Kayaking Resource

4 Responses to “What is the most common way people die kayaking?”

1. Chuckle Dust says:

   December 9, 2009 at 5:48 am

   I’m completely guessing here, but I reckon there’s a really good chance that the most common cause of death whilst kayaking is from drowning. I’m only hazarding a guess, but with all that water around, it seems quite likely.
2. Misha says:

   December 9, 2009 at 6:15 am

   People die kayaking when they get in rough waters and the kayak tips. They get swept away in the rough water and get literally beaten by the rocks. I kayak a lot and so do many of my friends. We’ve had our share of accidents, but no deaths. I have seen a kayak come out of the rapids MANGLED. There was only half of it left! It doesnt matter how good a swimmer you are, you are no match for the rocks. This is why you take the lessons and learn all you can about how to steer the kayak. Pay close attention and dont try to take on more than you can handle until you know what youre doing.
3. c_kayak_fun says:

   December 9, 2009 at 7:12 am

   People die while kayaking for the same reasons that they die during other sporting activities: failure to obtain proper training and equipment and using bad judgment.

   The most common cause of kayak mortality is falling out of the boat and being unable to get back in, becoming chilled and/or tired from struggling in the water, becoming separated from the boat and drowning. As with seat belts in cars, most corpses in kayak fatalities aren’t wearing their PFD’s.

   Take lessons, buy your gear from a reputable outfitter, learn the rules and regulations of marine safety, ALWAYS wear your PFD (I don’t care if it’s a sunny day on a calm lake – here in Pennsylvania they find floating bodies nearby empty kayaks with unused PFD’s in them all the time), don’t paddle alone, don’t paddle drunk or high, stay away from larger watercraft and powerboats, be very careful around marinas and docks (the number of small boaters electrocuted due to stray voltages around docks is disturbing), be aware of the weather and don’t go out if it gets bad, don’t try to paddle water beyond what you’ve been trained in, practice wet exits, re-entry and rescues in controlled situations like a pool or near the shore of a calm lake so the actions are automatic when you are out in deep water, try to learn to roll your kayak (you are much safer staying in your kayak if it tips than bailing out of it), be certain you are dressed warmly enough on cool days (and it’s always cooler on the water than on shore) and have lots of drinking water with you on hot ones (both hypothermia and overheating/thirst will deteriorate your judgment.

   So, it mostly comes down to stupidity, recklessness and/or underestimating the dangers. If you are conscientious about what you are doing kayaking is an incredible lot of fun and you won’t risk your own life and those of your potential rescuers.
4. g_steed says:

   December 9, 2009 at 7:46 am

   1) Hypothermia. The most fun to run are rivers in the spring or dam releases. This water is also cold. If you capsize, even if you get to shore, if you’re miles from the car and the ambient temp is 50 or less, you’re going to lose heat fast. If the water is 50 degrees or less, you don’t have a wetsuit on, and you stay in it, you have from 1 to 10 minutes. I’ve seen guys tip out of rafts, flush down 50 feet of 40 degree water, and be so cold they couldn’g grip a rescue rope thrown to them.

   2) Injury. Always wear a helmet and never kayak alone.

   3) Fatigue. You don’t die of being tired but when you’re tired it’s harder to make decisions and wrong decisions can lead to big problems. Should we keep going or walk out from here? Left or right?

   4) Drowning. Not being facetious. Kayak a river, come around the bend, face a tree downed in the current, get swept into it, caught in the branches, pinned against them, and drown. They’re called ’strainers’. Always scout your rivers. Go with a guide. Paddling is fun but disasters happen fast.