Whitewater Kayaking Gear for Beginners

I started kayaking a little less than a year ago and was lucky to know people in the whitewater community who helped me get started. One of the most intimidating parts was figuring out what gear I should purchase. If you are looking for tips on what gear you need, where to purchase gear, and a few of my favorite items – this is the blog for you!

How I started

Whitewater kayaking is the type of sport that has a large expense on gear upfront, but after the initial purchases, you’re not spending money on anything but gas. There are some things that you can hold off on purchasing in the beginning, but other things are non-negotiable. All of the gear talked about in this post will be my recommendations for cold water paddling in Washington State. If you are located in a warmer area, this might not all be applicable to you.

Helmet

One of the non-negotiable items is a helmet. You will need to plan on purchasing one before you begin kayaking, and this is not an item that I would purchase used. If you shop around you can usually find a few deals on new helmets. I currently use the WSRI Current Pro. This is admittedly a helmet that would be better for rafting, but it has done it’s job for the time being. It’s on the cheaper side so if price is a huge factor for you I recommend this one, just plan on upgrading before you run anything too intense. I see a lot of Sweet Protection Rockers and Sweet Protection Full Face Rocker. Either of these are great options, just try to find one that you can try on before purchasing to make sure it will be a good fit.

Skull Cap

This one can be optional depending on where you live, but here in Washignton I highly recommend wearing a Skull Cap. This is a neoprene head cover that helps to keep you warm when your head is submerged. If you have a helmet with enough padding, you don’t need a skull cap. I prefer to wear one with my helmet.

Ear Plugs

This is a cheap purchase that I feel is a must! If you’ve never heard of surfers ear, check out this bloggers post on that. It’s essentially a condition where your ears grow boney fragments when exposed to cold water for extended periods of time. The easiest way to avoid this is by purchasing a cheap pair of ear plugs!

Nose Plug

A lot of people swear by nose plugs. It helps so that when you’re upside down you don’t get too much water into your nose, obviously. I personally have never worn one, but I am not opposed to wearing them once I start paddling bigger water. One thing to note is a reliance that some kayakers have on their nose plug. I have heard friends talk about this countless times! Essentially, they get used to wearing a nose plug before they paddle, and then they feel like they can’t paddle without one. I think it’s fine with or without one though, just give it a try and decide for yourself.

Drysuit

Drysuits are something I highly recommend you buy if it is in your budget. You can get by with a wetsuit for most of the year, but I wouldn’t recommend that for the colder winter months. There are a lot of knockoff drysuits out there, so I would stick to the name brands for this purchase. They come with various warranties so check those out before purchasing. Kokatat, Immersion Research, and NRS are all great manufacturers with good customer support. The Immersion Research factory is only a few hours away from Seattle in Hood River, Oregon. If you’re local to this area it’s convenient to have them so close if you need to get anything repaired.

You can find used drysuits online, but be really cautious about purchasing these. You’ll find $100-$600 drysuits posted on Facebook marketplace, but a lot of times you end up with a leak when you don’t put the money into this purchase. If you want something that is going to last, plan to spend between $700-$1400 and avoid anything that has a bunch of patches in the fabric.

PFD

A PFD (personal flotation device) aka lifejacket is a must have before you hit the river! Buy yourself one that is designed for kayaking and rated for 3+ rivers. I paddle with the NRS Ninja. There are lots of options out there but I recommend anything made by NRS or Astral.

Skirt

The skirt is what keeps the water out of your kayak, and you in your kayak when you flip upside down. There are two sizes on every skirt. One for the waist and one for the cockpit. Make sure that you pay attention to both of those sizes when purchasing, and buy your skirt after you buy your boat. To find out what size cockpit your boat has, simply google the name of your boat and find the specks. I found a skirt on Facebook Marketplace for $25 when I first started. If you’re living in Washington, there are also a few Facebook groups dedicated to selling and buying whitewater rafting and kayaking equipment so make sure you join those.

Pogies or Gloves

This is another one that I highly recommend if you live in Washington or anywhere that has a winter paddling scene. I have pretty good circulation, but after 30 minutes of my hands getting splashed on a 30 degrees day I am freezing! Pogies or gloves are perfect for keeping your hands warm and still allowing you to paddle. I love pogies, just give them a chance and practice a few rolls when you first try them out. This is another piece of gear that I would try to purchase second hand.

Shoes

It’s likely that you have a pair of shoes laying around that can convert into your river shoes. I took my old trail shoes, Lone Peak Altras, and turned them into my kayaking footwear! Any old tennis shoe will work great. You can also purchase kayak specific shoes like Astrals if it’s in your budget, I have heard great things.

Float Bags

This is an item that I had no idea existed before I started kayaking. Each boat you see on the river typically has two large bags that are blown up with air and stuck in the back of the boat. This is to help keep the plastic shell floating if you swim out of your kayak. All beginners should have these in their boats. A lot of times if you’re purchasing a kayak on Facebook or OfferUp they come with float bags. This is an item I would try to get second hand.

Kayak

There are so many different kayak options out there. First of all, don’t buy a brand new kayak if you’ve never been paddling before. It is much better to purchase one around $300-$500 that you can learn in and then plan on purchasing a different one later on. Once you start paddling with other people you’ll learn about boat options and be able to make a more informed decision about what kayak you want to purchase. Click here to view a blog post that describes a few good boats for beginners.

My experience buying kayaks is as follows: When I first started I was paddling a Liquid Logic Flying Squirrel that I bought for $300. It was a massive creek boat that was large enough that I felt like I could get through anything on the river. Paddling this boat helped me to improve my roll and my confidence, but it was also limiting paddling such a large kayak. About two months after buying that kayak I sold it for $300 and purchased a Dagger Axiom 8.5 for $400. I prefer the half slice vs the creek boat because it has helped me to learn how to control edges, surf, and stern stall.

A huge tip I have when it comes to kayaks is to ask people if you can try out their boats! The more boats that you paddle around in the more familiar with different styles you will become. This makes it so much easier for you to make a decision about what kind of boat you want in the future.

Paddle

I recommend trying to find a Werner paddle used on Facebook. I found mine by going into a whitewater kayaking group on Facebook and asking if anyone had an old one they were willing to let go of. Make sure you pay attention to the angle and the length when purchasing used.

Safety Gear

As you progress, you will need to purchase safety gear. It’s a good idea to start with some of this gear, but only if you’ve taken a class and know how to properly use them. A few things you’ll want to keep in mind are a breakdown paddle, throw bag, first aid kit, and a tow line.

Washington State Rentals

If you’re able to rent from a place in Seattle, I recommend checking out Kayak Academy. Another option is to reach out to whitewater rafting companies in your area and see if they do rentals.

Conclusion

It is expensive to get into kayaking! You can easily spend between $1000-$2000 purchasing gear. Don’t be afraid to buy used items or borrow some from people you know. Remember, once you get the gear you don’t have to pay to use the rivers. Please feel free to comment below with any further questions!