Training
Melbourne EastCoast Kayaking
Recruitment - Head Kayak Instructor

Are you ready for a new opportunity that provides you working experience while kayaking through the world’s most liveable city?

Based on the bay of Port Melbourne, East Coast Kayaking and Sea Kayak Australia is recruiting qualified kayaking instructors to travel along the open waters and lead tours as the head instructor.

Recruitment - Head Kayak Instructor
Products
Melbourne EastCoast Kayaking
The Truth About Dry Bags

There is a wide variety of dry bags, sacks & cases - used to protect all sorts of gear. Come along to our Show and Tell sessions to learn more about dry bags and packing your kayak

The Truth About Dry Bags

rafting clothing

Socks: Canoe, Kayak, SUP and Rafting Clothing Australia

Comfortable feet are a key element to enjoyable water sports. We recommend you always wear shoes but what to wear inside them? Here are four different types of socks I wear depending on where I am paddling and the environmental conditions.

The socks I use are:

  • Bridgedale Coolmax Liners

  • Adrenalin 3mm Dive Socks

  • Sharkskin Chillproof Socks

  • Bridgedale Expedition Heavyweight Performance Socks

 
 

Bridgedale Coolmax Liner

Bridgedale Coolmax liners are tropical weight socks that I use in the Whitsundays and Hinchinbrook Island. They are quick dry, no pong, and most importantly they complete a shield against sandflies, protecting your ankles and lower legs when pulled up high underneath pants.

These socks come on a handy 2 pack. Coolmax is a type of Polyester that helps wick away moisture. As a ‘Liner’ they can be used as an inner layer inside your hiking socks when you are trekking.

Adrenalin 3mm Dive Socks

These are 3mm neoprene socks, but if you are allergic to neoprene go straight to the Sharkskin socks!

These work inside your kayak shoes just like a normal sock! They work great and I generally wear them with my Vaikobi or Adrenalin paddling pants in my water shoes when I know my feet will get wet. They can get smelly when they get wet but that is quite normal for paddle clothing, but they still stay warm. They can start to get cold after a long day when you are sitting in camp, but then most people would change to warm wooly socks by then.

Adrenalin 3mm neoprene socks

Adrenalin 3mm neoprene socks

Sharkskin Chillproof Socks

Sharkskin socks work well, but I do commonly go for the neoprene socks if I am definitely going to get wet feet! They are good in combination with dry pants /dry suits. They are warm when wet, but they do get smelly if they have become wet.

Sharkskin Chillproof Socks

Sharkskin Chillproof Socks

Bridgedale Expedition Heavyweight Performance Socks

Bridgedale Expedition Heavyweight socks are thick wool blend socks are the bomb for my dry pants and dry suit. If you can start the day with dry socks and finish the day with dry socks that makes winter paddling in cold water a real pleasure. Even if they do get wet beneath dry pants, if you get the opportunity to drop your pants and let the water out they still stay warm when wet, which is the key for paddle sports. After a week of paddling they do get a bit smelly.

 

Between the combination of all these four socks you will be set ready to go and enjoy your sea kayaking with comfortable and warm feet.

These are my thoughts - do you agree? Please comment - what are your favourite kayaking socks?

Dry Suit - Canoe, Kayak, SUP, Raft Clothing Australia - Kokatat GORE-TEX Meridian

What did I do before I had a dry suit? Now I cannot imagine paddling or training without my Kokatat Goretex Meridian Dry Suit. If I am going to spend an extended period of time in the water coaching clients it is invaluable.

Who should have a dry suit? Anyone who participates in water sports where the water is cold. A beginner or intermediate paddler will greatly benefit from the boost in confidence and increased safety resulting from staying warm and dry.

 
 

What to wear under your drysuit

The warmth of the dry suit relies on you base layers - fabric that remains warm when wet and dries quickly and can wick any moisture or perspiration away from your skin.

Your level of activity and the temperature of the environment will determine the level of warmth of your thermal layers - generally long sleeve top, long thermal pants and warm socks are a minimum for comfort.

Care and Maintenance

Wash: After every use I hose the suit down (while still in it!) or use the handy outdoor showers on the foreshore. Periodic washing with a good Goretex wash such as Grangers Performance Wash is recommended - cool water, can be by hand or gentle machine wash.

Hang the suit to dry and store it loose. Do not use bleach or dry cleaning.

Zippers: to keep zippers running freely, particularly for when you need them in a hurray, they should be treated regularly with a Zipper Lubricant stick.

Gaskets: Gaskets start off tight - resist the temptation to trim them and practise stretching them over some neck-sized can or football the night before use. Treat your gaskets frequently with a protectant such as 303 Protectant.

Avoid getting sunscreen or insect repellant on the gaskets or anywhere on the drysuit. Take care of gaskets when putting on the suit and removing it - avoid wearing a watch or spiky earrings.

I get about two years solid use out of my gaskets as the suit gets a lot of use in the course of work. They then need to be replaced. Gasket replacement is best done by a professional, but can be DIY if you are handy, purchasing just the gaskets, or with a tool kit Kokatat has put together. Factory repairs can be organised within Australia.

Socks: To maintain the waterproof-ness of the suit, you need to look after the socks. Take care when changing in and out of the suit - have something to stand on such as a rubber mat to avoid small punctures. Always wear water shoes - you may find that you shoes for wearing with your drysuit will need to be a size larger than you would normally wear. If you do put a small hole in the socks, it can be sealed with Aquaseal.

Availability and Styles

The Kokatat Goretex Meridian Dry Suit is manufactured in Arcata, California USA. *There is usually some stock available in Men’s and Women’s sizes in the Goretex Meridian, but it is best to check before ordering as not all colours or sizes may be available and will have to come from the USA.*

It is even possible to have a custom suit made for you but expect that this will take a couple of months, depending on the time of year and how busy the factory is.

There is a variety of other styles of Kokatat dry suits, plus some in different fabrics such as Hydrus 3L, imported on demand.

Styles without the double tunnel are available (Goretex Front Entry and Hydrus Swift Entry). The double tunnel does pull in the waist and improve the fit for any paddler, but for canoeists, SUP paddlers and other water sports enthusiasts (or people allergic to neoprene as it is possible to leave off the neoprene protecting the latex gaskets - custom build) the Front Entry/Swift Entry style may be preferred.

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