When practicing kayak on the sea there are various factors to take into account for your own safety.
If you are renting kayaks from us at Kayak-Ibiza or joining one of our excursions we will have made the pre-excursion safety checks ourselves for our group.
Our number one priority is safety (followed by fun) so we wanted to share with you our top safety tips for kayaking in Ibiza.
1.Check the weather conditions
Here in Ibiza, we check the wave, wind and local weather channel forecasts. We use Windguru, Aemet, Windfinder and the specialized 3-day map forecasts you can find on Los Puertos del Estado. We are always looking for calm conditions when we go kayaking. We avoid the wind and waves.
For beginners, we recommend only going out in calm weather. If there is a light wind, it’s best to start your route against the wind, so it’s easier to come back.
“Be ready to postpone your excursion because of the weather!” Don’t worry though, there will be another opportunity another day soon. As we work in a natural environment we have to adapt to the weather on the day.
Luckily Ibiza is a small island so we can normally find stable locations on the opposite side of the island, to protect us from the weather conditions.
We check the weather the day before, the day of the route, and the day after to analyze how it will affect each area on the island.
Luckily in the Balearics, we don’t have to check tide times because tidal movement is minimal here, meaning tidal currents do not have to be studied before planning a route.
We are happy to help you check the forecast on the day of your excursion. Just ask us!
2.Paddle Plan
Letting someone know your paddle plan. What time you are leaving, the route you will take and when you’ll be back. Then this person can alert emergency services if they don’t hear from you.
You should also consider the route you are taking. The distance, approximate timings, possible escape routes where a car can get to or you can leave via foot.
Stay close to the coast. The closer you are to land the easier it is to get off the water if needs be!
3.Take a mobile phone
Always take a fully charged mobile phone with you in case you need to call someone for help. You can keep your phone dry in a dry bag or a special waterproof mobile phone case. A dry bag is an important part of your equipment.
4. Life Jacket and correct clothes
It’s important to use a life jacket/buoyancy aid whilst kayaking.
Plus the correct clothing for the weather and time of year you are kayaking. Depending on your location the equipment will differ.
Ibiza during the winter, the water temperature ranges at 14 degrees at its lowest, air temperature can be about 8 degrees on a cold day – 14 on a warm day (be aware that at night it can drop below 0) During the day we wear neoprene shorts, wet boots (2 or 3 mm), thermal long sleeved lycra top and wind / waterproof kayak jacket.
In the summer the water temperature can be as warm as 27 degrees and air temperature can hit the high 30s. We wear sun protection (hat, sunglasses, sun cream), long-sleeved SPF-protected top, shorts, summer wet boots.
We only kayak in the morning or evening, avoiding the midday sun. Plus keep hydrated!
5. Sea kayak course
Everyone should take an introductory course before kayaking in open waters. It’s important to get familiar with your kayak and the equipment before paddling out. In the course you’ll cover basic sea kayak techniques, how to paddle efficiently, self-rescue, assisted rescues and learn many other important tips from a sea kayak guide (like the best position in the kayak & essentials to bring with you!)
6. Go kayaking with someone!
There is safety in numbers! If you are with a friend then you can both look out for each other whilst on your excursion. If you can’t go with anyone, at least advise someone of your paddle plan.
When kayaking in a group it’s important to stay together. Especially if you are with a trained guide who is there to react in adverse conditions.
Hope you’ve enjoyed our tips for a safe kayak experience. If you need a hand planning your kayak trip in Ibiza don’t hesitate to contact us. We are happy to share our advice and offer our daily support with weather updates and tracking.
21 – 03 – 2022, Lauren R Young