I figured out how to dive from my kayak this summer. It’s been really fun with lots of advantages including:
- Less swimming effort for shore dives
- Lower emissions than diving from a boat
- Some locations are easier for me to access via kayak
- Less drama / hassle than a boat
At first I tried towing my kayak to the water with my tank onboard. The C-Tug SandTrakz Cart Kayak Trolley is great but not designed to carry so much weight. Even without the tank I have broken one of the straps. I now carry my tank and BCD while towing the kayak with everything else onboard including my weights.
The other thing I find very useful is these stainless steel D-Eye Swivel Snap Hooks. The anchor, wheels and camera all get clipped on so nothing falls off. Even though I have clips for my paddle I tie it on as I really dont want my paddle gone when I resurface.
I found putting the BCD on in the kayak too hard so I just do that in the water, it has its own little rope & clip so it does not float away. I also 3D printed a fitting to get a little dive flag going but it should be bigger.
I love having more gear closer when shore diving, including my phone, dry keys and something warm to eat as soon as I get out of the water :D. I’m sure my set up will evolve over time (I need a slightly heavier anchor for soft substrates) but I’m really happy with this and plan to do lots more.
Extra photos by Kirk Tucker
Update August 2024
With the C-Tug Double Up Bar (four wheels!) I can now take everything down to the beach in one trip. I’m not quite strong enough to get it back up the steepest bit of sand in one trip and I take the dive tank back up separately.