When heading out for a paddle on the ocean in a kayak there are some basic safety items you should have on you or within easy reach. Starting toward the bow (bottom of photo) and working back: a compass, bilge pump, rescue stirrup (coiled and clipped to deck bungee), a water bottle, paddle float, cell phone (in waterproof case tethered to deck bungees) spray skirt, waterproof VHF radio (sitting on spray skirt, but carried in lifejacket), lifejacket (Personal Flotation Device) and a spray jacket. The kayak should have bulkheads between the cockpit and fore and aft compartments (accessible via waterproof hatches). A sponge (clipped to aft deck bungees) comes in handy to mop up residual water in the cockpit.
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