Kayaking is a wonderful activity for both youth and children.
Kids as young as 5 years can often handle a kayak or SUP on their own. With a kayak or SUP for their age, kids can learn to maneuver a person-propelled watercraft in just a few minutes. It is amazingly easy for them to figure it out. The newer kid-sized sit-on-top kayaks or kid SUPs are easy enough for a even a five-year-old to use. The good news is you don’t have to be an kayaker or SUP paddler yourself to get your children into kayaking or paddling or for them to have a great time.
With the right PFD (life jacket), the right beginner kayak or SUP, a properly sized-paddle, choosing appropriate water conditions, and good weather, your kid or kids will be paddling away faster than you or we can keep up. After only a minute or three of “How do I steer this thing?!” and a few basic instructions and they’ll be off watching Hampton Roads river crabs scamper away, frogs, or turtles on logs and won’t even realize they are doing it.
While there are probably some 4-year-olds who would be ready to paddle their own kayak or SUP; the suggested age on the smallest sit-on-top kayak we’re aware of lists “5 and up” so Casual Kayakers will stick with that as the technical answer. We’ve seen a 3-year-old take a ride on the back of our smallest SOT kayak (Hi 5) as older kids (all under the age of 10) paddle them around. None of them had ever kayaked before and they all picked it up very quickly.
How can kayaking help my kid?
For one, it gets them out of the house and off their devices which is a considerable benefit in its own right. Paddling builds strength and endurance. It gets children out exploring in nature and promotes independence and a spirit of adventure. They’ll have life jackets on and we’ll within close visual distance of them on while we paddle close by while they’re own scenic adventure.
Riding in a kayak, a canoe, or a SUP can be fun, but it’s NOTHING like what can happen when we put them in a kayak or on a SUP of their own and let them loose. Exploring on their own is an experience they’ll never forget.
Is kayaking safe for kids?
Yes, kayaking is safe for kids as long as they have the right kind of PFD on (and you do too) and paddle an appropriate body of water (based on their experience and maturity) on a day that has suitable weather. We will provide the needed safety equipment and stay within a safe distance of your kids as they learn.
The children’s kayaks Casual Kayakers use are almost unsinkable, which provide lot of confidence for the kids to get out on their own. The sit-on-top (SOT) kayaks and SUPs can’t get water inside them or sink. Our sit-inside kayaks have permanent foam floatation installed; so they may get water in them, but they will not sink. Kids can jump off, swim around, and then climb back on their watercraft – that’s how stable the SOT kayaks/SUPs are.
We recommend not going very far with your kids first few outings until it is known how much they can handle and their physical endurance. we’ll take it slow – kids are beginners, so we won’t do anything too demanding. We’ll keep it simple and make it fun.
