I know I'm overthinking this and it's driving me nuts.  I'm running a VX-8DR so water isn't an issue, it's carrying it.

How do you carry your HT while kayaking?  Currently, I have a GPS pouch lashed to the back of my seat with the mic running up to where I can reach it.  While functional, I fully realize that if I flip and lose the kayak, I'm screwed.

My lifevest is a great vest for kayaking but there's no good place to put it.  The only connection point puts it right in my face while paddling so that's won't work.  There's got to be a simple solution but I'm completely missing it.

73

While I don't have an answer, I'd be interested in seeing what kind of replies you get.

What type of kayak? What type of water?

A couple of years ago I bought a Jackson Kilroy fishing kayak, with the intention of doing ham radio while onboard (HF, VHF, and UHF, both voice and cw and maybe even APRS as well) - not an HT, but rather thinking more like a Yaesu FT-817ND or similar, actually mounted to the boat, along with some kind of mobile vertical antenna system. My plan was to use it while paddling on a local flat-water river and on the lake that it feeds into.

Due to health issues I have not yet put the thing into the water, nor have I yet outfitted it for ham radio - but maybe this will be the year for that...

Depending on your kayak I know I have seen some of them have spots for RAM mounts which you could then put a radio holder.  I don't have a kayak but also thought about this as well as I want to get kayaks.

Just an HT?

In a closed ziplock bag, and inside the dry bag between my feet in the hull.  I only take it our and use it if I'm stopped or on land.

I used to always wear a fanny pack while canoeing. Kept my phone in a ziplock bag along with my wallet and car keys. Kept the things I could not afford to lose when the gf flips the boat over in the rapids.

Maybe take a cue from pilots and make up a little pouch with straps and attach it to your thigh or calf.  There are some chest pouches made for HTs that put them at an angle to get the antenna out of your face, but would still probably be in the way for paddling... unless you need to talk on the radio while in motion, in which case that would probably be the best solution.

I have a 12', sit-in kayak and my intention is to have the radio available for use while paddling.  Since the VX-8 is waterproof, I'm not worried about dunking it and sealing it in a bag defeats its purpose.

I had looked at mounting it to the shoulder strap but it gets in the way.  I hadn't thought about a leg strap which may work but I'll need to get on the water and try it to see how effective that may be.

Another option is to use a short, stubby antenna on the water but carry a longer antenna if I need to reach out to a repeater.

chest pouch at an angle?

like this: