Safety equipment for Sea Kayaking

When operating canoes, kayaks, row boats, surf skis and stand up paddle boards you must carry the minimum safety equipment for human powered vessels. When operating motorised kayaks and canoes, you must carry the minimum safety equipment for powerboats. For Victorian waters, see Maritime Safety Victoria's Recreational Boating Safety Handbook (Chapter 4) and rules for Paddlecraft.  For other states consult your local state authority (some links below).

All safety equipment carried onboard must be:

• placed or located in a conspicuous and readily accessible position at all times
• kept in good order at all times
• maintained or serviced in a way that ensures it can be operated at all times in the way that it was designed to operate
• serviced on or before the date specified by the manufacturer.

Make sure you are visible when Sea Kayaking

As many human powered craft sit low in the water, other boats may not see you. At all times you must ensure you:

• obey the rules of the waterway that you are operating on, be vigilant about your route and avoid shipping lanes
• fit your Personal Floatation Device (PFD) with reflective tape and wear bright coloured clothing . It is also wise to add reflective tape to your kayak and paddle.
• at night, carry a white light easily visible to approaching vessels
• stay with your vessel if you fall out. A vessel is a lot easier to spot than a swimmer.

For more information on kayak safety gear and what we recommend you carry, read our Blog and view our Youtube videos:
   Essential Offshore Kayak Safety
   PFDs & Accessories

For more information on kayak safety equipment required in Victorian waters see Maritime Safety Victoria

Other States:

• New South Wales
• Western Australia
• South Australia
• Tasmania