April 5, 2000

Paddling with Kids

Last summer I bought my then 8-year-old daughter a Necky Gannet. I didn't care for the thing that much, but she liked it a lot. I had her try several other small yaks that I thought would be much better for her, but she insisted on the Gannet. Those little pleading eyes....well, the rest is history.

The Gannet is fine in perfectly calm water, but even with the skeg, she has a lot of problems in any wind. The combination of her light weight and the boat's high bow (sits way above the waterline) makes it easy to blow around and for her to loose directional control.

The moral to the story above is if you are going to paddle with your young kids, and by this I mean kids actually old enough to command a solo craft, try to match them to the boat. They won't understand why they can't have the yellow one or the blue one, but you'll keep their interest longer and the frustration level much lower the less real work they have to do while paddling.

As far as kids in general go, you have to be a lot more prepared and have tons more patience than paddling with even an early teenager. A tow belt (or a tow system) is a requirement with children. They are much more likely to get sick on the water, or be sick beforehand and not tell you till you're miles from the car.

My daughter has paddled 7 miles without a complaint, and other times complained every inch of a 2 mile paddle. In windy sections be prepared to tow. Children can suddenly just be tired and refuse to paddle any further.

Also towing related: Try things to encourage them not to be towed. They can easily become dependent on using you as their motor. My daughter was becoming more and more prone to ask for a tow until one day I managed to keep her occupied with just looking at all the ducks. At the end of the paddle I made a big deal out of how she went so far without help. Now she rarely asks, and only when she is genuinely tired.

Don't forget to practice rescues. Both my kids (my daughter and 14 year old son) loved climbing in and falling out of the boat. Make it a game and practice often.

A lot of small recreational kayaks don't have bulkheads. Don't forget to add float bags. I took my daughter's kayak out once to see if I could roll it and almost had to leave it on the bottom of the river. Try explaining to an eight year old why daddy just lost her brand new kayak.

Sunscreen, water, sunscreen, water. If you forget either, go back and get it.

Don't be disappointed with the short attention spans. Expect it. Kids get bored quicker if this is an area you have paddled with them before. A highly sheltered area with lots of wildlife is a plus. At the same time, don't start by planning long trips. Begin with short trips and work up to what your child can safely handle.

A good fitting PFD is a must. A child's small body makes the PFD prone to slip right over their head. A crotch strap, provided it doesn't provide an entanglement risk, might be of benefit.

Think about everything that can happen on a long car ride with a child, and think how you would handle that on the water. After towing my daughter once through a long windy stretch I turned around to find her asleep, half hanging off the side!

Don't forget to teach them proper technique. My kids have caught on to when they see me eyeing their technique to focus on how they are paddling. Don't give them too much to digest at once. Feed them one concept and let them master it before giving them another.

Kids will sometimes surprise you how much they've learned. While on vacation at Chincoteague Island I was paddling near shore while my family stood on shore waiting for the ponies to swim across from Assateague. A little girl came up to the shore and started asking me all types of questions about the kayak. After answering a few I pointed to Katie, who was standing next to her, and said "Ask Katie, she has one too." I then just sat there and beamed with pride as Katie answered every one of the little girl's questions without flaw.