Paddlesports have soared in popularity over the past few years. Kayak fishing increased in popularity by 17%, white water kayaking by 10%, and coastal kayaking by 8%. With such a notable increase in participation, kayaking accidents have also increased.
But aren’t kayaks supposed to be stable and safe? Well, even though kayaks are more stable than other types of vessels due to their low center of gravity, that doesn’t mean they can’t sink.
How can a kayak sink, then? That’s what this post attempts to address, so stick around.
What Is Considered Sinking?
There’s a difference between a kayak getting completely submerged underwater and just getting swamped with water.
A kayak sinking will require water to get inside it due to a hole, large waves, or other, However, a kayak getting swamped is when it’s overwhelmed with water, but not completely below it.
Factors That May Lead Your Kayak to Sink
If you’ve ever kayaked before, you may be familiar with how keen your kayak is to stay afloat. Most people would find it a challenge to make their kayak sink if they wanted to, but certain conditions may cause it to sink.
Virtually all of the conditions that can result in your kayak sinking are linked to two factors: the kayak’s weight capacity and the cockpit you’re using.
Kayak’s Weight Limit
Your kayak can only hold so much weight. We need to define the forces that are at play when you ride your kayak so we can understand how exceeding the weight limit could cause it to sink.
Forces on Your Kayak
There’s a force acting upwards, also known as the buoyant force, which helps keep your kayak from sinking. There are also forces acting downwards that can sink your kayak.
Buoyancy, the force acting upwards, is defined by Archimedes principle as a force that’s equal to the weight of the water displaced by the object that’s fully or partially immersed in it.
In simple terms, the more of your boat is below the water, the more buoyancy it will experience. This is why when you try to force more of your kayak below the water, it feels like the water pushes the kayak back.
The forces acting downwards, on the other hand, would be the sum of your weight, the kayak’s weight, and the weight of your gear.
How Excess Weight Can Sink Your Kayak
Both the forces acting upwards and downwards have to be equal at all times according to Archimedes principle. So, when you overload your yak, a bigger portion of it will be forced below water to generate more buoyancy.
This situation decreases the kayak’s stability and makes it more susceptible to waves, which can eventually fill your kayak up with water.
If your kayak keeps accumulating water inside, more weight will be pushing downwards, disturbing the equilibrium between upward and downward-acting forces. This will eventually lead it to be completely immersed in water.
Types of Kayak Cockpits
The type of cockpit used in a kayak is influential to how difficult it is to sink it or swamp it. There are two main types of kayak cockpits: sit-in and sit-on-top.
Let’s go over how each type can influence the sinking of a kayak.
Sit-In Cockpits
A sit-in cockpit allows the paddler to have their body inside the kayak, which means getting in and out of it takes time. This is why it’s more dangerous to sink while in this type of kayak.
Kayaks equipped with sit-in cockpits are more susceptible to being filled with water, meaning they’re more prone to sinking than kayaks with sit-on-top cockpits.
Besides, sit-in kayaks have bulkheads, which are storage spaces that can be sealed to become air-tight pockets of air.
These bulkheads serve as floats, but if you casually forget to close them, as many do, they can be hazardous if some unexpected waves fill them up with water, dramatically increasing the overall weight of your kayak.
Sit-On-Top Cockpits
Sit-on-top kayaks, per contra, are much easier to mount. Since the sit-on-top kayak cockpit is small or almost non-existent, it means that it’s much harder to sink because there are fewer pockets to be filled with water.
Some sit-on-tops may be equipped with molded and sealed hulls, which act in the same way as a bulkhead by trapping air inside the body of the boat. This makes it even more difficult to sink.
Another safety feature in the sit-on-top kayaks is the scupper holes. These are holes that help drain water out in case your kayak becomes overflowed.
Many people choose to plug those holes using scupper plugs because they want their decks to stay completely dry. This isn’t recommended since, during an emergency, you may forget to unplug the holes, which could lead to your kayak getting swamped or even sink completely.
Ways of Preventing Kayaks From Sinking
First and foremost, you have to make sure your kayak is equipped with bulkheads. These add to the overall stability of your kayak and also provide you with some useful storage space on your adventures.
Secondly, you always have to make sure your bulkheads are properly sealed so that you don’t run the risk of them opening accidentally in the event of an emergency, which can dramatically worsen the situation.
Moreover, we always recommend that you keep your scupper holes open. Kayaking is a wet sport and you can’t expect to always stay dry on your rides. Getting a little wet can save you from getting drenched in water!
Additionally, you should always abide by the recommended weight limit of your kayak to lower the chances of water getting inside the cockpit.
We also recommend that you always have a large cup or scoop during your paddling trips. These can help you remove large volumes of water from the cockpit to regain stability.
Conclusion
Kayaks are amazing vessels that are equipped with a lot of features to keep them above water. However, they’re still susceptible to sinking under the above-mentioned conditions. This is why you should take precautions on your paddling trips to ensure a fun and safe expedition.
It’s easy to prevent your kayaks from sinking or getting swamped. Just make sure to seal all open spaces like bulkheads, leave the scupper holes open, and have a means of scooping water out of the cockpit.