By Nick Pritchard
Following this weeks of topic of Paddling Best Practices today's post is about inspecting your equipment prior to each trip.
This is something that is often over looked and seen as redundant by many paddlers. I would agree that it can be redundant, but in redundancy is safety and success. Checking your equipment is also a good time to make sure that you have everything you need. We've all heard of the story where someone went on a trip only to find out that their stove/water filter/tent was missing/broken. This is such an easy thing to do and only takes a few minutes. Besides the safety factor in checking your gear you are setting yourself up for a successful trip. Sure it may rain everyday and be cold, but at least you will have everything you need.
So what are you looking for? What is there really to check on a canoe? Check EVERY piece of equipment that you will take with you. For example, when checking your boat look for any loose outfitting, do you have any loose nuts/bolts? Do you have any D rings that are coming off? Are your painters cut or damaged? The list goes on but these are just some things to get you started.
As always feel free to contact us with any questions you may have. Happy and safe paddling!
*Note - No matter how well you check your gear, things still happen and gear still breaks. Make sure to have repair parts for your equipment and the knowledge to do the repairs.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Wear A Properly Fitting Personal Flotation Device (PFD)
By Nick Pritchard
This will be our first post of many more to come talking about important things to know when going paddling such as skills, planning, emergency procedures, and much more! Please feel free to submit a topic to us that you want to learn more about. We will talk about a new topic each week.
The most important thing you will do when going paddling is wearing a properly fitting PFD. There are many other things that will lead you to a successful outing but it all starts here. It is important that you not only have your PFD but that you wear it. To increase that chances that you will wear your PFD it should be comfortable and properly fitting. There are many different styles of PFDs available today to meet each individuals needs so there is no excuse not to have one that is comfortable.
When looking for a PFD you will find that there is a huge variety available. This can be overwhelming when trying to decide what you need. If you are just getting into paddling you may want to start off with something simple in design but that still meets your needs. For example, you will not need (nor should you get) a rescue capable PFD until you have been trained to use it properly. In contrast, you may consider a PFD that has a half mesh back if you are going to be doing a lot kayaking to allow for more comfort in the boat.
Here are some things to consider when trying to pick out a PFD:
This will be our first post of many more to come talking about important things to know when going paddling such as skills, planning, emergency procedures, and much more! Please feel free to submit a topic to us that you want to learn more about. We will talk about a new topic each week.
The most important thing you will do when going paddling is wearing a properly fitting PFD. There are many other things that will lead you to a successful outing but it all starts here. It is important that you not only have your PFD but that you wear it. To increase that chances that you will wear your PFD it should be comfortable and properly fitting. There are many different styles of PFDs available today to meet each individuals needs so there is no excuse not to have one that is comfortable.
When looking for a PFD you will find that there is a huge variety available. This can be overwhelming when trying to decide what you need. If you are just getting into paddling you may want to start off with something simple in design but that still meets your needs. For example, you will not need (nor should you get) a rescue capable PFD until you have been trained to use it properly. In contrast, you may consider a PFD that has a half mesh back if you are going to be doing a lot kayaking to allow for more comfort in the boat.
Here are some things to consider when trying to pick out a PFD:
- Pounds of flotation
- Color (bright colors are easier to spot in case of emergency but may disturb others experience)
- Make sure it is USCG approved
- Number of adjustments
- Mesh back or full back
- Activity you will be involved in
- Number/location of pockets
- Number/location of lash tabs
If you have any questions about picking out a PFD that will be right for you we would be more than happy to help. Click here to contact us.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
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