Kayaking is a rewarding and wonderful recreational activity. Please consider my advice (39 years marine industry, 22 years Coast Guard 20 years of them in Search and Rescue)

1: Take training for the different environments you will use your kayak in. Rivers, lakes, Rapids, Ocean.

2: Always file a route plan and sail plan with a reliable person with instructions to call SAR if you miss communications or Destination on time.

3: Don't get fatigued, if you are middle aged remember you cannot do what you did when you were 25 years old. unless you "really" are fit.

4: Cold water kills, wear a lifejacket that will float you face up, with a light and a whistle attached as well as a good helmet with retro reflective tape on it.

5: You can go places the Coast Guard cannot go with their boats; on the ocean, carry and use a battery operated VHF marine radio. (we can Direction Find you even in thick fog, cel phones do not have that capability and are unreliable in certain locations)

6: Boats cannot see you or pick you up on radar at night or in fog, there are some small inexpensive radar reflectors that can fold up and stow away easily when not needed; show a light.

7: There is a new type of laser flare that is worth carrying check it out online.http://www.greatlandlaser.com/How.htm

8: Expensive but worth it Personal Locator Beacon 406 Mhz part of the Global Cospas/Sarsat satelite SAR system.

9: Travel with experenced kayakers, in a group for support and rescue.

10: Rescuing a kayaker in the sitting position is very difficult alongside a high freeboard boat, especially if they are fatigued or hypothermic. better to roll them into a zodiac or liferaft and then get them aboard. practise this in calm weather and you will see what i mean.

11: Have fun and i hope you never need SAR.