Kayaking may be a fun pastime for the whole family or a good active sport for people who want to get an adrenaline rush. In this sport, you have to get through the water while sitting in a tiny boat with both of your legs outstretched and use a paddle with two blades to propel yourself forward. The kayak is an ideal type of boat that provides the paddler with the best ability to go through any water reservoir or river and maneuver through them with ease.
Kayaks are in existence for hundreds of years, and they always have been a pretty popular vessel type. It allowed to hunt, fish, and transport passengers very practically on any water at the time. In recent years, it got even more popular as now kayaks are not bought out of necessity but for recreational needs. Because of its ease of use and accessibility, it has become a particularly popular outdoor pastime in recent years. It is a great and growing sport discipline.
This is an excellent pick for any sports aficionados of all skill levels, as there are rivers available for any skill levels for both newbies to experts. Some places can be quite dangerous, still they attract many people who like extreme situations. You may go swimming in the shallows of surrounding lakes or experience the rush of adrenaline while running through mountain rivers and streams.
Kayaking is a great activity to combine with other outdoor hobbies, such as camping and fishing. Bringing a kayak with you will provide an additional level of excitement for all travelers. Whether you’re planning a ski vacation or a climbing excursion, a kayak is an excellent way to fell distant places in the world differently.
Kayaking is permitted in nearly all rivers, lakes, and other reservoirs. However, in order to avoid accidents or problems from taking place, safety is of utmost importance. Always remember to put on your life jacket and helmet.
Best Action Camera for Kayaking
Who would not want to capture breathtaking waterfalls and views when kayaking? Also, getting an action camera will allow everyone to see your journey from the first person perspective. This holds true for kayaking, bay strolling, and any other recreational pursuits.
Waterproof cameras allow you to take images and videos in environments where a normal camera would be unable to do so. A waterproof action camera enables you to capture photographs and record videos in the rain or near water without fear of damaging the camera and having all your data lost. These cameras are built to be capable of going underwater for long time as well as work in freezing temperatures. Also, they have a high level of durability and protection. It is the best choice for any kayaker. There is no need to search for other options.
When it comes to waterproof cameras, there are numerous levels of protection that may be discussed. We’ll talk about what is the best for kayaking right now. The technological improvement allowed for small action cameras to shoot 4k video quality videos with 60 fps, which is more than enough. This made the only difference between tiny waterproof action cameras and ordinary cameras is that these compact waterproof cameras have a smaller size for the same quality.
Another typical feature of tiny waterproof action cameras is that they have brightly colored carcass. This is due to the fact that, while kayaking, it can easily happen that your camera will detach accidentally. Bright colors will allow you to instantly identify where it is, due to its high contrast colors. The good plus of these small cameras is that they have a lens with optical zoom that allows you to capture closer view without sacrificing quality.
The most popular action camera brand for kayaking is GoPro. First and foremost, it is compact. It is significantly smaller in size than conventional cameras. Additionally, it is being loved by all kayakers that it may be easily attached to clothes, sportswear, or any part of the boat. There are both cheap and expensive models which are distinguished by their ability to produce high-quality images. Modern models are capable of recording in 4K at high frequencies. This is a feature that is not available on many such tiny action camera models.
GoPro Hero8 Black
Action camera should be in top five equipment list for every kayaker. Who wouldn’t want to get a video of all the places you’ve been to on your kayak? GoPro Hero8 Black is believed to be the greatest for this activity.
The most important features of this camera allow it to be flawlessly used in kayaking and being submerged up to ten meters under the water. The GoPro Hero8 Black is a lightweight action camera that weighs a bit more than one hundred grams. It can capture 4K footage at a frame rate of 60 frames per second. Pretty impressive, isn’t it? There’s no better option than this one. It is also capable of recording videos in Full HD and HD at up to 240 frames per second. With it, you can easily take images with a resolution of 12 megapixels. It is more than enough quality for a good shot.
One thing to remember with most action cameras is that most action cameras are powered by tiny rechargeable batteries that have enough power to shoot videos for only roughly one to three hours. The screen is also pretty small, which makes it pretty hard to view your end resulting videos of images but allows higher battery lifespan. The GoPro Hero8 Black has many accessories that you can additionally purchase, which is very useful if you intend to produce a whole vlog out of your kayaking material. A back light, another screen, and an extra storage disk are among the options. With this camera, you can get some of the best videos from your kayaking trips.
I’ve recently written an article on Tips and Tricks For Mounting Your GoPro Whilst Kayaking. You should check it out if you decide to get a GoPro for your Kayaking adventures!
DJI Osmo Action
DJI Osmo Action is a great competitor of GoPro brand. It is fully waterproof and can go up to 11 meters deep without the need for extra casing. It has a unique design that is both small and comfy. A good advantage of this action camera model is that is has two screens. The DJI Osmo has a primary display as well as a front screen, which can be very useful when filming vlogs and other first person videos. It likewise boasts a 12-megapixel camera quality with a comparable to GoPro lens. For all these parameters, many review agencies consider it to be better than GoPro. These companies are definitely two top brands in the market when it comes to choosing an action camera for kayaking.
The DJI Osmo Action is great for people who like extreme sports as it can endure falls up to 1.5 meters and can easily shoot films and pictures at temperatures as low as -10°C. There are certain disadvantages to the DJI Osmo Action. When it comes to high-resolution photography, for example, it falls behind GoPro, but it surely wins when it comes to recording stable videos at high frame rates.
The model that you gonna pick, whether it is a GoPro Hero8 Black or DJI Osmo Action, it all depends on your requirements. Both of these action cameras are a great pick for kayaking. Photography and videography on a kayak is a pretty tough deal. The camera will be under very tough exceptional circumstances, and not everyone is ready to take a chance killing their tradition camera. It is for this reason why waterproof action cameras are available, and you now know which one will work best for you.
Kayaking comes in a variety of shapes and sizes.
Most of the time, the deck of kayaks is closed. The deck shields paddlers’ feet from water and adverse weather conditions, and the narrow shape of the whole carcass lets it to move effectively over a variety of water surfaces and flow speed. Kayaking is a simple and basic activity that everyone may participate in. However, there are a variety of difficulty levels accessible, some of which need endurance and others which are simply for fun.
Recreational kayak is the ideal type of kayak for newbies and average users who want to explore some usual water basins. It is a more relaxing type of kayak that allows you to take a breather and explore a local river region around you or go camping somewhere. This kayak is often used for a variety of leisure activities, such as exploring natural landscapes and exploration of unknown places, among others.
Sports kayak is for more strong water currents. The design is tailed for sports kayaking, as you might guess from the name. When it comes to this type of sport, the design and length of your kayak are the most critical. These elements can directly influence how your vessel is going to behave under the rough water current.
Sea kayak is the most exhilarating kind of kayaking. These lengthy sea excursions might take many weeks, and in extreme cases, they can stretch for several months. On wide seas, sea kayaks are excellent for transporting equipment and freight, as well as for overcoming severe barriers. It can be dangerous too if you venture out without a guide, as a thorough understanding of logistics and currents in the area is of utmost importance. This type is the best for more experienced athletes.
When is the most favourable time to go kayaking?
Kayaking may be done under any season. You just need the water to paddle in. The greatest times to go on a leisurely kayak cruise are during the spring, summer, and fall seasons. Warm weather is always preferable to chilly one, it is pretty easy to understand why. Paddle sports and recreational kayaks are great ways for exploring the surrounding region or participating in some challenging watersports. The one thing to not is that winter kayakers are more prone to danger than of any other season, mainly due to the colder weather that adds many complications. If you do not have proper clothing, for instance, there is a high chance of getting sick.
What kind of equipment do you need for kayaking?
Kayaking is incredibly easy to learn, but you must spend some money on equipment. For starters, a few core items will be enough, but as your sport kayaking skills improve, you will require more equipment. In order to kayak successfully, you may require the following gear:
- Kayak. That is the most important part of equipment. The quality of this piece of equipment if very important. It directly influences how your kayak will behave in the water and how enjoying the experience will be.
- Paddle with two blades. The paddle is an absolute need for kayakers, nothing much to add here.
- When you’re in open water or in fast-running streams, a helmet is a must have to keep your head safe.
- All water activities entail the danger of being submerged under the water. The sudden shock of being deep in the fast-running stream might damage your short-term ability to comprehend what is going on, therefore wearing a life jacket might be a reasonable precaution to guarantee that you stay afloat and not suffocate.
- You should wear waterproof clothes, since you will also get minor waves and spray water from paddling that will certainly stain your clothing. Wearing the proper clothing can ensure that you remain comfortable and dry during your journey. Investing in comfort is very important. It directly influences your overall kayaking journey.
- When navigating through challenging or shallow rivers, safety eyewear is necessary. Water splashes or small pebbles bristling in your eyes can easily damage your eyesight.
- When dealing with adverse weather conditions, it is critical to wear high-quality footwear. If you want to get into and out of your kayak with confidence, you’ll need a good pair of running shoes for stability and comfort.
- When you’re out in the water, a waterproof bag will keep your belongings dry as well as any electronics. This is a pretty important item and is often overlooked.
- It would be awesome to share your kayaking experiences with your friends and family. For that, you will need a Kayak Camera. We are going to talk more about how to choose the Best Action Camera for Kayaking next in the part of the article.
Before choosing on what to buy, you should think about all your previous kayaking experiences and decide what you need yourself.