With summer fast approaching, many Kiwis are getting ready to dust off their kayaks or pick up the sport for the first time.
However, Kiwi Association of Sea Kayakers member Ian McKenzie said not everyone knew the basic skills of using a kayak.
That is why the association, with support from Safer Boating NZ, is running a free kayak safety workshop in Timaru on Sunday.
The workshop will cover basic skills such as where to paddle, how to choose the right conditions and how to stay safe on the water.
The workshop consists of two parts, with the first being an interactive presentation learning about essential safety equipment, communication devices, interpreting marine forecasts and more.
The second half of the workshop involves getting out on the water and putting all this knowledge into practice with help from experienced volunteers.
Mr McKenzie said the workshop helped teach people essential and basic skills that they could continue to improve on.
‘‘This workshop is designed to help catch people before they go out on the water so that they are not unprepared when the conditions change, they know what to do.’’
This is the first time the workshop is being offered in Timaru, but Mr McKenzie said it had been popular in other parts of the country.
‘‘We have provided this workshop to hundreds over the country and we know people want to go do fun and adventurous things with their kayaks but may not have the skills to adapt to the changing conditions and be safe on the water.’’
The workshop caters for people of all ages and abilities, and is targeted at teaching the basic safety skills around kayaking in New Zealand, whether it be on a lake or on the ocean.
‘‘This workshop is targeted at those who do not know what they don’t know, or at those who have gone out and found out what they don’t know and have come to learn what to do.’’
He said he has also found that some people who have not grown up in New Zealand want to give it a go, so they go out into the water not knowing the risks and hazards of kayaking and how to avoid them.
The workshop also includes safety information regarding sit-on-top kayaks that are sold by big retailers.
‘‘It is easy to buy those types of kayaks but we have found there is not a lot of information provided around them,‘‘ Mr McKenzie said.
‘‘They are fine within 20 metres of the shore, but if they end up further out people can get in trouble and pushed out of their comfort zone due to the changing conditions like weather and the waves.’’
Registrations can be made through KayakSafe NZ’s Facebook page.
