New to Kayak'n..?

You have to have a life jacket on board, but if IT hits the fan are you really going to have time to put it on in the middle of the chaos? You only need to register a kayak if you put any kind of motor on it. You need a signaling device. I have a rescue whistle. If you go out after dark you need a white light.

Always wear your life jacket.....its called that for a reason. If it's too hot, too bulky, whatever....get one you will wear. If you are fishing...going to be hard to hang on to your rods...gather tackle boxes and swim all at the same time if/when you flip. I'm sure you will enjoy the kayaks....be ca
reful this weekend, waters are going to be busy.

Please wear at least a inflatable PFD at all times. They're are light and comfortable and there is not reason not to wear one. This weekend most likely will be hectic and crowded on about all waters you can put a boat on so take that into consideration.

FW is spot on as usual. As fas as PFD's go, I recomend the cartridge type because they are a bit less bulky and wearing them 100% of the time. Even if you are experienced you can find yourself in the water in less than two seconds. If your out in the mix it's a good idea to fly a flag and wear a bright colored shirt. Scupper plugs are another it that come in handy if you want to stay dry. You can buy em, use foam golf balls or cut some from a swim noodle. I would recomed a paddle tether cord, buy em, make em from paracord. If you have an anchor you can make an anchor system real easy, see youtube kayak anchor system. Basically a doubled up cord and ring. A milk crate and bungie cord make a great storage box. Bug spray and sunscreen are good items to have. I also keep an open blade knife in reach. I have had to cut my anchorline in a bad situation. Swin shoes are nice if you launch on concrete. IMO

Always wear your life jacket.....its called that for a reason. If it's too hot, too bulky, whatever....get one you will wear. If you are fishing...going to be hard to hang on to your rods...gather tackle boxes and swim all at the same time if/when you flip. I'm sure you will enjoy the kayaks....be ca
reful this weekend, waters are going to be busy.

One more little item that comes in handy is a large sponge like a car wash size. You can remove unwanted water quickly with a sponge.

HNH, wife and i did the same thing this weekend, i got a 12 ft sit on and she got a 10 ft sit in, we took them out to the Res. today and had a blast. i will fish out of mine but today we just paddled and had a great time.

I started with a regular type 3 I think (used for water sports) in a kayak paddling, not comfortable. Got an inflatable and actually wear it now. Must have a pealess whistle. No registration needed, I don't know if Mississippi requires reg if you put a motor on it or not. I always assume everyone doesn't see me as a safety precaution because kayaks aren't exactly speedy.

You can get really into doing mods but start slow and don't drill holes until you're sure. A milk crate is a great start for storage and mounting.

Where does is say you have to have a whistle? I carry one.because it's good to, but I thought you just needed any type of signaling device. (I.e. air horn, whistle)

You may be right. I started kayaking in Florida and I believe it was a whistle there. I prefer it because I can clip it to my life jacket where as an air horn or something else would most likely be stowed.

Totally Agree. I carry both. Never heard of being too prepared.