Kayak and Canoe Safety for Beginners

To paddle a kayak or canoe safely, wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket every time, check the weather and the water temperature, know how to stay with your boat if you tip over, and leave a float plan with someone on shore. If you're new, take a short class before your first trip.

Paddling is one of the easiest ways to get on the water. It's also where many boating deaths happen, mostly to people who weren't wearing a life jacket.

Wear your life jacket every time

The Coast Guard's 2024 data show how much paddlers have at stake:

26%

That's 143 deaths. Of those, 124 people drowned. The Coast Guard's tables show that 105 of the 124 paddlers who drowned were not wearing a life jacket: 60 of 77 kayakers, all 21 canoeists and 24 of 26 paddleboarders (U.S. Coast Guard, Recreational Boating Statistics 2024, Tables 1 and 35 (opens in a new tab)).

Choose a jacket made for paddling. The Coast Guard's life jacket guide (opens in a new tab) shows touring and whitewater paddling jackets intended for canoeing, kayaking, rafting, and whitewater activities (opens in a new tab), with a cut that lets you move your arms. The same guide says inflatable life jackets are not for sports where immersion is expected, such as whitewater paddling.

The law sets a minimum. The Coast Guard says a recreational vessel must have a U.S. Coast Guard Approved Wearable PFD for each person onboard (opens in a new tab), and children under 13 must wear one when underway. States can also set their own life jacket wear rules for paddlecraft, as a 2023 Coast Guard policy letter (opens in a new tab) confirms, so check your state's rules. But the Coast Guard's advice is to wear one, not just carry one: a wearable PFD can save your life, but only when you wear it (opens in a new tab).

Help choosing: the Life jacket finder and our guide to choosing the right life jacket.

Check weather, wind and water temperature

The Coast Guard's federal requirements guide tells every operator to check the weather before you depart (opens in a new tab) and keep an eye out for changing conditions. The National Weather Service has marine forecasts (opens in a new tab) for coastal waters and the Great Lakes.

Before you go:

• Wind. Check the forecast wind speed and direction, not just the temperature.
• Storms. The Red Cross says to leave the water immediately (opens in a new tab) if there is thunder or lightning, and to head back to shore as quickly as possible if you're out in a boat.
• Water temperature. Look it up, don't guess.
• River levels and currents, if you paddle on a river. Know where dams and rapids are. Low-head dams are especially dangerous: read low-head dams.

Dress for the water, not the air

Cold water is a major paddling danger, even on warm days. The National Weather Service says warm air doesn't always mean warm water (opens in a new tab) in lakes, streams or oceans, and that cold shock can be just as severe and dangerous from water temperatures of 50-60°F (opens in a new tab) as from water near freezing. It lists kayaking and canoeing among the activities that can lead to sudden cold-water immersion.

• The National Center for Cold Water Safety says: we recommend that you wear appropriate thermal protection if the water temperature is below 70F (opens in a new tab).
• Its analysis of 2024 boating data found you are twice as likely to die in a boating incident in water below 70°F (opens in a new tab).
• The NWS says to always dress for water temperature, not for air temperature (opens in a new tab).

For more on wetsuits, drysuits and cold-water planning, see cold water paddling.

If you capsize

Tipping over is normal in a kayak or canoe. Being ready for it is what keeps it safe.

The Coast Guard's federal requirements guide says canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards tend to be less stable and can easily capsize (opens in a new tab), and that standing up raises your center of gravity. It asks every paddler: are you sure you can climb back into the boat when you fall out. With all your gear on? Have you practiced? (opens in a new tab)

If you go over, the Coast Guard's tips for staying afloat are:

1. Remain calm. Don't thrash or try to take off clothing or shoes. Air trapped in clothing helps you float.
2. If you are wearing a life jacket, keep it on.
3. Keep your knees bent.
4. Float on your back and paddle slowly to safety.

Then:

• Stay with your boat. The Coast Guard says a capsized boat will likely float on or just below the surface (opens in a new tab). It floats, and you can hold on to it while you get your breath.
• In cold water, get out of the water. The Coast Guard says to get in or on the boat (opens in a new tab) and get as much of your body out of the water as possible.
• If you can't get out, the NWS describes the H.E.L.P. position: draw your knees to your chin and keep your legs together (opens in a new tab), press your arms to your sides and keep your head out of the water. With others, huddle together.

Practice re-entry in warm, shallow water with an instructor or a trained friend, wearing your life jacket.

Paddle with others and file a float plan

• Go with a buddy or a group when you can, and stay close enough to help each other.
• Leave a float plan. The Coast Guard says a float plan is equally effective for the owner of a 10 foot kayak (opens in a new tab) as for a large boat, and lists kayakers and canoeists among those who should prepare one. Tell a reliable person where you're going, who's with you, and when you'll be back. See how to file a float plan.
• Carry a way to call for help. For cold-water trips, the NWS suggests carrying an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), personal locator beacon (PLB) or VHF Radio (opens in a new tab). A phone in a waterproof case and a whistle on your life jacket help too.
• Skip the alcohol. CDC says to avoid drinking alcohol before or during swimming, boating, or other water activities (opens in a new tab).

Take a class first

Training matters. In 2024, the Coast Guard found that where instruction was known, 69% of deaths occurred on boats where the operator did not receive boating safety instruction (opens in a new tab).

Good places to start:

• American Canoe Association's Smart Start for Safe Paddling. An online course built by the ACA in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard (opens in a new tab). The ACA says most students finish in about 20 minutes, with no minimum age.
• ACA certified instructors. Use the ACA's instructor finder (opens in a new tab) to find on-water classes for kayak, canoe and paddleboard.
• U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary classes. Search the Auxiliary's course finder by ZIP code (opens in a new tab).

A class can teach you to paddle well, read the water and rescue yourself.

What you can do today

1. Check your paddling life jackets for fit and Coast Guard approval, or use the Life jacket finder.
2. Look up the water temperature where you plan to paddle, and plan clothing for it.
3. Take the ACA's short Smart Start for Safe Paddling (opens in a new tab) course online.
4. Print the Boating Safety Checklist and keep it with your gear.
5. Write a float plan for your next trip and give it to someone you trust.