How do you get help if you get hurt while kayaking alone?
If you get hurt while kayaking alone, your first job is to stay with your boat and stay afloat in your PFD, then get to shore before you try to call. A phone in a waterproof pouch clipped to you can reach 911 or a Guardian once you're safe, but water is where phones fail. The real protection comes before launch: a worn life jacket, clothing for the water temperature, and a float plan with a return time left with someone ashore.
Step by step
01Wear your PFD, always
A life jacket only helps if it's on when you capsize or get hurt. An injured shoulder or a cold-water gasp makes it very hard to put one on in the water. Zip it up before you push off, even on flat water close to shore.
02Leave a float plan
Tell someone ashore where you're launching, your route, where you'll land, what your boat and PFD look like, and when you'll be off the water. Give them a clear time to call for help. Share it as a Holler return time too: if you don't check in five minutes after it, your Guardians get an overdue alert from the server.
03Get to shore or onto your boat first
If you capsize or get hurt, hold onto your kayak, which floats and is easier to spot than a head in the water. Re-enter if you can, or kick toward the nearest shore with the boat. Cold water drains strength fast, so don't spend energy trying to make a call while swimming.
04Call 911 once you're out of the water
Keep your phone in a waterproof pouch attached to your PFD, not loose in the hatch. From shore, call 911 and describe the water the way a boat crew would search it: "I'm a solo kayaker on the east shore of Clear Lake, about a mile north of the Route 12 boat launch, on a small beach below a white house. My boat is yellow and I've hurt my shoulder." Then tap SOS in Holler so Guardians see where you are. Holler never contacts 911 itself.
05Warm up while you wait
Wet and injured on a shoreline is a hypothermia risk even on mild days. The NHS lists shivering, slurred speech, slow breathing and confusion as warning signs. Get out of the wind, swap wet layers for dry ones from a dry bag, and put on a hat. Don't rely on rubbing your limbs to warm up; shelter and dry insulation do more.
Related questions
Does live location work on the water?
Often it does near shore, but coverage on lakes, rivers in canyons and open coast is patchy. When signal drops, updates pause and your Guardians see your last known location. Our page on whether live location works without signal explains more.
What does a good plan look like for a solo evening paddle?
Say you launch at 5 p.m. for a two-hour loop of a reservoir. You leave a float plan with your partner, start a live link, set a 7:30 return time and clip your phone in a pouch to your PFD. A gust flips you near the far shore and you wrench a shoulder. You hold the boat, kick to the beach, call 911 and tap SOS. If you couldn't, the overdue alert at 7:35 would put your last known position on your partner's screen. The trip plan explainer covers what to leave.
Is a phone enough safety gear for solo paddling?
No. Phones and water don't mix, and a phone can be lost in a capsize. A PFD, a whistle, a float plan and dressing for the water temperature come first. On coastal or big-lake trips, a waterproof VHF radio or a personal locator beacon is the right tool: the Coast Guard advises calling on VHF channel 16 in an emergency unless you know you're out of range.
Should I paddle alone in cold water?
Only with the right gear and experience. The National Center for Cold Water Safety describes how cold shock and swimming failure can overwhelm even strong swimmers after a sudden immersion. If the water is cold, dress for immersion, stay close to shore, and practice self-rescue in a safe setting before relying on it.
Can Holler's crash detection tell if I capsize?
No. Crash detection (beta) is built for falls on land, and a phone in a pouch won't reliably register a capsize. A return time set before you launch is the Holler feature that catches a paddle that went wrong.
Go deeper
More questions about this activity
The same question for other activities
Compare your options
Sources, checked September 2026: U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety: Float plan, U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center: Radio information for boaters, National Center for Cold Water Safety, NHS: Hypothermia.
More safety answers, or see the safety guides.