During the 3-4 hours Basic Safety Training course that we demand of all our self-supported expedition visitors who are not proficient with deep water sea kayaking rescue skills, menuvering techniques, sea safety, bracing or navigation and to everyone ordering the course we teach tips and tricks for so called handrail navigation, a great way to find your way in the archipelago.

Safety in the archipelago

Although the archipelago is mostly well sheltered from the highest wind-speeds and from big waves, these do occour, and we do not rent equipment for unguided tours to people not competent with kayak rescues and manouvering techniques. The water temperature vary very much (read more above), and during spring and fall, it is essential to be well protected while on the water for safety reasons (we do have dry-suits for rent).

In our area, there are no poisonous or otherwise dangerous sea animals. On some of the islands, vipers  (vipera berus)  which is Europe's most common poisonous snake, can be found. Bites from these are very rare, but could be dangerous and a doctor should always be contacted immediately if bitten by one (the last fatal snake bite in Finland happened in 1998, but it is worth being careful).Vipers are very frightened of people, and as long as you do your presence known and avoid the only places between stones where they can hide, it is very rare to see them. Ticks, possibly bearing borrelia and tick-born encephalitis, are found on some but not all islands; avoiding walking in high, especielly wetland grass, and/or checking your body for these in the evenings is recommendable. This said, the Finnish nature is the safest or one of the safest countries in the world also from the aspect of dangers in nature.