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Kayaking is fun, however it's less so when you're cold and wet, and unfortunately Irish rivers are always wet and often cold. That doesn't mean that we don't go paddling, instead we wrap up properly with appropriate clothing and warm gear. These should be the first bits of equipment you're looking to get, and here's a guide as to what you need and don't need!

Wetsuit
A Wetsuit is perhaps the single most important piece of gear for a beginner. They will keep you warm on the water on the coldest of days! They are particularly good if there's a chance of swimming as they stay warm even when wet. When buying a wetsuit make sure its a "Long John" Type, i.e. one with no sleeves, as sleeves can restrict your movement when Kayaking.

Cag
A Cag is a plastic top which keeps the water off you. They come in 3 different types, Splash, Semi-dry and Dry. A Splash cag is great for keeping splashes of water off you, but it wont keep water out if you swim. A Dry-Cag is similar, but has seals at the neck and wrists to prevent water from getting in, even in the case of a swim or capsize. The downside to this is that they are very expensive. A Semi dry comes somewhere in between as it's dearer than a Splash cag but still wont keep you dry, making them perhaps the greatest waste of money in kayaking!

For beginners a Splash cag is fine unless you have the cash to burn, in which case go the full distance and get a proper dry cag.

Booties
To protect your feet! The best ones for beginners are relatively cheep neoprene sock type booties. Anyone who has a set will tell you how much they value them! They make getting on and off the river so much more comfortable and protect your feet from all the nasty things which can be found on river banks. As a pleasant side effect they also keep your feet warm. You may see the hard-core creeker-types with big chunky shoes but all a beginner needs is the most basic type.

Thermal wear.
Even with a wetsuit and cag its still nice to have a few more layers of thermals. The best job for these are Penney's Fleeces. They are cheap and warm. Just make sure that whatever you wear on the river is not cotton or jeans as these absorb water and make you cold.

Cap
You can lose a lot of heat through your head, therefore it's a good idea to get some type of cap for keeping it warm (to be worn under your helmet of course). A simple swimming hat can do the job very well, if you want to you can also get warmer ones from paddling shops

Decks
Unlike the Gear above the club does provide decks for your use so its not necessary to buy one. However if you stay at paddling a while they can prove themselves to be very useful. The club decks are made of nylon, but if you do decide to buy one yourself, go for a neoprene one as unlike the nylon ones they won't let any water into your boat. (as long as they are the right size that is). Most the club boats use a "rota 4" size deck.

That's all the gear you'll need for going paddling. The club provides things such as decks, paddles, boats, buoyancy aids and helmets so there's no need to worry about things like them.