Tim Foltz and others have been asking how those of us that kayak keep our gear dry and so forth. I realize that we all have different boats and different techniques for achieving this. So feel free to add you own advice, techniques and pictures to this post. That is the purpose of it, so we can share ideas.
There are a few ways to keep your gear dry, the two main are dry bags and duffels. I have one of each but prefer the duffel. It looks like a duffel bag with the exception that the closure on top is like a giant zip loc. It is completely submersible and can stay under almost indefinitely. It is really easy to get gear in and out of. The dry bag is basically a tube with one end sealed. You put your gear in the open end, fold the opening down a few time and clasp it closed. It too is fully submersible. I just find it to be a bit more of a pain to use, specially if you feel the need to seal it.
What I do is put my gear in the duffel, seal it, put it in the boat and secure it to the boat. I then get in the boat, this is one of the times the boat may go over if you are clutsy. Once in I paddle to some spot, take out the camera and shoot. Now if the water is calm, no wind and no wakes to deal with I'll hold the camera in my lap and paddle carefully. If I think water is going to splash about, from the paddles, wind or whatever I put the camera in the duffel and don't seal it, just tuck it under the gunwale. If it is windy, water will splash in now and again. If there are big wakes/waves some water may come over. In that case I put the camera in the duffel and seal it. The duffel is always secured but to be honest that is only in case of a full rollover. The chance for that in my boat and where I go is slim. That is how I do it when I'm in the back of the boat. If I'm in the front the drill is similar but instead the duffel goes in front under the bow.
My boat being a tandem, there is a lot of room, relatively and it is open and prone to splashing. The splashing is rarely an issue. I have never gotten out of the boat wet, just the occasional splash hits me. Now if I'm in the front and there are wakes, they'll occasionally come over the bow. If in conditions like that the camera is in the duffel and under the bow fairly protected.
That is how I do it, how do you guys do it?
Tim
A couple of lame shots of where the duffel sets and the layout of the boat.
1 When I sit in the back
2 sitting in the front, there is plenty of room for legs and feet around the duffel
(note the drink holder in the seat!! Good place to hold a lens while changing and a good place to put a lens cap. Well that and your favorite beverage!!
Tim,
Finally a little insight to the YAK, these are different than the ones I have rented down at the marina. They look like they are vacuformed with a place for your butt and a cold beverage and that's about it. I think I prefer the biped hand holding 500mm system I now can imagine what you yakers go through to get your shots. Thanks for the trouble of putting this together to educate those of us who always wanted to know.
Thanks
Kayak hull length, width, and hull shape all contribute to stability. I've been a kayaker for 30 yrs. My two current kayaks are both touring sea kayaks - each about 17 feet in length and about 21 inches wide. I throw that info in this thread because adding just a few inches width to a kayak greatly increases stability. My kayaks are comparatively fast in getting to a location but not nearly as stable as your as a shooting platform. I use a dry bag for my Nikon D300 & lens. Crossing open water (salt/intracostal marshes/ocean) the gear is sealed. When I arrive in the relative safety of the calm waters of the shallow marsh area the camera is out of the dry bag and sort of in my lap. On the floor of the kayak I put a piece of foam that does no absorb water to set the camera/lens down on. I do use a kayak accessory called a "mini skirt". It's basically a cockpit cover that covers only the first half of the cockpit. Looking at your tandem in the photo you posted I believe a mini skirt would help you also - keeping splash or spray off the gear. They are cheap and just snap on or off via a bungie type cord in the edge. Mine has a plastic rod support that goes accross the cockpit just in front of my waist. Bill
I keep my gear in dry bags until I get to the location, from then on its on my lap.
For stability I installed an outrigger. So when I get to where I want I extend the outriggers. I did this cause at times looking TTL and following a flying bird throws me off balance. The outriggers work great and when not needed fold up, back and lay on the rear deck out of the way for cruising.
Jim
Well I have tried numerous ways to photograph from my kayak. Sometimes I keep the cam on my lap, but water tends to drip off my paddle getting the lens wet. Best seems to be keeping it on my legs but under the front deck.
The real issue though for me is stability, if I move quickly to one side or the other.......that is very dangerous, lol! I have come to the conclusion that a long narrow kayak is NOT the right platform for photography.
Seriously considering building a shorter wider kayak just for photography, really like the "low angle" shoots one is able to get from a kayak. I've seen some great ones here on FM.
I basically do the same as Tim, but unless I am paddling to maneuver I have the camera in the bag. I am a high angle paddler and the cockpit gets seriously splashed moving from place to place. I wish I could paddle as slow as Ant so I could leave my car on the lap. I am also going to get a larger dry bag for my 500 and take it out soon.
Great tip on the mini-skirt - I am definatley going to pick one up.
J
Nov 06, 2008 at 12:15 PM
anthony whitmo Offline • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
I am a high angle paddler and the cockpit gets seriously splashed moving from place to place. I wish I could paddle as slow as Ant so I could leave my car on the lap
at Jason
jason it's actually quite the opposite my friend.
I have found that when you paddle SLOW the water drips down the paddle and onto your arms or lap.
When you paddle fast with muscle and strength as you pull through the water with on paddle >> the other paddle (out of water paddle) needs to move at a high enough speed to sling the water off of it into the water below instead of dripping down the paddle onto your hand / arms / lap..........
So if you guyz are having trouble with water > It's because you aren't paddling fast enough or hard enough .............
Time to Man up Girlz
Seriously >> If you paddle a little faster you will be amazed at how the water slings off the out of water paddle and you will keep dry.
My "style" is similar to other posters. I use a dry bag - actually 3. One for the camera with the 400 5.6L attached, one for other Photo stuff, (like extra battery and cf cards, maybe even another lens), and one for my wallet, keys and cell phone. These are used and attached to the 'yak while I'm getting in or out. I lay a large folded bath towel in the bottom of the yak to lay my camera on when it's out of the dry bag. There is a second bath towel to lay on top of the camera when not in use. My yak is 31" wide, so it is stable - as long as you don't try to stand up in it. Disclaimer: I did drown a 20D with a Sigma 80-400 attached in July of '07. Did it getting out of the yak after a long paddle. I had the dry bag with me, but thought it would be ok... Insurance did buy me a refurb. 30D and another Sigma lens. I sold the 30D to get a 40D and wound up selling the Sigma to get the 400L.
I do have a question for other yakers. Do you have any problems following bif? Since I'm right handed, I do better when they are on my left, but they seldom listen when I tell them where to fly...
Ron
Nov 06, 2008 at 07:08 PM
anthony whitmo Offline • • • • • • Upload & Sell: Off
Have the exact same issue Ron
I'm right handed so I have a much easier time with birds on my Left. So I always try to position myself so the birds are on my left or going to be flying across my left side........
Still only lucky on occasions
Same issue as Ron, can't pan on the right very accurately but the left I can go all the way from 12:00 backwards to 7:00, almost laying down at that point. Still my keeper rate is lower than on land.
Water dripping off the paddle. My paddles have a guard of sorts that stops most of the water. It is just a simple disc on the shaft. Also, I have found that if you don't lift the paddles high than the gunwale that minimizes it more. My biggest problem with splashing or drips is with someone else in the front of the boat. If the wind is right all sorts of water comes flying back off of their paddle.
Harvey, the link Ron posted has some nice bags and quite an assortment of them. If you wanted to look at the specific bag I have here is a link to that one. Jakita turned me on the this bag.
I've been using an Advanced Elements AirFrame inflatable. At 10.5' long by 32" wide, its not breaking any speed records, but it's far more stable than any roto or glass boat I've taken out. It's a quick turner because of its size and flat mid-section. I can lean way over the side without worrying about tipping (it's never gone over even once). For paddling flat water and making quick changes in direction, the thing's great. For taking a ride out of the harbor into open ocean, I cancel any plans for the rest of the day, 'cause that's how long it'll take.
Since the boat isn't going to tip, I keep my camera in my lap and wear a skirt (I like to look pretty -- no, I mean a spray skirt). I also have one of these highly absorbent travel towels in case of dripping from the paddle. When I go out into the surf, I use a deck-mounted dry bag that's just big enough to hold my D200 and 300mm f/4 in a Lowepro Zoom AW case. If I had the bigger AE boat, or a Helios, I'd take my DryZone bag... but I don't.
I gotta say: using a kayak makes a world of diffence.
Can't wait to climb into that second seat again my friend. What a sweet boat!!!!!
I now can imagine what you yakers go through to get your shots. Thanks for the trouble of putting this together to educate those of us who always wanted to know.
