Tandem kayaking: A fun way to strengthen family bonds

Family kayaking can foster bonding and strengthen relationships, as well as teach water safety, nature appreciation, and healthy body exercise. Not too mention, it’s fun!

Dive into the adventure of tandem kayaking with some helpful tips & tricks for paddling families, and see a visual journey of our experience over the weekend…

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Safety tips to keep in mind

To ensure that kayaking is a thoroughly enjoyable, safe, and enriching experience for everyone in the family, follow safety guidelines for recreational kayaking.

Always ensure that the children wear well-fitted, Coast Guard-approved life jackets at all times on the water, and verify the weight rating on the life jackets to ensure they are appropriate for your child's size (when in doubt – rent the kayak and the life jacket. They’ll help you!). We also always fasten a whistle to our life jackets (PFD’s).

Supervision is absolutely vital. Never let children kayak alone. Teach them to hold the paddle correctly and how to behave in case of a capsizing situation. It can be really beneficial to enroll them in a basic kayaking safety course before setting off on an adventure (and expert swimming classes).

“Never take a child on the water unless you are well experienced—or you have an experienced paddler with you.”

— REI.com Paddling Experts

Check the weather before you paddle, and remember, Pacific Northwest conditions (and beyond our region, of course) can change on a dime. Know your routes, skill level, and what to do in the event of an emergency. Understand what you’re getting into before you go!

Wearing the appropriate clothing for the kayaking season is also imperative.

“Rarely will you find a better craft for getting your kids out on the water than the recreational kayak.”

— Eugene Buchanan, former publisher of Paddler Magazine

It’s best to introduce children to kayaking in calmer, shallower waters. For the first couple of outings, keep the journey relatively short – we limited our time out an hour. Many kayak rental shops rent in 1-hour or 2-hour time blocks, so that often works out nicely.

Lastly, make sure your own kayak is well-maintained and appropriately sized for you and your child – when in doubt, rent a tandem kayak first. We love utilizing the expertise of our local paddling businesses.

Get more expert tips on safely paddling with kids.

Paddling tips for tandem kayakers

Mastering the art of tandem kayaking requires effective communication and coordinated effort. The paddler in the front sets the pace while the one in the back steers. Therefore, syncing your strokes is crucial for smooth navigation.

Regular verbal communication helps maintain this rhythm and alerts the other if you're stopping or changing direction. Keep it fun! The "high-low" paddling technique, where the back paddler keeps their paddle high and front paddler keeps theirs low, can help avoid clashing paddles (and keep frustrations low).

Remember, patience and practice are key, especially when kayaking with younger or less experienced family members. Keep the mood light and fun to help foster a love for recreational kayaking for your children from a young age.

Before you hit the water, a dry run on land can help everyone get comfortable with their positions and basic strokes. There are numerous resources offering practical tips and video tutorials for tandem kayaking, such as Paddle TV on YouTube and the American Canoe Association, so you could also watch a few YouTube videos before kayaking too.

Our family tandem kayaking journey

For our tandem family kayak outing last weekend, we rented two double kayaks from Alder Creek (also known as “Ridgefield Kayak Rentals”) in Ridgefield, Washington.

I’ve paddled this route along Lake River through the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge a dozen times, and felt really comfortable leading my family out on a sunny, summer day paddle. We had adults in the back of both boats, and the children in the front (one is 7 years old, and one child is 11).

I also liked that this Alder Creek location offers on-water rentals, so it was easy to put our boats in (no carrying/transporting).

Additionally, I chose this particular Washington calm water kayaking route because of the increased chances to spot Pacific Northwest wildlife from the water – something I knew that the kids would enjoy and keep them engaged.

(Another planning tip: a lot of kids, like mine, want a swimming opportunity. So a flat water paddle to a sandy beach can be a fun idea too – or having a picnic halfway through the kayak trip, because what kiddo doesn’t love snacks in the Great Outdoors).

We had a wonderful time paddling together as a family. During our one-hour excursion, we spotted osprey and tons of swallows, kayaked alongside many fellow paddlers on the beautiful tree-lined Lake River, and admired the lovely floating homes (while daydreaming about owning one, one day). We were very glad we brought hats, sunglasses, sunscreen, and plenty of water, as the temperatures rose that afternoon too.

All in all, we look forward to continued kayaking adventures together!

Explore more great kayaking resources:

Check out more favorite kayaking destinations in the Pacific Northwest.

5 best tips to see majestic bald eagles while kayaking in the Pacific Northwest.

PNW paddling and common animal sightings.

How to plan a river clean-up.

Discover how to find the best deal on a new or used kayak.