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On the north coast of California, kelp is typically found at most
dive sites. Kelp is a tough, strong algae that attaches to rocky bottoms in 10'
to 100' of water. If you can attach your boat to the kelp, it's more convenient
than anchoring. I use a couple of 12' lengths of 3/8" bungee cord to make tie
off lines with snap clips at each end.
A 5 pound anchor with 3' or 4' of chain makes a pretty effective
anchor for a kayak.
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Backrest |
The butt bucket (seat) of a sit-on-top kayak tends to be pretty
shallow. A back rest adds a lot of comfort for those longish paddles.
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Breakdown Paddle |
Unless you're willing to resort to using your fins (entirely
feasible by lying belly down on the kayak like it's a surf board) should you
lose your paddle, carry a cheap breakdown paddle inside. These can be had for
around $20 and get stowed inside the boat hopefully never to be seen again.
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Bilge Pump |
Tupperware kayaks fully filled with water are about 6 pounds
positive. With dive gear, make that 20 or 30 pounds negative. You don't ever
want the boat to fill with water. A cheap ($20) hand operated bilge pump moves
a lot of water fast.
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Sponge |
For those smaller spills. A sponge that absorbs well is more
useful in getting small quantities of water out from inside the boat. I carry a
bilge pump but almost always use the sponge.
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Glass Case |
A necessity for those who wear glasses or sunglasses. I've made
the mistake of leaving an expensive pair of sunglasses inside a dive mask case.
By the time I returned from a single dive, the rocking of the boat caused the
glasses to rub lightly against the plastic case and put a nice rub in the
tinting of the glasses. Never again.
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Current Line |
Mostly a result of my Cemetary Reef
experience, I always carry a current line. It's 200 feet (65 meters) of thin
polypro line with floats every 25' or so. When I'm diving offshore, that
current line is out. When it's stowed, it's stuffed into a small backpacking
gear bag.
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Paddle Leash |
Almost everyone starts out using a paddle leash. They're a short
line with one end attaching to the boat and the other end to the paddle. The
sooner you get rid of it, the better off you are. They're useful when you're
first learning because they help with the task loading (i.e., if you forget
about the paddle, it doesn't wander off on its own). The downside is that they
become an entanglement hazard (mostly during launches and landings). Once
you're comfortable with the task loading, get rid of it.
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