Addendum:

1. Make sure the anchor is tied to the rope. CHECK IT NOT ONCE, BUT THREE TIMES. Nothing is more humiliating than trying to run down a wayward kayak on a soft bottomed flat.

2. Don't hop in when a wave is about to reach you. YOU WILL FLIP. That bucket of blue crabs you purchased in hopes of catching your first tarpon will go in with you, releasing said crabs to safety. When you manage to right yourself, the kayak, and your gear, do not look back onto shore. That lady you passed on the beach chair has been watching the entire time. She has a mortified look on her face. Her concern grows as you paddle off towards the deeper water...