When I am kayak fishing in freshwater or saltwater, I tend to rest my paddle on my lap when I am re-rigging, changing presentations, casting, or fighting a fish. I have never lost my paddle! Why?
There are some fancy kayak paddle lanyards on the market. But, I trust my paddle with one of my custom DIY lanyards. I secure one end of my lanyard to my P.F.D. via carabiner and the other end of the lanyard to my paddle using a simple loop made from two zip lock ties and a 5″ segment of vinyl tubing. This loop is will not corrode. You can leave the zip ties exposed or cover them with black electrical tape.
Paddles are expensive. Lanyards (DIY or commercial) are inexpensive. Paddling back to the access ramp while your friend “hand paddles”, priceless! 😉
