Kayaking is definitely one of the most exciting water activities out there. If you are looking for an activity which can relieve you from stress as well as offer you an awesome time, kayaking is a great option. If you are planning to go on a kayaking trip, here are some ways on how to make it more awesome.
Dress appropriately
If you are to go kayaking on a hot summer day, you might want to wear quick dry shorts and a cool t-shirt. Clothes made of cotton can really be comfortable. If you want, you can wear a swim suit beneath your clothes especially since some tours allow for some quick dips in the water. Wearing a swim suit is also practical if you are to go for those long kayak camping trips where using a swim suit is almost unavoidable. For footwear, you can always wear a pair of sandals. And to protect you from the sun, do not forget to wear a hat – a sunhat or a ball cap would work fine. Also do not forget to wear sunglasses that have UV protection.
Bring the right equipments
The basic thing you need to bring would be water. Bring plenty of it especially on a hot day. Bring sunscreen to protect your skin from the sun as well as an insect repellent. If you know you are going to get too sweaty, bring a towel. A change of clothes would be practical especially if there is a chance of rain. Another important thing to bring is a camera especially if you like preserving those wonderful sights nature has to bring. If your camera isn’t waterproof, make sure you store it in a waterproof case. Of course, if you are to go on a kayaking camping trip, you would have to bring the essential items for outdoor camping like tissue paper, sleeping bags, and tents.
Be fit for the trip
One does not necessarily have to be so strong and physically fit for a kayaking trip. After all, even kids can easily row the paddles. But it would help if you can prepare yourself physically. Several hours of camping trip will require a strong heart and lungs. That is why doing short cardio exercises several days before kayaking can help you in a big way. Imagine finding yourself not having to catch your breath after several minutes of kayaking – that would surely help you enjoy more of the experience. Though not really necessary, it would also help you if row better if you improve your core and back muscles.
Be familiar with the basics
There are a lot of articles online that teach about the basics of kayaking. It would not hurt if you read them as they can really give you a lot of basic ideas. There are also a number of online videos that can teach you and help you be familiar with kayaking. Once you are in your kayak and holding your paddle, you would be able to apply the basic knowledge you have learned online. The basic skills which would be taught to you during the actual kayaking trip would also not be that hard to grasp once you have been familiar with the basics beforetime.
Consider the time and weather
Weather plays a great role in the outcome of your kayak trip. Usually, people prefer a warm, sunny day. You wouldn’t want to be kayaking out there at the heat of the day so it would be best to avoid kayaking at around noon. Go for an early morning trip a or pre-evening one if you want to enjoy a weather that neither extremely cold nor hot.
Take note that rain isn’t automatically an obstacle to a awesome kayaking trip. Showers during the summer can be enjoyed especially since these can cause wildlife to come out. Kayak trips are usually cancelled only for reasons such as thunderstorms or very strong winds. So do not get worried about having a miserable day just because you see dark clouds.
Go with the right people
Among the major factors that make kayaking trips fun are your companions. Be with the people whom you like to spend a lot of fun hours with. These people can be your family or your relatives. Kids can go kayaking too, but they just have to be on the same kayak with an adult. You can also consider going on a trip with your friends or even your office colleagues. It would surely be nice to enjoy nature and just relax with people whom you love to be with.
At Kitty Hawk Kayak, we can help you put together an awesome kayaking trip. We have kayaking trips covering various locations. We have overnight trips as well. Contact us now and find out more!
If you are ever thinking of a way to have fun and keep fit at the same time, you definitely have to consider kayaking. An exciting leisure activity, kayaking can benefit you in a number of ways. Here are some good examples:
Kayaking gives a good cardio workout
Cardiovascular workout is important as it keeps the heart healthy. Keeping the heart busy is vital to keep it strong. If it is not worked out, it would get weak overtime. Of course, a weak heart can be the cause of a variety of complications. Kayaking can surely give you a good cardio workout as you paddle through the waters. Cardio workouts, with their repetitive nature, can be quite boring; but this isn’t true with kayaking. It is one of those exciting cardio workouts that will surely keep you going and going. Your heart, as well as your lungs, will surely be tested in a fun and exciting way.
Kayaking can strengthen your lats
To be stronger, you must work out your muscles. The muscle group that benefits most from kayaking are definitely the lower back muscles or lats. With every stroke, your lats are heavily worked out. As one of your arms are used to row back, the other would be stretched and eventually be contracted as your with both arms alternately. In order to make your lats workout more effective, consider varying the speed of your rowing. You can row fast at a short period of time as well as do it in a slow yet hard way. After several kayaking trips, you would surely have a strong lower back.
Kayaking can give you firm abs
Go ahead and ask any fitness trainer on what muscle group is the most difficult to work out; you would most definitely get “the abs” for an answer. It is difficult to get firm and nice-looking abs especially since the stomach area is usually filled with hard-to-get-rid fats. But with kayaking, getting a six-pack in just a short amount of time is very much possible. The rotational movements you do in kayaking can be very demanding to your core muscles and thus, these would give the muscles a good workout. The demand for balance and stabilization can also contribute to the improvement of your abs.
Kayaking can give you strong, good-looking arms
If you go kayaking regularly, you can also have a bigger and a better-looking arm. Kayaking can surely improve the arm muscles. That is why if you would look at those who compete in kayaking events, whether local or in the Olympics, you would notice that they have bulky and firm-looking arms. Both the biceps and the triceps are worked-out as one arm rows in and another counters with a forward thrush. You do not have to worry if you are not that good at paddling. Paddling instructions are given before kayaking tours and you’ll be kayaking and working out those big guns in no time.
Kayaking can help you lose weight
Anyone who has been trying to lose weight should surely consider kayaking. An hour of kayaking happily through the waters can help anyone burn four hundred calories. To elaborate on that, three hours of kayaking can burn up to 1200 calories. It is for this reason that kayaking is one of the top exercises that burn more calories than the traditional weight loss workout which is jogging. So if you want to get that summer, bikini-ready body, then kayaking is the way to go. It definitely is a thrilling activity to lose weight. Losing weight can be quite a challenge. It is good that kayaking can help make shedding those pounds a lot easier.
Kayaking can help get rid of stress
Stress is something that most people do not treat as a stranger. It is common and it can attack anyone at any age. It is a good thing that kayaking can be a remedy for very high stress levels. Everything about kayaking is enjoyable and relaxing. For starters, you get to enjoy the feeling of floating on water. And nothing can beat the feeling of enjoying the sceneries as the cold breeze blows against your face. Of course, there is also the soothing experience of hearing your paddles splash against the water. Your workout itself can also help condition your body to get rid of stress.
Indeed, kayaking surely has a lot of health benefits. Yes, it is a leisure activity, but you can definitely get healthier by doing it. Have you heard of kayak tours before? Why not consider going kayaking with some friends and family? If you are planning for a great kayaking experience, do consider Kitty Hawk Kayak tours. We are situated at Kitty Hawk, NC and we have everything you would need for a wonderful day or more of kayaking!
A kayak camping trip combines the thrills of kayaking and the joys of camping. If you are thinking of a great way to spend the weekend with your kids, you should consider going on a kayak camping trip. Here are some convincing reasons why you should do so:
They get to see the beauty of nature
Kayak camping trips will bring your kids closer to nature. It is always nice to bring kids who grew up in an urban setting to remote natural places. They get to experience a new world that is far different from what they have become accustomed to. Kayak camping trips will let your kids see beautiful sceneries of lush trees, clear skies, and amazing landscapes. They get to paddle through the waters and feel the fresh air as they enjoy the wonderful sights around them. They get to see animals and plants in their natural environment. Some activities you can ask your kids to do include taking photos of their favourite sites as well as drawing some natural scenes once you have set up camp.
They get to enjoy unstructured play
Another good reason why kayak camping trips are great is that once you reach the campsite, kids can enjoy unstructured play. They get to play on their own, be free, and be the kids they are supposed to be. It is at remote natural places where kids can enjoy free play at its best. Kids indeed need to play on their own – away from the structured environments of home and school. Free play at campsites can really create a good environment where kids can relax and simply have fun. They also get to share an amazing bond between their playmates be it their siblings, relatives, or friends. And they also get to play while kayaking. For example, they can play “I spy” or they can even have kayak races. (If they are too young though, they would have to be with an adult in the same kayak.)
They get to be more physically active
Kids these days are very different from the kids the adults of today used to be. Kids today can actually spend more than a day indoors and not get bored. This is because there is always technology to keep them occupied. There are gaming consoles as well as the Internet to keep them very busy. Nothing is wrong with technology but if enjoyed too much, kids end up getting inactive. And once they get inactive, they end up getting physically unfit. Kayak camping trips can be great outlets for kids who have gotten too hooked up with technology. It is time to have your kids take a break from their gadgets and let them enjoy the natural world where they live.
They get to develop life-long skills
When children go camping outdoors, they get to develop too many life-long skills. The majority of these would be survival skills. They get to learn how to survive outdoors and be resourceful with what they have. They get to cook without stoves, get food from the wild, use a variety of camping tools among others. What is also interesting is that aside from skills, they also get to benefit from secondary benefits. These benefits are lessons which they can learn from their camping experience in the wild. For example, a couple of days out there in the wild can help them be more appreciative of nature and it can motivate them to promote environmentalism as well as be more conscious with the natural world around them. And in special camping trips like kayaking camping trips, of course, they get to learn how to travel in a kayak.
They get to spend more quality time with you
Most importantly, it is ideal to take your kids on a kayak camping trip because that would be one of the few chances where you can enjoy time with your kids while they are still kids. They will not stay as kids for a long time. In no time, they would be grown adults and sadly, they would start to get busy with their own lives. Thus, while they are young, you should really make sure you get to spend time with them; and one of the best activities to spend with your kids is surely camping. While kayaking and camping, you get to spend time with them. You get to play with them. You get to impart to them various skills. You get to be a good parent to them. Kayak camping trips can develop a good bond between you and your kids. These trips can help create good memories that they will surely bring into their adulthood.
So what are you waiting for? Do consider planning a camping trip. You might want to go kayak camping with Kitty Hawk Kayak, one of the most reputable kayak tour operators on the Outer Banks. Consider Corolla, NC kayak rentals and contact us as soon as possible.
