Practical Equipment and Tips for Kayak Adventures

Whether battling the elements at sea or gliding across a mill pond, a kayak can be adjusted to suit your every need. Customised, bespoke, tailor-made, personalised, specialised are all words that we can apply to kayaks and kayaking equipment and like with most activities it is essential to equip yourself with the right tools for the task.

So, once you have researched and found the perfect kayak for you, be it a laid back leisure kayak like the Galaxy Blaze, a super sleek Sea Kayak such as the Galaxy Eskimo 17, or a long haul fishing kayak similar to the sturdy and steadfast Galaxy Alboran, it is time to look at what accessories are available for it, and how your basic kayak can be adapted to suit the specific needs of you, the kayaker and the specific needs of the day.

So, what are the most practical and innovative kayaking accessories and equipment presently on the market?

Sit on It

Well, firstly, comfort is key to having a good day during any activity and kayaking is no different. The difference between getting it right and getting it wrong can mean the difference between an utterly miserable and an utterly unmissable day on the water and so investing in a good seat matters.

Leisure and fishing kayaks are sit-on kayaks and require the addition of a seat. There are many seats available on the market, and so make sure that you research and invest in a seat that has been designed, whole-heartedly with you, the kayaker, in mind. A good example of this is the Galaxy Vista Seat that has been designed to position the kayaker higher up on the kayak which means greater protection from onboard water, more back support and a much better all round viewpoint, which is great for scouting out fish, and far more comfortable for long haul leisure cruises.

If, however, you are jumping into a sea kayak then your scope for comfort in this area is limited and directly linked to the size of your cockpit. A snug fit is a good thing. Your hips and thighs need to be in contact with your kayak for edging and rolling, maneuverability and control. To give an indication as to the correct cockpit width for you, measure your hip width and leg length whilst sitting down and you should be in for a comfortable ride.

Store it

Storage on any kayak can be a complicated issue. Lack of space, lack of access and the annoyance of water seeping in and creating soggy sandwiches can be enough to put a damper on any trip out. So, choose your storage wisely.

There are many ingenious ways that storage can be acquired on a kayak. Firstly, many kayaks, especially fishing kayaks, like the Galaxy Wahoo, come with handy watertight storage hatches and containers, such as tackle and fishing accessory boxes built in to the kayak’s front and rear hulls, along with nifty side storage nets located inside the kayak, but you can also increase your kayak’s storage capacity by adding external, sit-on storage boxes, such as the Galaxy Storage pod, to your kayak.

This storage pod is a multifunctional, detachable, watertight container that fixes securely to your kayak and can be used many things including storing any items that you want to be protected from water, such as clothes, valuables or your packed lunch, it can be used as a fish storage container or even be converted in to a bait box by simply adding an oxygenator.

A well chosen life jacket is another way that you can add some extra storage when kayaking. Since wearing a life jacket is essential on all kayaking voyages this piece of kit is with you at all times and is easily accessed. Most life jackets have pockets and gear attachment points where smaller, necessary items can be placed for quick and easy access.

A fishing kayak life jacket, however, is specifically designed to have more pockets and attachment points than any of the others. For instance, the Chinook Mesh Back Fishing Life Jacket from Galaxy Kayaks has 7 front pockets, a coil tool retractor that allows you to clip on line snips, forceps and other tools, multiple d-rings and attachment loops, a rod holder and a knife lash tab, storage enough for the most discerning kayak angler.

Pimp It

Pimping your kayaking ride is easy. There are so many inventive gadgets and accessories on the market designed and produced for the sole purpose of enhancing your kayaking experience. From camera holders, like the Railblaza Camera Boom 600 from Galaxy Kayaks, that will help you to capture and share the moment, to electronic fish finders, such as the Lowrance Fishfinder Hook 5 also from Galaxy Kayaks, that will assist you in tracking down that lunker, all can be retro-fitted to your basic kayak.

And, as you may think, it’s not only the bigger Leisure and Fishing Kayaks that a plethora of accessories can be retro-fitted to, even Sea Kayaks like the sleekly designed Galaxy Eskimo Angler 17, have the capacity for adding some serious gadgets to their decks, and this is made easy by the use of accessory mounts such as Starports by RailBlaza.

RailBlaza Starports are superb, unique, neat little, multifunctional mounts that are fixed to your kayak and can be used in a vast number of applications and allow the user to fit and swap around the many different, in this case, RailBlaza accessories available. So, by using a super cool system like RailBlaza Starports you can attach and swap GPS Systems, trackers, trawling rods, a selection of casting rods, walkie talkies, LED Lights, Safety Lights, Safety Flags, GoPros, cameras, drinks holders and mobile telephone holders at any one time, customising your kayak to suit you and your every need whilst on the water.

So, whether you are sitting on it, storing it or going all out on gadgets, check out the excellent equipment and accessories that we have mentioned above, and begin the building of a truly bespoke kayak, tailor-made to suit your every kayaking occasion.