Tandem Kayaking: How To Avoid A Mutiny

Tandem kayaking can be one of the most unique experiences out on the water, a new way to get out and see the ocean or the lake. Unlike normal kayaking, it is also a great way to do this and share it with someone else. This element changes it a bit, as all good adventures are those that are shared. It can result in memories of said adventure that can last a lifetime, something that one can always sit down and reminisce on with the other person who was along for the trip. It can also be a disaster, however, if the two in the kayak find themselves for any reason at odds. Like any team sport, tandem kayaking requires two people to be on the same side and working together at all times. There needs to be consistency in what each one wants, and there needs to be cooperation in getting toward those goals — whether they be distance, time, or just enjoying the experience itself. There are a number of things one should always do in a tandem kayak to avoid a mutiny. They are easy to employ, and once done, they can stave of disaster.

First, always have enough food and water for both people. If possible, have more than enough. This way, it never seems as if one person is taking all of the refreshment and nurishment while the other is going without. Things like this can lead to serious resentment, especially if the trip takes longer than expected and one person is famished and nearly dying of thirst becasue the other ate up all of the food and drank all of the water. No matter the amount, food should always be shared equally. This way, even if there is not enough, both will feel that they are in the same situation together, not one against the other.

Next, never try to force the other person in the kayak to go somewhere that they do not want to go. Perhaps they will not feel they have the stamina to make it to a certain goal and will want to turn back. One should always allow this to happen, even if one is not feeling the same effects of the trip and feels that making the goal would be an easy task. Both people have to feel they can make it for the trip to be worth it; if not, the one who does not want to go on, or who does not want to go to a certain location, will start to build up animosity against the other. Very quickly, the trip will begin to seem to them to be a waste of time. Worse yet, it may begin to seem like something they have been forced into against their will. This will cause a mutiny in no time.

Third, never insist on setting out if the weather looks bad and the other person does not want to go. If the other person feels as if they are not safe, they will begin to be fearful of the trip and resent it quite quickly. A kayak is a small boat, and storms look very threatening to someone in one for the first time. If the other person thinks that they are deliberately being led into danger, their fight-or-flight system, that product of evolution and survival, will kick into high gear. This may just mean that they campain for turning back, loudly. They will want to flee what they see as danger, even if it is not. But it could also mean that, if they do not get to return, they will choose to fight. In a tandem kayak, this is the worst possible of scenerios.

All in all, avoiding a mutiny in a tandem kayak should be very easy, and come as second nature to most considerate individuals. However, if it is not second nature, one has only to keep the above rules in mind for the duration of the trip. A bit of sacrifice may need to be made in order to keep the peace, but this is better than a fight aboard a kayak. If this is done successfully, the trip will go off without a hitch and become that great memory that it has the potential to become.