6 Reasons you should consider taking up Kayaking

Kayaking has become a popular recreational activity among many people of all age groups and walks of life. This is because of the many benefits of kayaking. In fact, if you inquire from anyone who is kayaking, he/she would confirm the benefits. The activity does not only help you deal with your daily worries but also gives you direct health benefits. You can do kayaking as a hobby and never regret it. It is not easy to find an activity that is fun and healthy.

photo credit: Geert Orye via photopin cc

So here is the 6 reasons that should persuade you to take up kayaking somehow :

It Relieves Stress

It is of no doubt that kayaking effectively relieves people of stress. When you are in action through the waters, you will feel a connection with nature. Just like therapy, your mind will feel relaxed and you will become calm. The continuous paddling through the waters gives you a rhythmic sense and ushers you into a kind of meditative state. 

It combines exercise and excursion

As you know, kayaking is done for leisure. However, when paddling your way through water, it becomes more of an exercise. In addition, kayaking is a low impact activity hence there is no risk of you tearing or wearing your joints or muscles. Many people would rather choose kayaking than go to the gym.

It helps you loose weight

Kayaking allows you to burn a lot of calories hourly. Actually, you can burn over 400 calories while paddling. The best part is that, you will not be feeling strained as kayaking is very interesting and mind-relaxing. The more time you spend kayaking, the more calories you will burn. It is that simple.

Allows you to team build

Kayaking is also a good way to team build. This happens when you decide to go kayaking with other people. You will get to acquire team building skills as most of the time; people in a group tend to help each other complete particular tasks. You will get to learn even faster and enjoy more.

It sharpens your senses

This is because kayaking itself is a sport a just like any other sport, you need to be keen all the time in order for you not to make any errors. Errors always result into loses. Therefore, the act of you trying to avoid errors makes you use your senses.

It enhances the co-ordination 

Well you certainly increase your hand to eye co-ordination. This is because you use your hands when paddling and your eyes to keenly watch your directions through the waters.

Last but not the least, If you decide on buying a kayak, and help choosing a kayak, you can check out this ultimate kayak guide. 

Interesting Kayak Fishing Videos

Well, I was going through many fishing kayak reviews on youtube earlier and came across some really interesting videos.

Octopus caught during kayak Fishing

Offshore Trip Gone Wrong 

Amazing Kayak

Consider these things before buying that Fishing Kayak

Besides being a mode of recreation and water sports, a fishing kayak is also an easy way of approaching easily spooked fish like the flounder and cobia. Fishing by use of a Kayak is so much popular because it is considered to be a healthy and environmental friendly method. Also if you compare to boats, the kayaks turn out to be an economical affair. Originally, the kayaks were developed by local people residing in the Arctic regions and formerly used boats to fish in the local inland lakes, coastal waters and various rivers. The very first kayaks were developed from animal skins. The skin was stretched over a specially constructed wooden frame. Check out more history of kayaking on wikipedia.

Well choosing a fishing kayak that meets your needs can be quite time consuming but here are a few things you can consider when looking to buy a fishing kayak

Length versus Width and Speed versus Stability

It has been found that longer kayaks are normally faster in speed compared to those with short lengths. In addition, the wider kayaks are also more stable than the narrow ones. The kayaks that have got some upswept bow perform very well in currents and waves and even better on flat water.
Also keep in mind that the more you practice with the kayaks, the more stable and confident you become.

Comfort factor of Seats

If you are likely to spend long hours in fishing kayaks, seat comfort should definitely be a priority. Also check for the back support and if you feel comfortable while sitting. It is best to buy a kayak that has enough space to fit a comfortable seat.

Sit on top vs Sit -in Kayak

You can also be confused over the type of kayak to buy. Sit on top kayak, as the name suggest has the seat on the top of kayak.
A sit in kayak as the seat carved into the kayak.
Most of the kayak anglers, including me :) prefer to sit on top of the kayak. This means you have more storage space. It also enables you to easily get out and wade, in case it tips. This can sometimes result into a wet ride where you get wet all over.
A sit in kayak allows you to be more warm and dry as your legs are inside the kayak.

The storage space

Storage space is also a concern. Typically you need a tackle bag, to carry your fishing baits and reels. Also place where you can hold your fishing rods. These days kayaks come with fishing rod holders, ditty trays and space for securing your cargo. Make sure you check it out before buying it.

Money

Money is definitely a concern for those who are tight on budget. You can find kayaks as high as 2,000 dollars and also as low as a couple of 100 dollars. Make sure you have a budget in mind. For those of you who are on a low budget, you can also try out inflatable kayaks. 

I hope that these points will help you better in shortlisting down to your final kayak.

Check out this great inflatable fishing kayak video

My First Test Post

Hi all,
This is my first test post. I am interested in many things like : trekking, watching movies, reading sci-fi / fantasy novels, badminton, kayaking. The list is too long. Just trying to take a step at a time for my blog to list out any interesting stuff that I come across.