With kayak season starting, officials offer safety tips on staying afloat

May 16—With the weather finally warming up and summer just around the corner, Crawford County residents might be feeling the desire to go kayaking on the waters of French Creek or other local streams.

However, while this summer time activity can certainly be fun and enjoyable, it also comes with it a number of risks and safety hazards not everyone considers before taking up the hobby, and an inexperienced kayaker can find themselves facing situations they're not prepared for.

"Since kayaking has become so big and popular in the last five to 10 years, everyone thinks they're professionals when they're not," said Jason Hudson, chief of the Crawford County Scuba Team.

Hudson said his team often gets called out to perform kayak rescues after residents try to go out on the water when it's too fast or deep. Even if a day is sunny or clear, rainy on previous days can leave a water stream risky to kayak on for days afterward.

"I always say the first thing is not to make your decision by the sunshine," said Brenda Costa, executive director of the French Creek Valley Conservancy. "Make your decision by if the conditions are right."

Costa said there are websites, including the National Weather Service, that track water levels on French Creek. Knowing how deep the water is at present time can be an important factor when deciding whether to go kayaking.

"We don't like to give an official range of when it's safe or not safe to be on the water, but my personal rule of thumb is I try to stay off French Creek if the Meadville gauge reads higher than 5 feet," Costa said.

Although 5 feet may not sound like much, Costa said when water levels are higher, this also means the current is faster. This can lead to someone finding themselves quickly caught up in a strainer — a water condition when fallen trees or other debris land in a stream — or other hazards.

"Stay away from strainers if at all possible," Hudson warned, "because they'll suck a person in quick and you'll be in trouble."

Even swimming can be much more challenging when the water is moving faster.

For those interested in kayaking but worried about getting in over their head, there are options for an easier start. The Meadville Area Recreation Complex (MARC) periodically offers kayaking lessons held at the complex's indoor pool.

Bill Pendergraft, aquatic director at the MARC, said the sessions go over necessary equipment, the different kinds of boats and paddles, basic strokes and even what to do when a kayak capsizes. That final lesson is necessary, Pendergraft said, so "people don't have that fear" when it happens out in the wild.

There are also easier places to practice out in nature before tackling more difficult bodies of water. Costa said Woodcock Creek Lake is a "really easy place to get in and out of the water." She also recommended Sugar Creek, as well as anywhere with relatively flat water levels for first-time kayakers.

On the other hand, there are streams that are definitely harder than most and should be reserved for more experienced kayakers. Costa said there is a section of French Creek that runs under a bridge on Route 6 near Hill Road that is known to have a number of downed trees around it, creating a concentration of strainers.

"It's really important that people know how to navigate through that area," she said.

Another section is deceptive in its difficulty. Up near Cambridge Springs, there is a boat launch on Miller Station Road which is around three miles from the next launch as the crow flies. However, Costa said that stretch of water has many turns and bends, winding back and forth and significantly lengthening the distance on the water to around nine miles.

"People underestimate how far the distance is," Costa said.

There are also some basic safety tips everyone should follow when kayaking, whether they be new or experienced to the hobby.

"Develop a float plan," Pendergraft said. "Take a buddy and share that float plan with somebody that's staying on land so they can track you and know where you're going to be, because you never know what's going to happen."

A float plan, Pendergraft explained, is a plan of when and where kayakers will be going out on the water, as well as an analysis of the water conditions in the area.

"It's all proper planning," he said.

Costa recommended people check out the areas they want to kayak on from land first before going out on the water. During the first few kayak trips in spring, there might be new strainers or water hazards created from over the winter that people should familiarize themselves with beforehand.

"French Creek is a dynamic river and it's always changing all the time," she said.

Hudson gave perhaps the simplest piece of advice to summarize, but also one of the most important.

"Wear a life vest," he said. "Even the experienced need to wear a life vest."

Still, even with all the safety considerations, kayaking can be a lot of fun and a fulfilling practice, with a lot of available resources for those wanting to try it. The MARC has rentable kayaks at $25 a day, and French Creek Valley Conservancy has water trail maps available both at their office and at their website, frenchcreekconservancy.org.

For anyone interested in taking a kayaking class at the MARC, Pendergraft said they should keep an eye on the MARC's Facebook page or website, marc4fun.com, for when the classes are scheduled. Four such classes have already been held this year, and Pendergraft said the MARC will be looking to schedule a few more in the near future.

Sean P. Ray can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at .