Taking up Kayaking with BKC

To Join BKC you need to fill in one of the following forms:

» Membership Form

» Family Membership Form

And read the information about insurance cover:

» About Insurance

There are two ways to take your first steps with kayaking:

1. in a heated pool;
2. on flat water such as a lake or calm river.

In these environments you will discover how to make the kayak go forward, backwards, sideways and turn. You will also be shown how to fall out of the boat. Beginners are usually fearful that they will be stuck in the boat, but the truth is that it is quite difficult to stay in a boat that is upside down. One advantage of learning these first steps in a pool is that the boats are usually provided by the pool (in our case it is the Robinson Centre, Montgomery Rd, Belfast) so there is no financial commitment except the centre entrance fee.

The heated pool is also a good place to learn how to do rescues (that is, to get back into the boat with the help of others) and to Eskimo Roll – if you want to learn this – once you have gone beyond the basics. These skills increase your confidence.

If you decide to take the sport further than just the pool, then you will really need to think about getting gear – at present the BKC does not have equipment it can lend out.

Alternatively, you could take a course with a local instructor who will provide boats and other equipment. This is a good strategy if you are not sure that you will like the transition from a pool to the river or sea. There are a number of instructors in the Belfast area who have good BCU coaching qualifications and a club member will be able to advise you. These can either be a weekly class or, perhaps, a weekend course. Also, groups such as the NI Surf Kayaking Club organise come and try it days where you can test out the various surf boats.

The essential bits of equipment for kayaking and which you will have to purchase are:

• some sort of a kayak;
• a neoprene spray deck;
• a paddle;
• a buoyancy aid;
• a cag and wetsuit (a long john wetsuit is best – it has no arms);
• a helmet if paddling in rivers or – later in your kayaking career – in surf.

There are some kayaks which are sold as suitable for everything but it is not really possible for this to be the case. For example, a sea kayak needs to be long (16 or 17 foot) so that it can travel distances and go in a straight line, whilst a river boat needs to be short and manoeuvrable (6 to 9 foot). A kayak which is sold as being able to do everything will not keep up with sea boats and will be too long for most rivers. Before you think of purchasing, you should get advice from club members about what might be a suitable boat for you and your interests. This will save you money in the long run and club advice is free.

There are two types of spray deck - nylon and neoprene. Nylon spray decks are good for beginners or if you regularly use a number of different boats, as they are easily resized to fit the different cockpit sizes. However, nylon will not keep the water out as well as neoprene. Also, a nylon spraydeck will collapse in Grade II whitewater so if you plan to go over a rapid these aren't the best for you! Once you have a kayak of your own you should get a neoprene spraydeck that fits its cockpit. There are many different sizes of spraydeck - it's important to get the right one for your own kayak.

How much will all this cost? This depends if you buy new or second hand. Boats are quite difficult to buy second hand (which means that they will keep their value if you buy new and look after it) and can sometimes be found if you look through club websites and suchlike. A new plastic river boat will cost around £350 to £700 (the lower priced ones are more than good enough) and a sea boat will cost around £900 and upwards. This might seem a lot, but good quality kayaks will last 10 years or more and offer lots of hours of pleasure for many years. Good second hand sea boats can be bought for £400 to £600 and second hand river boats for £200 to £300.

• kayak - £200 second-hand; £350 and up new; £1000 and up for a sea kayak;
• spray deck - £20 - £50 for a neoprene deck;
• paddle - £50 basic; £100 to £200 for a good quality paddle;
• buoyancy aid - £50 and up - you need at least 50N (newtons);
• cag - £30 for a basic cag - look for one with an adjustable neck and sleeves;
• long john wetsuit - £50;
• helmet - £25 helmet.

It is always possible to buy used helmets, buoyancy aids and spray decks on Ebay – paddles and kayaks are most often sold from England or Scotland and are marked for buyer collection because they are difficult and expensive to post - this almost always rules them out for prospective buyers from Ireland (unless you know someone who travels to the mainland regularly).

It is better to purchase entry-level or mid-price until you are sure that you know what equipment suits you. You can then, if you wish, sell these first buys and move up the quality scale. Be careful about buying neoprene spray decks – there are different sizes to suit different boats.