Oru Kayak BAY ST Owner's Manual page 12

Kayaking 101 & Troubleshooting
8
WARNING
Kayakers, especially beginners and novices, can be particularly
vulnerable to adverse weather and water conditions.
Because of their light weight and limited speed,
kayaks can be especially sensitive to wind, waves, and current.
Always be aware of your paddling abilities, the water/weather
conditions, and the limitations of your kayak, and
use common sense and good judgment for your own safety.
WARNING
Always practice new strokes in calm, shallow water.
10 ORU KAYAK | OWNER'S MANUAL
(continued)
8.4 MANEUVERING A KAYAK
Rudder turn
- Once you have forward momentum, place your paddle in the water just
behind your hip.
- The resistance and torsion will cause your boat to rotate around the side
the paddle is on.
Sweep-stroke turn
- Place the paddle in the water near the bow (front).
- Then make a large arc-shaped motion toward the stern (back).
- The sweep stroke can be done in a forward or reverse manner.
- To turn the boat in a circle, do a forward sweep stroke on one side and a
reverse sweep stroke on the other side.
8.5 RESCUES
We recommend that you seek professional instruction before using your
kayak in open water. Open-water rescues are tricky and
technical.
• We highly recommend the use of float bags. These enable the
kayak to float with the coaming above water level, even after a
full capsize. You can then fully bail out the kayak, making all
rescues much easier.