There’s an old quote from The Wind in the Willows that says, “There is nothing — absolutely nothing — half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” That’s especially true when you’re in a sea kayak with nowhere in particular to be. While most of us take our kayaks out with a destination in mind, sometimes the best days are the ones where we just play.
Play? In a sea kayak? Absolutely.
Messing around in sea kayaks can be anything from graceful sculling draws to chaotic paddle races, from silent balance games to belly-laughing rescues. Not only is it fun, it’s sneaky skills practice that leaves you a better, more confident paddler without the pressure of classes and drills. Here’s how to bring some play into your next paddle.
Games for Grownups
1. Kayak Cockpit Basketball
A classic. Paddlers sit on their back deck with the cockpit open. Each has a tennis ball. The goal is to toss the tennis ball into another paddlers cockpit without allowing any to get into yours. If you get three balls in your cockpit, you capsize and get back into your boat if you want to continue playing.
2. Balance Challenges
Sit on the back deck of the kayak in water where you can’t touch the bottom, then turn sideways, then turn to face backwards, finally turn back to facing forward. The last person to fall in wins. If you need to, continue to turn in the other direction. This game is great for gaining confidence in your ability to self-rescue.
Another version of a balance game has two paddlers, one on the front deck and one on the back deck facing each other. The paddler on the back deck does a 360 turn similar to the previous game, the paddler on the front deck must make adjustments so that the kayak stays upright. The advanced version is for each paddler to make one turn at a time alternating changing position and balancing. It’s harder than it looks.
3. Relay Races
You can use tennis balls, or two socks with tennis balls in each toe, tied together to make a sac that can be picked up and thrown with a paddle. Each team has either a tennis ball or a sac. One paddler throws the object, another member of the team retrieves it and throws it again. The goal is to paddle to a destination throwing and retrieving the objects.
In some versions of the game, you can also interfere with the other team by throwing their objects back away from the goal or blocking them. Be careful, competitive people can make this game a little cutthroat.
Another version of a relay race is the human baton relay. There are two teams, with paddlers divided between two markers. Each team has a swimmer. The object is to paddle the swimmer across to another member of the team, transfer the swimmer to the next paddler and continue until all paddlers have participated. The first team to finish with the swimmer is the winner.
4. Rescue Rodeo
Each team paddles away from the beach a short distance into deep water. Everyone capsizes. The first team to get all members back to the beach with emptied boats wins.
Turn Practice into Play
You don’t have to play organized games to have fun. Many of us know we should work on our strokes, rescues, or rolls, but it can feel like a chore. Add a spirit of play, and it becomes something else entirely. Go out with friends and try new ways to get back into a kayak. Find obstacles in areas where you paddle and practice maneuvering around them. Play with synchronized paddling maneuvers.
Joy Builds Confidence. When we’re relaxed and laughing, we learn better. Play takes the pressure off. You stop worrying about “doing it wrong” and start experimenting — edging a little further, rolling a little slower, laughing when you flop, and trying again.
Messing around in sea kayaks isn’t just fun — it’s how you build real skill in the real world, where conditions change and things don’t go according to plan. So next time you’re out with a group, set aside some time for games, goofing off, and gentle chaos. It’s all in the name of joy — and better paddling.
Because really, there is nothing half so much worth doing.
Paula Hubbard
CPA Coordinator
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