As the number of urban kayakers on the Chicago River continues to grow, we join those who have expressed concern about safety issues and urge kayakers, whether renting or owning, to take precautions to avoid injury.

The lack of “rules of the road” for kayakers is leading to some close calls, experts say. Given that kayaks are relatively small in size (12 feet long), kayakers can be knocked about by waves or choppy wakes left by large boats. If a kayak capsizes, it’s not always easy to get back on. And some express concern about the water quality, which may contain disease-causing bacteria, especially from sewage overflows during and after a rainstorm.

Those who kayak at night don’t always have lighting onboard, but they should. And a basic boating course, while not required, should be taken – especially by those who don’t kayak with groups but rent and venture out on the waterways on their own. A good boating course will cover mariner’s rules and offer advice such as how to pass other boats and avoid boater’s blind spots.

The record for safety, at least so far, is good. Only two boating-related deaths have occurred on the Chicago River since 2000, and neither of those involved kayaks. One involved a canoe.

But with the recent announcement that the city will add four boathouses to the Chicago River, the number of kayaks is expected to increase. In 2001, there were a reported 30,000 registered kayaks in Illinois, according to statistics kept by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. That number rose to more than 47,000 in 2010.

Kayaking may be a great way to see the city; it’s good exercise, and it can be fun, but we urge kayakers and owners of the larger boats alike to exercise caution.