1. Do Your Research
Before you embark on your trip, learn as much as you can about the waterway you'll be kayaking. Be aware of potential dangers, such as rocky shores and strong currents. It's critical that you know the weather forecast for the day, or week if you're taking an extended kayaking trip. If there's a chance of adverse weather, postpone your trip. You also need to know the water temperature. You can't swim in water colder than 60 degrees, so if you're inexperienced or unfamiliar with the area, it's best to wait for warmer temperatures.
2. Practice, Practice, Practice
An emergency situation is not the time to learn how to use your safety equipment. Practice using all of your safety gear either in a pool or calm waters before you head out into open water. Practice getting back into your kayak after a capsize without losing your grip on your kayak and paddles. Develop an emergency plan for all potential situations and practice what you'll do to stay safe. Write your plan down and read over it from time to time. When you're practicing, have a friend time you to add an element of pressure. You want to become so familiar with what to do in an emergency that it becomes second nature and you don't freeze when it counts.
3. No Safety in Numbers
If you're going on a difficult kayaking expedition, don't include novices in your party. For every paddler in the group, the chances of someone getting into trouble increases. However, you should never venture out alone. Use the buddy system when you're paddling in a group. Pair more experienced paddlers with less experienced. If there are more than three paddlers in your group, assign a leader to keep the group organized, choose safe routes and make final decisions. Everyone in the group needs to be in agreement to listen to the leader or disaster could result during an emergency. That being said, experienced paddlers need to be advocates for novices and speak up if the group is being led into a situation that is too dangerous for some of the members in the group.
4. Banish Wear and Tear
Replace any kayaking equipment that's showing signs of wear. Your spray skirt needs to fit securely on your cockpit rim or you risk getting a lap full of water. Keep a repair kit stored in your kayak so you can fix any problems that might arise on the water. When you store your equipment, make sure you're not creating a hazard for yourself that'll prevent you from exiting the kayak if you need to.
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