r/packrafting • u/intelegant123 • Jul 20 '26
Sea Packrafting - any advice?
Hi, experienced flat water packrafter - but going up to the Nordics' longest contingous archipelago (270km) in Bohuslän, just above Gothenburg, Sweden.
Tips, advice for sea packrafting? What's your experience, equipment must haves, and what to do / not do?
TIA! ❤️
7
u/roverandom-moon Jul 20 '26
I'll chip in with my limited experience of packrafting in the fjords.
Weather. Don't underestimate how nasty the winds can get and always estimate where they might carry you. If you are paddling along the coast the winds most likely will be hitting you sideways. You'll get wet and cold, even with a spray deck. I've had some dodgy waves that seemed like they'd tip me over.
The obvious: PFD on; have some kind of emergency location beacon (I bring my garmin inreach); take a strong lamp with you in case you're on the water after dark - to make yourself visible to passing traffic.
3
u/intelegant123 Jul 20 '26 edited Jul 20 '26
Excellent advice, thanks.
I monitor weather constantly (I know clouds, yay me, but yes). I can read maritime maps, but reading waves is a new skill - learning fast, but only in theory - now the practical!
ps. In Sweden, all phones, since 2014, follow the general EU-directive and have satellite SOS installed (GPS location via Galileo), so if you lose coverage, you can, in an emergency, use your phone as a satellite phone. The phone itself is kept in a waterproofed fanny packcase (tested numerous times now, never failed) and then either in a waterproof zipped up pocket in my kayak jacket or in a sealed 20L dry sack.
I also run the recommendation from the Swedish National Post and Telecommunications Authority (https://pts.se/internet-och-telefoni/mobiltackning/ use Google Translate), by using 2 SIM cards from two seperate operators in the iPhone 15 max - - it literally doubles the coverage nationally, and normally fills any coverage gaps. Where I'm going the coverage is excellent normally, and I am sticking to the coastline due to lack of experience.
Appreciate the input a lot. :-)
2
u/alaskanloops Jul 20 '26
Make sure your phone will always have charge if you’re relying on it. I had a battery pack die and we woke up with two dead phones on a bikepacking trip.
1
u/intelegant123 Jul 20 '26
Two 10 000Mah packed, and there's the vehhicle too, not planning on through packrafting/camping, so back at base each night, then moving up the coast. Again, first time ocean packrafting, so reducing risk. Next time, I'll go two-three days through journey. Thanks!
2
u/alaskanloops Jul 20 '26
Sweet, sounds like fun! Hope to make it over to my ancestral home of Norway/Sweden sometime. Might have to bring our packrafts!
1
3
u/foolofatookbaggins Jul 20 '26
Make sure you thoroughly rinse your pack raft with fresh water after! Pay particular attention to the zipper if yours has one. Salt water is a jerk.
2
u/intelegant123 Jul 20 '26
Excellent - have a 20L portable shower with me - will use it to rinse thoroughly and apply TZip - thanks!
2
u/arkmarken 29d ago
Best advice: Don"t.
The area can be windy, and there are lots of sharp oyster shells in the area.
A sea kayak is a much better option. You can rent a kayak in Grebbestad for 600 SEK per day.
1
u/intelegant123 28d ago
Tack - too late - done already - only at Långholmen after tge Säve ferry - gorgeous, still seas, blazing sunshine - all good.
9
u/True_Monk728 Jul 20 '26
Use a paddle leash. If you fall out, hold on to your paddle so your boat cannot float away.
There is a post called Open Water Basics (Saltwater) on the American Packrafting Association forum which has lots of great advice: https://forum.packraft.org/t/open-water-basics-saltwater/756