Q: I’m nervous about my kayak flipping over. Would you suggest outriggers? LIAM WALL, BY EMAIL

GR says: It’s true that outriggers work like a bike’s stabilisers and keep your kayak from flipping on you, and they do seem to be quite effective.

My issue with them would be, supposing you do get conditions that manage to flip your kayak with outriggers on it, then the very same stabilisers are going to make righting the kayak next to impossible to get back on to it.

Far better, in my opinion, would be to learn how to self-rescue to the point where you could do it in your sleep. The confidence this gives you will mean that you don’t need the outriggers.