Less daylight and colder temperatures shouldn’t keep you from getting out on the water with your kayak, but after the warm seasons ends, you need to be prepared for maximum safety.
People die every year from capsizing into the cold water. Even the best paddlers can fall victim to the dangers of cold-water immersion, if they don’t follow basic winter kayaking safety precautions.
You might be asking, “Is it safe to kayak in the winter?”
It is only safe to kayak during winter, if you are fully prepared for the extremities of submerging in freezing-cold water.
The primary hazard is not the water itself, but the cold. Hypothermia develops quickly in cold water. The resulting loss of dexterity and exhaustion leads to drowning. The shock experienced from entering cold water can do the same.
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