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The
minimum clothing and equiptment required to safely kayak fish .
In this article the minimum clothing and equiptment
is outlined there are many other options like dry suits sunglasses ect but as new people are coming in to our sport daily
it is important that they get the right equipment to be safe right from the start in this article I have described what
I believe to be the minimum we should all be wearing
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Wetsuit
This is important even in the summer sea water temperature
is very cold if you fall in
To the sea without some protection from the cold you could go in to shock.
Rapid loss of
body temperature will affect your hands and feet and may cause numbness
It will also hinder your ability to make decisions
quickly and hinder your ability to re-enter your yak. you need some way of insulating your body keeping in some of the warmth
while you re-enter a wetsuit will trap a thin layer of water between your body and the neoprene suit this will warm just like
a mini radiator and will give you the protection needed and time to re-enter your kayak .
Neoprene boots
One
of the first things that will be affected by cold water or wind is your feet a good pair of neoprene boots will insulate your
feet and keep them warm .
Pfd
Personnel flotation device this must always be worn when out in the kayak without
it your chances of survival at sea are minimal chose a bright colour it will be much easier seen if need arise for someone
to be looking for you .
Waterproof Whistle
This is a very important piece of safety equipment with it you
can draw attention to yourself .because of the high pitch the sound will carry much farther than shouting help particularly
at night .
Vhf radio
This is your lifeline to raise the alarm that you need help most good vhf radios are
now waterproof you can summon help while on or in the water very quickly with it a mobile phone is no substitute for a vhf
radio if it gets wet its dead .
Pfd knife
This is also an essential for cutting anchor ropes quickly or cutting
yourself free from being tangled in any rigging you may have it is important to chose a knife with only one sharpened edge
as a pfd knife
Hat
A hat will stop you losing body heat quickly it will also shield you from the sun and
should be considered a must .
Flares
Flares if possible try to carry some flares in your pfd small star shots
ect these will aid you greatly if you become parted from your kayak and need to show your location to a rescue vessel
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