Top 10 Paddling Safety Tips (Kayak, Canoe & SUP)

April — Paddling: Kayak, Canoe & SUP

Cold water, warm air, and the biggest gap between how it feels and how it is.

Wear the PFD. Not stowed under the bungees. Worn.
Dress for immersion, not for the sunshine. Wetsuit or drysuit when combined air and water temperature is below about 120°F.
Understand cold water shock — the 1-10-1 rule. Roughly 1 minute to get your breathing under control, 10 minutes of meaningful muscle movement, 1 hour before you lose consciousness. That first minute is what drowns people.
Practice a wet exit and re-entry in controlled water before the season starts. Nobody learns this well for the first time in an emergency.
Stay within swimming distance of shore in cold water. Assume you'll be swimming.
Carry a whistle, a bilge pump or paddle float, and a spare paddle.
Watch for offshore wind. Inflatables and paddleboards blow out to sea faster than you can paddle back.
Skip the alcohol. It accelerates heat loss and wrecks the judgment you need most.
Scout what you can't see. Portage when in doubt — strainers, low-head dams and sweepers are unforgiving.
File a float plan and put a Scan If Found decal on the hull. A drifting unlabeled kayak triggers an expensive search for someone who may already be home.

Want this broken into weekly topics? See the April Weekly Content Calendar.

Not into paddling? Try wildflower hiking instead — peak bloom in most of the US, and a dry-land option for anyone uneasy on the water.