Part of being on the water in Door County is being out in the sun. Most of us have probably had far too much sun exposure and do not need it anymore. I am on the beautiful waters of Door County many days a year and see the barely dressed people like me who take protection from the sun seriously.
For me, whether out in my fishing boat or one of my kayaks chasing smallmouth bass or just enjoying a pleasant paddle on the lake, I am protected from the sun. Starting from top to bottom, I always wear a hat with a brim, polarized sunglasses, and a gaiter to protect my ears, neck, and part of my face. I wear a good sunscreen of at least 50 SPF on any exposed areas, including areas of my face not covered by the gaiter. I wear sun gloves, long sleeve fishing shirts, and pants that have UPF protection built in. Even with the pants and water shoes, don’t forget to put sunscreen on your ankles and the tops of your feet if not covered.
Also, being on the water as much as I am, I know first-hand how busy our beautiful Door County waters are with watercraft of all types, including plenty of kayakers. With the kayaks having such a low profile, they are sometimes hard to see. Often pleasure boaters have several people in the boat talking, laughing, and probably not always looking for or able to see small watercraft like kayaks. For this reason, I have liked having fishing and recreational kayaks that are brightly colored. I like bright orange, lime green or chartreuse, white, red, etc. Those darker greens, grays, and browns tend to blend into the water and are much less visible. I have also begun wearing a PFD in blaze orange to give me added visibility.
A good thing is that many of the recreational kayak paddles come with yellow, orange, or white blades that can be seen from quite a distance. If you are out early or late with low light, I might suggest some sort of light. There are products that come on a thin pole with a battery-operated light on top that attaches to the track systems most kayaks come with. As always, when on the big waters of Green Bay or Lake Michigan, be as safe as possible and take sun protection seriously!
If you have any questions about kayak fishing or kayaking in general, please email me at kayakfishingwisconsin@gmail.com
