting for some time unless to call someone to attention to the specific lifesaving with a cell phone or satellite communication device.
A safety system is nothing more than an emergency light when it is the only part to be utilized.
Conclusion
It is impractical to assume one can go kayaking at night just as they would do it during the day.
Hence in this regard, I hope this, guide shown below will be a guide of you against the beginning stage mistakes. Get ready to paddle at night, and it will be vital to keep watch for your surroundings and to remain alert.
And remember the golden rule:And remember the golden rule:
See and be seen.
Even the dearest frequented rivers can change with the night becoming unfamiliar under the moon. However on your part, you need to guarantee that the place you’re paddling on has the right rules or traffic rules, and follow them accordingly plus put precautionary measures to maximize enjoyment on the ride.
I expect that your time spent at night-kayaking will be exciting and pleasurable.
