Re: [Paddlewise] [PaddleWise] Sea Kayaking for Kids

From: "Nick Reiter"

> So I am looking to get a smaller kayak for my son in the Spring: ..So any
views or ideas about the most suitable >(affordable) first kayak for a
young'un?

You might consider scratch building a skin-on-frame for him.  I made one
from some scraps of salvaged lumber and 3 yards of cotton duck cloth from
the local yardage store.  Used some old oil based house paint for the
sealant.  One that size was fun and easy to build and does not take much
space.  You want affordable?  My total cost out of pocket was only about $35
US [$26 was for the fabric], including the paddle.  I got the offsets and
the plans for free off the web [email me off-list and I will forward the
sites].  Even if you had to buy everything for it from a lumber yard and
hardware store, it would still less than about $75, and you only need a few
simple hand tools(though some power tools make some operations faster).

It is a lot easier to part with that small amount of money, you know they
will out grow it in just a few years, and buying a new kids kayak just seems
like a costly luxury for such a sort useful period.  I got double duty, I
built it for my first daughter when she was 10 and we used it for a few
years, her younger sister then got to use it after she out grew it in a few
years.  By the time my older daughter was about 12 she could handle the
smaller of the adult size sea kayaks just fine, and which will last her well
into high school age (by then she can buy or build her own!).

I found the best way to introduce them was to go to local lakes with swiming
beaches on warm summer days.  We did not plan on going any great distance,
but just to play around near shore for a fun picnic day at the lake.  We put
"training wheels" (out riggers on both sides just above the water), so they
can relax and enjoy using the kayak without being scared.  First thing I did
with each was to take them into waist deep water and have them pratics
several wet exits so they learned not to be afaird of being in the kayak,
and comfortable with the idea of getting wet (kayaking is a water sport
after all).  Though with the outriggers that has never proved necessary for
the 4-5 years both my girls have been using it.

There is something special I think for children this age to be in command of
their own vessel, even as small as it is.  Consider that nearly everything
they do in a boat on the water at this age they have on say or control over
it.  Both my daughters, and everyone of their friends that used, were just
trilled their time first out, even if it was only a few yards off shore in a
local lake.  They learned how to go forward, steer, backwards, and explored
every corner of the lake shore as they pleased (under out watchful eye of
course).  They became fellow padders, not mearly passenders.  It was a new
experiance for them, and all without excpetion loved it.

Peter

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