Carrying while ocean kayaking

A

adamBomb

New member
I am going to be doing some kayaking in the intercoastal waterway/ocean to get to a few uninhabited islands to explore and enjoy some time with my kids and family. Anyway, this is definitely a time/place I want to be armed. I have a ruger LCP that I will probably take with me due to the size/ease of concealability. I guess my question is, what can I do to protect the gun from all of the elements I will expose it to? While kayaking I do have a dry box that it will go in.
 
I kayak a lot in salt water. I carry a Glock 26 and I keep it in a fanny pack until I am on the water, then turn around and put it in a dry bag, and retrieve it on the last approach to the landing. With an LCP, you might even find a cell phone sized dry bag that would hold it. Some folks have reported some rust problems with LCPs, so you might want to wipe it down when you get it home.

You are going to want a dry bag or two anyway, for your car keys, towels, food, maybe a bird book. They are inexpensive and work very well, better than the "dry" compartments on most kayaks.
 
I have used quality zip lock bags (freezer bags work OK) with h success. Camping dry bags work better, but are more expensive. I never went salt water kayaking though. That's a good reason to have a gun that you don't care about as much. Still keeping it in something mostly waterproof to protect it as best you can, of course.

Also plus one on a lanyard... Or a float box that is brightly colored
 
Tailgator and 5Whiskey have the right answer. Dry bags.

Forget Ziplocks. The concept is good but Ziplocks are the wrong solution.

I've kayak'ed a bunch, space is tight, things get bounced / squeezed a bunch, scratched and pierced or slightly opened. What you need is a dry bag. If you're near an REI, go there and talk to them. You can also find them on Amazon.

For very critical gear (sat phone) we would double-dry bag them. And tie the bag in. The last thing you need to do is to lose the gun for some kid to find it later.

DO NOT BUY THE CHEAP ONES!!
 
Besides the dry bags every one has recommended I would go to a marine place or an Academy sports place and purchase a can of HD Corrosion X and spray the gun with it than wipe off the excess. This stuff penetrates almost to the molecular level it is quite awesome.
 
lanyard kit?

"i'd take a gun with a lanyard loop"

i dont mean to hijack this thread, but does anyone make a lanyard kit, i.e. a grip that includes a solid lanyard ring?
 
Salt is the enemy of steel, so you would need to spray it down with an emulsifying spray (Ballistol) that will counter any salt water moisture. Other gun oils rise above water and moisture and holds moisture against the steel. I'd also keep extra .380 rounds in a freezer Zip-lock bag to protect them from the salty environment. Also, uninhabited islands are under Wildlife & Fisheries jurisdiction. Check them out to see if firearms are allowed in such places that could have protected species.
 
I use a waterproof deck bag that attaches to the hull in front of the cockpit. With my older 3rd Gen Glock, I don't worry about it getting wet. I do like to keep my ammo dry, however, so any spare mags get ziplocked.
The deck bag becomes an over the shoulder bag on land, and is large enough to carry enough survival gear to make an unexpected stay on an unfamiliar shore comfortable.
Always remember that whatever goes in your kayak can be lost to the sea...including you.
If you flub your Eskimo roll and can't do a wet re-entry, having a pistol attached to you won't be much help. You need basic survival gear in your life jacket...fire starting gear, signaling gear, granola bars, tube tent, space blanket, water purification tablets.
 
This may not be a popular method but for me, a Hipoint .45 or 9mm are optimal ocean going options. The guns are cheap so if it falls overboard its not like losing a primary weapon. I have cleaned them by rinsing them in warm water to remove any salt build up, spraying the internals with brake clean to dry, then apply a good gun oil. Hi point also warranties just about any problem.
Just my thoughts. Oh, and in Florida we can open carry while "fishing".
 
Thanks all. I have a pelican case so I guess that is probably what I will use while I am kayaking. Then once I get there I need to figure out how to really carry it. I feel like the air is just going to destroy that gun. Maybe I should just take my glock 26.
 
I carry mine in a dry bag tucked between my feet. I have a lanyard tyed to the bag for easy access. It does require a little effort to retrieve but it is safe from the elements and makes it hard to loose (bag floats).
 
I agree with amd6547.
Glock + kydex holster + a lanyard.

Hose it down with some fresh water at the end of the day + some oil.
 
Not quite the same situation, however...

I was whitewater paddling with a group on the Lower Gauley WV and we stopped to take a break after a difficult rapid. One guy popped his skirt and I noticed something under the deck. He had somehow fastened a holster to the plastic and was carrying a 357 under there.:cool:

This was before I knew anything about guns in general and some of us were questioning the purpose of carrying a gun on a highly commercialized whitewater river. There have been times where a gun would have been a good idea while out on some remote stream in WV, but this was a little odd.
 
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