The Paddling Season Has Arrived – Get That Gear Ready!

With the paddling season finally upon us (yeah!) it’s time to drag out that boat, and all your gear, and get everything dusted off and ready to hit the water. As part of your spring maintenance, it’s always a good idea to do a quick flotation check on anything that has rubber seals – your hatches, bulkheads, float bags, dry bags, etc. This is especially important if you live in an arid climate, as dry rot can be a real concern, because rotted rubber simply doesn’t seal the way it’s supposed to.

Another good idea is to take a look for any damage that the sun’s rays have done to your expensive kayak, canoe, or other equipment. To prevent this in the future, consider applying a good-quality UV inhibitor to any surfaces that are exposed to the sun’s rays for an extended period of time, including your boats deck, deck lines, spray skirt, and hatch covers. And include your other gear while you’re at it, including your wet or dry suit, PFDs, paddle jacket or anything else that could use some protection from the sun.

Which brings up the last warning – don’t forget the water-resistant sunscreen for any exposed skin.

Test that gear before going out on the water

If you’ve just bought a new kayak or other gear, it’s always a good idea to test it out before hitting the water — and then finding out the hard way that it doesn’t work. And the same thing holds true for gear that’s been in storage for the winter. There’s nothing worse than discovering that you bilge pump doesn’t work at the very time you need it most. Or that the batteries in your VHF radio are bad (another reason to always carry a spare set of batteries). Check the rubber seals on your hatch covers, which can dry rot, especially in dry climates. Check the seal on your spray skirt too.

Photo by FreeWine.

The air canister on your air horn may be empty and need replacing. And don’t forget about your kayak itself. Boats that are stored in garages can suffer all sorts of mishaps through a long winter, and the last thing you need is to find out you’ve got a leaky boat when you’re negotiating a rapids or you’re 100 meters out from shore.

Get the family involved and help clean up our waterways

National River Cleanup Week is coming next month, May 14-22. This can be a great way to get the school-age kids outdoors and involved in our country’s precious waterways. There will even be a chance for participants to win new boats and other paddling gear at the event.

National River Cleanup Week is a nonprofit event, open to everyone, with the stated goal of helping to keep rivers and waterways clean and raise public awareness of the fact that many of our waterways are become clogged with trash and other garbage (a great environment to paddlle in, by the way). In last year’s event, over 47,000 volunteers participated, helping to clean up almost 90,000 miles of US waterways.

And kids are encouraged to think about why they’re cleaning up the rivers, and just exactly where all this trash is coming from. And there is are art, poetry, and essay contests that the youngsters can enter in order to win the boats and gear. Some name brand paddling gear will be awarded, including kayaks, PFDs, paddles, etc from the likes of Thule, Wilderness Systems, Perception, Lotus Designs, and more. The contests are open to children of elementary-school age all the way up to 12th graders.

To participate in the contests, all entrants must be part of the registered cleanup. You can register and read the rules at www.nationalrivercleanup.com or call the NRCW office at 865-558-3595.