Kayaking and Cameras

[prairie_pal]

Having never set foot in a kayak before I've been doing much investigating; web searches and going out to the sports shops.
There are 3 main reasons I want to take up kayaking

• for cardio and trying something new, and I like being on water
• I live near a number of lakes and streams
• A new perspective for photography

Does anyone else paddle and photograph together? What gear do you have for dry storage of cameras and easy access while in the cockpit?
What type and size kayak are you using?
How do you find photographing from a kayak for ease and effectiveness?
I'm not into shooting birds at all, I'm mainly looking for a different angle for landscapes. I don't expect to be using it for over night trips but I want storage space for a day's food and water and camera gear.

 

[Tim Kahn]

I can only offer my perspective as a whitewater kayaker, but I currently use a Watershed Ocoee. It fits my D300s and 18-200 lens with room for some food and whatever stuff like extra batteries and other lenses if I really feel like it. Watershed closes differently than a typical roll-top drybag and I have seen these bags take a serious beating. I prefer it over a Pelican box (which I used to use) because my boats are kind of small and it is more flexible with where it can go in the boat (usually it is clipped into the boat in my cockpit between my legs). If the water is flat I can get it out of my boat without getting out, for example:

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I carry a packtowel to dry my hands and face (probably not needed with flatwater).
Keep a lens pen and silica pack or two in there as well. Watershed also offers a padded "frame" accessory for extra padding of things like cameras.

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Happy paddling!

 

[PokornyB]

Well, it all depends on what kind of water you intend to go to.
I have gone kayaking several times and always carried cameras with me, both video and still (FM2n, F100, D7000). I had no prior experience, and it wasn't necessary, as it was on a relatively slow moving river where there was no danger of unintentional flipping and where you could always choose between taking it easy and making your heart pump by picking up the pace. Great exercise, beautiful scenery. Fantastic. It was a rental kayak, so one of those small things on which you sit and get wet no matter how careful you are - something like this:
http://www.buycheapkayaks.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/31LdWPVmCBL._AA300_4.jpg
One camera was always around my neck, with strap shortened enough that the camera was just under my chin so it couldn't dangle much. The other camera was in my backpack, in a ziplock bag, which never proved necessary though I wasn't going to risk anything.
Did cameras get wet? Yes, but not much as the only way it could happen was from water dripping from the side of the paddle that was up at the moment. It doesn't sound as much, and it wasn't, but still water was there all the time. The only time I was concerned was when I was loading film in F100, because I was all wet and kayak is not very stable.

 

[rpracing]

Have a pelican style waterproof case I strap to the front deck.

 

[Taurahe]

I fish from a kayak and use a Nikon coolpix AW 100, Its a point and shoot but it is waterproof to 30 feet or so and its easy to stuff in a storage pouch I tie it to my kayak with some parachute cord and away i go.

 

[7006]

I would suggest any shockproof waterproof camera or a GoPro.
http://gopro.com/
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...proof+digital+camera&sprefix=waterpro,aps,543