NationalGeographic asked:
Leaving his wife and young son behind, a man bent on adventure sets off in his kayak to traverse an ocean–alone. Solo: Lost at Sea : MON SEPTEMBER 15 10 P et/pt : ngcblog.nationalgeographic.com
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Make a splash and start paddling!
NationalGeographic asked:
Leaving his wife and young son behind, a man bent on adventure sets off in his kayak to traverse an ocean–alone. Solo: Lost at Sea : MON SEPTEMBER 15 10 P et/pt : ngcblog.nationalgeographic.com
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Muna wa Wanjiru asked:
Imagine that you are in the middle of the ocean and you just don’t know where you are and which direction to go, sound scary? Carrying a compass while kayaking is very essential even though you have maps or navigational charts as they are not of any use without compass.
In fact, all those marine charts available are made to be used with a compass. These marine charts show magnetic variation on a compass so a sea kayaker, for instance, can easily navigate using those magnetic navigation directions. The most important rules for using compass use compass before you get lost; if start finding direction using compass after you lost somewhere then it is going to be very difficult for you to find perfect direction and second thing learn to use compass before start kayaking. Constantly refer the compass, and check whether you are going in right direction or not.
One more important thing, trust your compass; it is very easy to trust your instinct but usually get lost because of your instincts only; so trust your compass completely and navigate in right direction.
There are basically two types of compasses: marine and hiking. Hiking compass has a moving needle that points towards the magnetic north of earth, needles is fitted in case which has 360 degrees of full circle.. This case is needed to be rotated to align the needle with north and directions are read from face of case. You can even adjust it to local variance or declination so it will indicate true north than magnetic north. Even most topographic maps are oriented in this way.
A marine compass has disk inside the case which is magnetized and marked with 360 degrees. Unmarked outer case can rotate around the compass card or compass disk, which will point to magnetic north; you can even adjust these marine compasses for little local variances.
A kayak compass generally boasts two types: deck mounted and hand held. A deck mounted compass is a compass that is fixed on the deck of kayak. Use of a deck mounted compass is advisable, since you can read direction while paddling. Many deck mounted compass look like high crowned egg; but they have a compass disk instead of yolk. They are mounted right front of cockpit of kayak, close enough so as to wipe away. Its rubber lined alignment will provide accurate and quick reference line and you can easily understand the direction in which you are going.
The deck mounted compass can be permanently mounted on deck of your kayak, so you don’t need remember to carry it with you every time you go for kayaking, but it also has disadvantage you can not remove it for safety. So for that you can have demountable compass, so you can remove it easily whenever not in use.
While buying compass for kayaking, consider few things like readability, means numbers should be easily readable; then it must be easy to install or detach, while installing or detaching it must stay aligned. It would be great if your compass can perform several different functions at a time.
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Ryan asked:
It seems as though nothing can beat getting up early on a brisk morning, having a hearty breakfast, and then packing up your rod and tackle to glide across still water to a favorite fishing spot. There is something special about wrangling in a large mouth bass, salmon, or rainbow trout when in a kayak. I know from experience that when a fish is on the line, being in a kayak makes things a little more interesting. You can hook into a little perch and reeling it in is still enjoyable. There are several ways you can make the experience even more enjoyable when it comes to kayak fishing. Here are a few things I’ve found through my own experience:
1. It helps to have paddle clips. Paddle clips will allow you to stick your paddle in one spot while dealing with tackle, fishing knots, or reeling in a fish, and you won’t have to worry about your paddling dropping into the water out of your reach. Don’t worry about installation of the clips either…most just take a screwdriver, but you might need a hand drill to pre-drill the holes for the screws to go into. Either way, installation is very simple and quick. I recommend mounting the clips so that the paddle is parallel with the kayak. This will leave plenty of room to get fish into the kayak.
2. Only bring a small amount of tackle or bait. It’s simple but true, kayak cockpits don’t have a terrible amount of space to move around or work in, so having a big tangled mess of lures, hooks, and fishing line could frustrate you. Ruining your relaxing day on the water over your bait is just not worth it.
3. Get a fish pole holder, it’s just another luxury when kayak fishing. If you want to move your spot you can just plop your pole down into the holder, and grab your paddle out of your paddle clips. This keeps things simple and efficient throughout the day. Or, if you are using a worm and bobber setup, it will keep your hands free to eat, read a book, or do whatever while you’re waiting for the fish to bite.
4. Bring along something for your comfort level. Food, ice, pillow, large brimmed hat, comfortable sweater…sitting for a long time in one place can drag your mood down, so bring something along that will keep the morale up.
5. Consider your surrounding elements and adapt. Always make sure you can go about your fishing without hassle from your surroundings. When you are in a kayak even the slightest wind can spin you around and leave you facing the wrong direction from where you want to be casting, so prop yourself up against a stump or downed tree, or rig up some sort of simple anchor to keep you in place. It gets real old fast having to reposition yourself after every cast.
6. Make sure your bait has some weight. Unlike fishing in a boat, when you are in a kayak you can’t use your legs to help throw a cast out forty or fifty feet. In a kayak you only have your upper body to place your casts, so make sure you have a heavier lure, or a way to add a little weight to your line so you will be able to cast the distance you would like to cast.
Fishing in a kayak is a great way to spend the early mornings and calm evenings. All you need is a fishing license, and some equipment and you’re ready to go. No need for gas, a registration, or even a trailer. I know how fun and relaxing it is fishing in a kayak, and hopefully the six tips I’ve provided will help improve your experience as well. Paddle On.
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