You will no doubt witness other kayakers in the group who seem to pack an inordinate amount of kit...

Be safe in the knowledge that anything that is likely to be needed for just about any situation whilst on the water will be carried by someone. 

With experience you will come to realise there are little additions to your kit which, if nothing else, make your paddles more comfortable. A packet of sweets. A flask of tea. A container of pasta. Perhaps even a fork to eat it with. The day will probably dawn when you decide it's time to splash out and start buying your own kit. Certainly early on, be wary of falling into the trap of buying kit because you may have seen someone else with it. A £400 carbon paddle is all very nice but do you really need to buy one in October when you're only going to look lovingly at it in the corner of the spare bedroom until March when you next go paddling? That is not to say you can't paddle during the winter months, but you get my drift.

Is there any point in buying a tow line if you don't know how to use it? Buoyancy aids for kayaking have higher backs to allow for sitting in the kayak. Do you need a spare paddle? Probably not. Usually someone in the group will have one. In a group of eight paddlers, does everyone need a first aid kit? Probably not. Common sense should prevail. 

As your skills improve and you perhaps start kayaking further afield, more on your kit list will go from 'might come in handy', 'to should have', to 'essential'. 

The list of kit shown here is typically what I wear and take with me. Of course this is sea conditions, trip duration and weather dependant. 

Roger Simmons