Essential Gear for Safe Kayaking

Cory ByrnesJun 28, 2025

Introduction to Kayak Safety

One cool morning, I was working my way out from the canal into the main body of Moses Lake in Texas City. The sun had not yet burned of the light fog that still hung close to the water. There is another entrance into the lake from the flood gate where the current normally rips in or out of the lake depending on the tide. Boaters come through there to get access to the Saltwater Lake.

I could hear the boat motor before I saw them. I rounded the corner hugging close to the shore line into the main lake. As the boater passed by he realized I was there and backed down to an idle speed but the wake from his boat was already going in my direction.

It hit me squarely on my beam. Had I not had the presence of mind not to panic I could have capsized. It would have cost me hundreds of dollars of gear and shortened my fishing day. That is not the worst that can happen though.

Was it my fault of the boaters fault? I think neither. I believe a lack of education on both our parts probably led to the near miss. At the time I only had a orange flag and a little light on my kayak stern. Which was not quite visible to the boater until he rounded the corner. I could hear him but decided if I stayed close to shore (not knowing exactly where he was) I would be okay. Luckily, we were able to tip our hats and go about catching fish albeit a moving a bit slower on the waters we shared.

With more and more people getting into kayaking and sharing the water ways with our motorized brethren there is a higher chance of these things happening and ending up even worse. It is important when kayaking that you have the proper safety gear including lighting to make sure you are visible to other boaters and jet skiers, especially in low light conditions.

We are all responsible for our own safety. In this post, I am going to go over ways you can make your time on the water safe and enjoyable. We will cover life jackets, flags & lighting, and boater educational programs.

Visibility and Safety Around Other Boaters

I have since put lights bow to stern. Not all lights are created equal and not all lighting arrangements are legal. For small vessels there are state and federal regulations that need to be considered. This is not a comprehensive guide to the legalese. It is a guide to point you in the right direction. Check out the sources links for more guidance.

Navigational lights for small vessels are red, green, and white. A kayak or other vessel smaller than 16’ is only required to have one of the 3 navigational lights when operating between sunset and sunrise. The bright white light must be visible at a distance and is generally installed on the stern of your kayak.

Even though kayakers are only required to have the one white it is not a bad idea to put lights on your bow. If you decide you want to do that you will need green and red. The green light will need to be installed on the starboard (right side) of the bow and the red on the port ( left side).

Any other colors are consider decorative and may or may not be allowed in the state or federal waters. Decorative lights are nice to have when you need to find that bait or tie a new hook on. Here are some things to consider when deciding if you want them or where to place them:

Decorative lights on your kayak “cannot be mistaken for navigation lights,” per the USCG. Meaning your cockpit light should not be green because another boater can mistake it for your starboard light.
Decorative lights should also not impair visibility of character of your properly placed navigation lights.
They should not keep you from being able to see other boaters.
Don’t install them on the sides close to the water.

There are many lighting options on the market specifically made for kayaks like Yak Power Lights. They are easy to install and made for the marine environment.

Daylight Visibility

Being visible to other boaters is critical for safe kayaking, especially in high traffic areas. Lights installed on your kayak certainly help with that at night and during low light conditions. During the day you will need to make yourself seen.

Mounting a kayak visibility flag on the stern is one of the best ways to show others you are there. One like YakPower Lighting Rod which comes with a light and can extend up to 44” above your kayak is great for increasing your visibility during daylight and lowlight conditions. It does require a battery though. There are other options that do not have a light or the light is powered by a watch battery. Lightning Rod - Extendable Powered 360 Degree Safety Light and Safety Flag - Hoodoo Sports

Essential Safety Gear for Kayaking

The most essential piece of safety gear a kayaker needs is their life jacket. There are 5 classifications of life jackets that you should be aware of so you can choose the right one. It is required that all vessels have 1 life jacket per person on board. The class of life jacket is always clearly written on the life jacket. Usually, on the back panel or just inside of the life jacket.

Life Jacket Types

Type 1 are inherently buoyant meaning they do not inflate they are filled with a buoyant foam. They are generally bulkier than Type 2 and Type 3 life jackets. Because of their bulkiness they generally aren’t worn for casual boating. They are ment for rough conditions and when there is a chance it will take longer for rescue. It will right SOME users so they are face up.
Type 2 can be inherently buoyant or inflatable. They are also slightly better than Type 3 because they have a higher level of buoyancy.
Type 3 can be inherently buoyant or inflatable. They are meant for users who are close to land and in calm protected water.
Type 4 arethrowable devices and are not considered a lifejacket for those who are boating. They are used to throw at a conscious individual.
Type 5 are special use life jackets. They have their intended use written on them and instructions for their use.

A life jacket will help keep you afloat until you can self rescue or someone can assist you. Some additional gear you should keep on attached to your life jacket are:

Hydrophobic Light. These light up when in water.
Whistle. A safety whistle can alert boaters around you that you are in distress.
Signal Mirror. Put it in one of the pockets. They have saved lives. When search and rescue is looking for you use it like your messing with the pitcher in the 9th inning.

Some of us like to go to the big water and kayak beyond the breakers for some offshore adventures. It is recommended that if you decide to go offshore that you bring with you a radio and know how it works.

The Cobra Marine HH350 is waterproof and floats. It will allow you to listen to the NOAA weather frequency WX CH 1-10 while out there. In the event something does happen, CH 16 is the international distress channel. All ships and the Coast Guard monitor that channel. The instruction manual provides instructions on how to issue a distress call. I reiterate it because it is important. “Know how to use your radio before you go out.”

A Cobra Marine HH350 radio, which is essential for communication while kayaking or paddling on lakes, rivers and bays. This device allows boaters to stay connected, ensuring safety.

Navigation Tools and Accessories

Most who are getting into kayak fishing will eventually end up with a fish finder on their kayak. These are great navigational tools. They will provide you with depth information as well as track lines. A track line is as it sounds. It tracks where you have been. Some other gear you should consider being with you to aid in navigation while out on your kayak are:

Phone. If you are in protected waters or inside the bay your phone will likely work. Have it with you so if you get turned around you can use it to get you back to the area you put in at.
A Compass. This takes a bit more skill. You will need to know what bearing you left at and when you turned for roughly how long in order to get a relative bearing back. There are great videos online about this.
Paper Maps. They are hard to pack and take up a lot of space. Digital maps of the area downloaded to your phone or to your fish finder are just as good.

Course on Boater Safety

Equally as important as the tools is knowing the basic rules of the road. You can check out numerous sites for this information like BoatU.S. Foundation. TPWD also requires boaters to take a boaters safety course. The American Canoe Association also offers courses specific for paddling sports like kayaking.

Planning and Preparation

Before heading out on any kayak adventure be sure to plan accordingly. You should always make sure someone on shore knows where you’re going and how long you will be on the water. This is called a float plan.

Float Plan

A float plan contains pieces of key information that searchers can use to find you if you get lost. It should include

Description of Vessel:

Color
Size
Type of Vessel

Trip Details:

Departure and estimated return
Launch location and approximate area you planing on fishing. Use Google Earth to provide coordinates or use a nearby buoy.

Float plans are especially important if you are going beyond the breakers. I would recommend that the basic information be texted to a friend on land just in case, even if your only going to be inshore or on a lake.

No matter how long you plan on being out on the water. You should bring with you more water than you think you can consume and a first aid kit always. Even a short trip can turn into longer one than expected if the wind changes.

Environmental Considerations

Storms whip up quick and can surprise us all. You should always check weather conditions. The weather app is good for finding out wind speed, and rain chances etc. However, if your fishing saltwater you will likely want to know the surf conditions. In large bay systems, even through they are more protected, some days you will have rougher water. The Saltwater Recon app provides surf conditions as well as some video feeds so you can make the decision to go or not.

Conclusion

Know your limits. Kayaking is a physically demanding sport. There is much more to being safe on the water than what we can easily put into words here. I highly recommend you check out some of the sources below to learn more. Be an educated and safety conscious kayaker.