Coastal Kayaking: Paddling Etiquette
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Don’t leave your good sense or your manners on the shore when you go kayaking.
Oftentimes you’re kayaking in very shallow water, and you think you won’t need a life jacket. But every now and then you can get into a channel or a deep pocket, and if you do happen to flip over…it’s very nice not to be worried about losing your life.
Jim Blackburn is a kayaking enthusiast from Houston. Another kayaking tip: there’s safety in numbers.
Always go with a partner. It’s something very easily enjoyed with a group. And I think that’s the way it should be done.
Blackburn would know. He’s been kayaking for years, and has written a book…
Called the Book of Texas Bays… that has a lot of stories about kayaking…a lot of experiences about kayaking in it.
In addition to being safe while paddling in Texas’ coastal waters, remember others are also enjoying the resource.
If you encounter people that are fishing, you might look at the direction the fisherman is wading, come around behind him… move away from the shoreline…go around the fisherman if they happen to be wading around the shoreline. Sometimes during the winter duck hunting is going on. Over in the Lighthouse Lakes trails there can be duck hunting. You want to make sure you don’t paddle into some decoys.
Download a Canoeing and Kayaking resource guide from passporttotexas.org.
The Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our show, and is funded by your purchase of fishing and equipment and motor boat fuels. For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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