1. Your Boat
Check your boat on the inside and the outside before going sea kayaking and packing your gear. Make sure your boat can handle the weight of you and your gear. Practice in your boat and in your gear before going on a long overnight trip.
2. Pack Your Gear
Important pieces of gear to take are your kayak, flotation device, paddle, helmet, GPS or compass, map, flashlight, tent, sunscreen, water, rain gear, pots and pans, food, matches or something to cook with, a lantern, clothes and a sleeping bag. Make sure you pack your gear in waterproof bags and treat everything with waterproof spray. Pack lightly. Purchase items that are lighter than normal; find lighter camping cookware, lanterns and stoves at sporting goods or department stores. Get large, heavy-duty waterproof bags with flotation devices to put all of your gear in. These are well worth the money when your kayak tips over and you have to fish your stuff out of the sea.
3. Map Your Route
Map your route carefully so you know all the places where the sea could potentially host danger. Plan and mark on your map where you are floating and where you are camping for the night. Let someone know your planned route and destination. Let the same person know when you are going to return; in case of an emergency, he will contact the Coast Guard to look for you. Always take someone with you on your trips until you become an experienced at sea kayaking.
4. Personal Flotation Device
Purchase a personal flotation device (PFD) that you are comfortable with and fits snugly to you. You want the device to stay on you when you fall in the water. You want the device to be comfortable so you can paddle fast and easily without resistance.
5. Hypothermia
If you fall out of your sea kayak, you will need to know how to survive in the cold water without getting hypothermia. Make sure you wear your PDF, because you cannot swim with hypothermia. The more you move in the water, the lower body temperature you will have, and that causes the onset of hypothermia. Try to get back into your kayak as fast as you can; otherwise, stay still in the cold water and rely on your PDF to keep you afloat. You cannot stay in the water longer than thirty minutes or severe hypothermia will set in.
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