Kayaking at night is a whole other experience. If you have yet to experience kayaking at night, you need to sign up for a tour right away. The experience is magical and a whole lot of fun. But since you are kayaking in a low-light setting, it’s essential to take certain safety precautions first.
Here are some safety tips for kayaking at night:
Buoyancy aid life jacket
Always wear a buoyancy aid life jacket, not matter how good a swimmer you are. Often people are seen paddling without them which is a huge hazard. It’s better to be cautious and wear this layer of protection, than heading out without it.
Wearing this kind of a lifejacket is even more important when canoeing at night. You can easily get separated from the kayak or canoe and because of the darkness it can be difficult to locate your canoe. Should you need to be rescued, wearing this lifejacket will help you float effortlessly.
Be well practiced
Kayaking at night is a step for the more experienced kayakers. If you have never experienced kayaking before, we suggest to book a day tour first. Once you are comfortable in a kayak and get used to being in the water, it will be easier to transition to night kayaking.
Lights
Before heading out for a night time kayaking tour, always make sure you have enough waterproof light sources. These needs to be attached to you, so stock up in strobes, torches, light sticks, and some backups. This will come in handy if you end up getting separated from the rest of the group, it will be easier for the group to find you. Lights are also important to see where you’re going in the night and keep an eye out for wildlife nearby.
Attach a white light near the rear of the boat as well so that you are able to see locate it in low-light condition. Head torches are a must-have when kayaking at night. Keep them on whenever you need to. Kayakers usually use these lights when approaching high traffic areas and to make themselves more viable.
A big part of canoeing is visibility. You should be viable to others. Use reflective tape on the canoe, paddles, and even your headgear. Experts suggest you use at least 150 mm of reflective tape at a time.
Book group kayak tours in Central Florida to an experience night time kayaking unlike any other. We offer Kayak Tours in Cocoa Beach like Bioluminescent Kayak Tours and Comb Jelly Kayak Tours. Book a tour today!
