Which is safer for paddling with a 3-year-old, a sit-in or SOT kayak? Why?
Is it ever safe to take a toddler on the ocean? What are the caveats?
What are the necessary safety precautions? For example, some here have mentioned tethering the toddler to the adult.
With an SOT, if both the adult and the child end up in the water, what are the chances that they would be able to reenter?
The kayak: What are the desirable qualities for kayaking with a toddler? (Length, width, etc.) Can anyone recommend a specific SOT or sit-in for one adult and a toddler? Weight is a concern as the (older female) adult needs to be able to transport it alone.
Sorry, that’s a lot of questions. Would appreciate hearing your experience.
. Why would you ever think of taking a toddler in a kayak? DONT! And the ocean?? Double dont! Taking a toddler in a canoe is one thing, but a kayak? NO!! In a canoe they have room to move and grab things…which every 3 year old does. With a canoe, keep them sitting on the floor near you, while wearing a pfd made for small kids of their weight range. Smear them up good with a sun block of spf 30 at least, made for kids. Keep kid aproved insect repellent close by just incase there’s a hatch of nasties. Stick to the shallows and keep the ride short.
Its possible but everything depends on YOUR skill. How much have YOU practiced reentry and saving yourself? Until you can look out for yourself, I recommend not taking a toddler.
From the questions you are asking the ocean or deep water is a very bad idea. You can get something like a rec kayak and SOT and take a kid along the shore on a nice calm day in water that you can stand in and grab the toddler…most are not good swimmers.
I would not paddle alone either with a toddler. At minimum one other boat.
Lots of families with tots paddle here in the summer on lakes but they always go in small fleets in sheltered areas
Start small and slow. The last thing you need is a terrified toddler climbing on you. If they like it, soon will need their own boat. Kids dont like to be baggage.
little more conservative Your biggest enemy with a toddler is attention span. A canoe is going to give more space to squirm with less effect on you controling the boat. Problem is usually the lighter the boat the smaller, and less stable it is. Loading a 15 foot canoe is no easy chore even with practice. A SOT is going to be much easier to reenter if you come off. If you flip a canoe you will not be doing a reenter so much as a get it to shore. No easy task with a full of water canoe. Get a life jacket designed to keep the child on their back. I would strongly recommend finding some flat water to practice in and get you used to it. That way no worring about waves, tides, currents etc… There are some nice big two person kayaks with higher sides these days. Old town used to make an otter wich is a super stable boat. Sorta a sit in sit on top. My son is 9 now and we have been boating together as long as I can remember, but I have been on the water longer than I can remember.
100% for taking the kid anywhere you go. 100% for heeding Jacks advice.
I had my son on the water with me as soon as he could hold his head up. Now @ 5 he can jump off a 15’ platform and swim over or under back, steer a mean downwind course for speed and wave catching with his single blade and paddle his SUP in the wind for several miles.
Canoeing my kids at 18 months and 24 months. Started with Mom in the bow and now are skilled paddlers. My son has mastered the solo canoe and makes a Flashfire dance. 16 and 17 years now. Anyway use sense and caution and give them the opportunity to be part of nature’s community.
can not answer your questions but … … do have some statistical questions for others here who “have” taken (or know of others who have taken) their toddlers out in kayaks or canoes .
Has anyone ever capsized with their toddler ??
Has anyone ever had to rescue their toddler from the water ??
Has anyone ever had their toddler get hurt in anyway while paddling ??
Has anyone ever felt their toddler was in danger or endangered while paddling ??
Has anyone ever felt worried or unsure of the outcome while their toddler was in their paddle craft ??
Has anyone ever felt their control of the paddle craft was in anyway compromised because of their toddler’s needs or actions ??
Does anyone who has taken their toddler out paddling feel they may have taken too great a risk at any time while doing so ??
Does anyone know of other paddlers who were involved in any of the above situations ??
I have no agenda with these questions other than wanting honest answers .
I can’t add too much more than these articles. My thoughts:
Its’ never too early to get kids on the water and interacting with nature.
Kayaks allow small kids to see and touch the water more than canoes.
Very small kids can go on a paddlers lap, a bit older in the back hatch, and older in the front cockpit of a double, or center hatch of a double. Some companies like Seaward make a child’s seat for the center hatch.
The kayak needs to fit and feel comfortable for the adult paddler.
If carrying a kayak is difficult, using some wheels is a good idea.
If a small child is in the front of a double, add some weight to the front hatch to keep the kayak balanced.
In strong sun, have a sunblocking long-sleeve rashguard, full-brimmed hat and sunglasses for the child.
Delta 14.5 is stable and has lots of room in the hatches, but choosing a kayak is quite personal.
My niece and nephew did a 1-week ocean trip when the youngest was 4 or 5, and another trip the next year (sitting in the front of a double, but not paddling). Last year I took them on an overnight trip where they paddled for the first time (20km each way, but we were in doubles so they could rest when they wanted).
Take the child to a kayak pool session. Capsizes, re-entry, etc are a fun way for a child to play in the water while learning safety skills.
We did it We had Old Town Loons with the large cockpits. The little guy could slide up under the front deck with only his head and arms exposed. This protected him from the sun. We put a big life jacket on him, a big hat and sun glasses. He had a ball. But, I would never have taken him on any open water crossing. In fact, most of the time the water was waste deep. We did the mangrove tunnels in Florida which he loved and we poked around the shoreline of local lakes.
When you get into trouble on the water you will have your hands full saving yourself. Saving another is often too much. I do not like to paddle with people that aren’t able to take care of themselves or are not willing to learn. A child that age does not have the ability to learn.
Swimming very young...beats me, but I think that taking them down for a walk/toddle around the shoreline of clean waters...or anywhere really..within reason, in favorable conditions, with a chance of encountering wildlife(of friendly sort) is always a good idea in simply helping them to develop a friendliness with the outdoors, rather than them growing up...seeing the outdoors as an alien environment where any animal is something to be feared.
...fwiw
some good things said if yer goin in what ever , make sure you know how he/she percieves the water(freak out in waves ,scared of big motor boats,doesn’t like to get wet). I’ve refused to take mom/dad the 6 yr. old out cause the kid didn’t wanna go yet the they thought it would be a good idea (senior guide, tourin co. ,standard 3 hr. trip) . As said before , what is the lil one gonna do for ___lenght o time .
PFD that has straps on the legs so it stays on the lil one , TURNS CHILD FACE UP AND SUPPORTS FACE OUT O WATER .
So last yr. when a lady friend asked me what I thought about her an the 3 yr. old goin out , I had to ask about the plan . Once I heard it I convinced her to not do it with out me and my big ass dbl. w/the center hatch where Paul sat .
Whatever craft ya choose try an be able to make eye contact w/the lil one , they like that , especially if they get a lil concerned about that stick that looks like a snake !
Go over your plan with the lil one just like any other outtin .
Lastly HOW GOOD ARE YOUR RESCUE SKILLS ?
There’s risk in everything an I may not be able to control that , BUT I can control how I’ll react .
I may not be able to stop the shit from hitting the fan
toddlers and boats all of my kids (4)have been out in my canoe since they were born, I make sure they have a well fitting life jacket with a handle on top, and bring toys that float.
a toy canoe or kayak on a string is always fun for them to watch while they tow it. Only one child has fallen in, she was the fearless one who always dragged a hand or foot in the water, by the next canoe trip she was back at it, but with both hands on the rail. When she fell in we just backed up and hauled her aboard, wrapped up in a beach towel in moms lap and within a short time she was fine.
bring snacks and drinks and if there is a good place to stop and let them play or swim, we have a sandbar in the middle of a lake they love to wade on, in warm weather.
I have taken the two oldest out on my yakboard in smaller surf, no running waves though, each was scared and wanted off, however at 7 my oldest wanted to go out on her own yakboard with me nearby, my 5 yr old still isn’t interested, but he has paddled his own mouseboat (small plywood kayak type boat) on a calm lake in shallow water off a beach while camping. my two yr old just wanted to play on the shore or ride in a canoe during that time.
Kids ‘fault’ : ) I asked him this weekend if he wanted to come up front and sit for a while. I leaned over as usual but the next thing I knew he was jumping in. “I just wanted to” was the reason : 0
My Daughter Has Just Turned 5 She’s been kayaking with me, on my SOT, since she was 8 months. I started by going back and forth in very shallow water. When she was big enough for a PFD we’d go out into deep water. She now slides off the kayak to swim around while I watch, in her PFD of course. One thing I’d recommend is to place a closed cell foam pad for your child to sit on. It also comes in handy when you take breaks.