What to wear when kayaking is a great question.
- Wear comfortable, light-weight clothing that won’t suddenly weigh you down should you end up in the water.
- Shorts, t-shirts, and sandals are excellent kayaking clothes.
- Don’t forget your life jacket and a safety whistle!
- A good hat for shade is nice too.
- Bug spray repellant won’t hurt
- Sunblock lotion.
- And water. Take lots of water.
What NOT to wear when you go kayaking
Jeans or sweatpants are horrible if you fall into the water. They absorb a lot of water and will weigh you down substantially. Anything that weighs you down makes it harder for you to swim to safety or get back into your kayak. The harder it is to swim, the more exhausted you will be as time goes by. One of the worst things you can do if you fall overboard is to become exhausted by wearing yourself out struggling to swim. This is precisely why you MUST wear a life jacket.
When you do get back into your kayak with these heavy clothes, you now have to exert more energy rowing because the overall weight of the boat is heavier. The same goes for sweatshirts and thick coats. Stick with thin material and use layers if necessary. You can always take off layers of clothing if you get too warm. Tennis shoes fall into the same category. They get soggy and heavy making it difficult to kick your legs for swimming. Teva sandals or designated water shoes are perfect for kayaking. These are my favorite kayaking shoes (Amazon link) because they slip on easily and have ample cushion. The grip really well when we get out and go exploring on the rocks at Pillar Falls. They also dry very quickly which is another big plus.
Keep spare clothing, food, and gear in your dry bag
This is another good tip for just in case you capsize. I’ve been kayaking for over a year now and I still take a change of clothes with me. You just never know when you are going to be tipped over. Last weekend I was blessed to have an idiot in a boat drive by a little too close to my kayak. I knew the waves were coming but I failed to line up perpendicular to them. The waves were just big enough to slosh over my kayak sides and onto my lap. I politely let the driver know he was Number One and grumbled to myself for the next ten minutes. Just proof that you never know when you’ll get wet.
I may not even be wet from getting in the water when we finish kayaking but want to change my wet, sweaty clothes from overheating sometimes. I can pull out my clean, dry t-shirt and shorts and change in the van after a good workout. Sometimes we choose to go eat after a kayaking trip down the Snake River. Strolling into Cafe Rio isn’t always comfortable when your clothes are wet and your shoes are squeaking.
I also keep the beef jerky and salty nuts in my dry bag for a quick snack. Extra sunblock lotion and anything that helps to repel the mosquitoes. I”m experimenting right now with citronella laden bracelets from Amazon. They are very inexpensive at $15 for 12 bracelets. I have worn them all day kayaking and then come back home and put them straight into a zip lock bag for preservation. This way I get 2-3 uses from each bracelet. They do smell a bit strong when you first take them out of the package but if it keeps me from getting ate up…it could smell like King Kong’s butt for all I care. There’s nothing worse than coming home from kayaking with 50 mosquito bites around your ankles and all up your legs. There’s quite a bit of room in the standard dry bag so make the most of it.
Actually, dry bags are pretty inexpensive also. Considering the huge amount of headache they can save you and comfort they can bring you, even a high-priced dry bag would be worth its weight in gold. But the ones we use are under $20. They come in just about any color you can imagine. Check them all out here on Amazon. We have four of them in our family. Lisa and I usually fill ours up with snacks and dry clothes and fill a third with sun lotion, bug repellant spray, a few generic water bottles, chapstick, and a small towel. I have used our fourth dry bag for camera equipment when I have done kayaking videos and photography. The bag easily holds my Nikon, handheld video recorder, tripod and memory cards.
Deck shoes or water shoes for comfort and quick-dry time
The pair that I mentioned early, that I personally have are pair of Skechers that I picked up at Costco for under $20. They slip on and have a lot of cushion on the bottom. These have been perfect for wearing while kayaking. They are solid gray cloth and give me plenty of support when walking around on the rocks. They breathe well enough when wet or dry and still stay comfortable when wet. This is the same pair I linked to above in an Amazon link. Unfortunately, Costco quit carrying them after I fell in love with them. If they ever come back, I’m going to buy a few more pairs. They are THAT comfortable. The easy slip on/off is a total bonus and they actually look pretty nice. I woudn’t wear them to church but I would everywhere else.
When they get dirty enough or start to get that lake water smell, I just throw them in the washer with some blue jeans. They come out good as new and smell nice too. I’m keeping an eye out for them to reappear and will post back if I see them again so you can go snag a pair for yourself.
Leave the keys and wallet behind
I know it’s hard to do when we’ve spent so much of our lives training ourselves to keep our keys and wallets in our pockets at all times. But one of the worst things that can happen while kayaking is losing your keys or wallet in the water. If that happens to you, just sit up straight and say “They gone!” cause you won’t be able to see jack in that water if you try diving in after them.
I take the door key off my key ring and tie it to my shorts. Using the drawstring, just thread it through the eye of the key. Then tie your shorts in a normal double knot. Leave the rest of your keys and wallet tucked away somewhere safe in the car. The less you have to worry about while kayaking, the more time you can spend relaxing and enjoying the ride.
Clothing tops and bottoms
Finally, I’ll just mention the obvious. For guys, use comfortable swim shorts and lightweight shirts for the rest of your outfit. They will dry out quickly and allow you to enjoy the breeze while paddling. Two of my favorite places to shop for kayaking clothing are Dick’s Sporting Goods and Amazon. One is clearly more expensive than the other but it also doesn’t require shipping and waiting two days.
For the ladies, my wife’s favorite kayaking outfit is her Amazon bathing suit and shorts. I actually bought these for her on a whim. I got lucky and she really likes it. The shoes she can’t live without are Chaco’s (Amazon link), whether she’s kayaking or not. They look like over-glorified Tevas to me but I’m not going to argue with her. Best thing since sliced bread…sure.
Conclusion
What you wear has a lot of bearing on how much fun you have and how comfortable you will be while kayaking. Loose, comfortable clothing that is weather-appropriate will always serve you well.
So there you have it. Dress smart and you’ll increase your comfort level while having a terrific time on the water. Until next time…
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