A friend once said, "If you're not polluting and making noise, you're not having fun!" He was joking, but for some 'boaters' that's not far from the truth. Fortunately, most kayakers are a totally different breed of boaters. On the whole, we are a caring group of people that enjoy nature and respect the environment. None the less, we all sometimes need reminders, so here are a few gentle hints of etiquette.

• Ideally your paddling should not alter the behavior of wildlife. Its okay to observe, but give the marine mammals a little space. When landing on a beach, if you scare sea birds off their nests, their young or eggs can quickly be gobbled up by the competition.
• Respect private property rights above high tide and shellfish lease areas below high tide.
• If you are paddling with people less experienced, assume the role as leader in as far as looking out for your group's safety and comfort. This also includes helping others on the beach launching and landing.
• Rules of the road are that the kayak in front of you has the right-of-way. Do not bump into their kayak. Rudders are easily damaged if stuck by a following kayak.
• Do not step over another person's kayak.
• Do not move someone's kayak without asking them first. This rule can be broken if the tide is about to float it away or some other danger is eminent.
• Use your whistle sparingly. It is for safety. Have a group code. Usually one long blast means all stop and help, two short blasts of the whistle means all stop.
• Lastly, practice low-impact environmental paddling. This includes leaving nothing behind, not even banana or orange peels.