Getting in and out of a sea kayak no matter what the shoreline looks like
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This video will show you how to get in and out of your kayak smoothly and securely no matter what the beach is like. Or even if there is no beach. Maybe you need to get off on a rocky shoreline, or when the waves that are making it more difficult.
A lot of people struggle with this. Especially after a few hours of paddling.
By the way if you find that you have a hard time getting out of your kayak because you feel cramped, make sure you are moving your legs and pelvis naturally as you paddle. If you are not sure you’re doing this, I made a video to show you how. You will find a link to it in the description below this video.
There is more than one way to get into a kayak, but I want to show you one method that works well with many different shorelines and conditions. So you can quickly master this and look like a pro no matter where you paddle.
And save yourself the risk of embarrassment.
Some of the techniques that you will see kayakers use will work fine on one type of beach. Like getting in while the kayak is on the beach works fine on a nice sandy beach, or if you don’t care about damaging your kayak.
Starting with your legs on each side of the kayak may work fine on a calm day, but when there are waves it can get a little awkward.
Or if you have to make an emergency landing where there is no beach. And maybe there’s just a rock on one side that you can step on.
If you choose to get in on one side, you can use the paddle as an outrigger. To give you stability. And most people recommend that you place the paddle right on the bottom so you get lots of support.
A few problems with that. If you have a nice paddle you may not want to risk scratching it.
And if there are waves, you will find it awkward to have the paddle on the bottom while the kayak is going up and down the wave.
One more consideration is putting too much strain on your shoulders. So avoid having to do a push up with your arms behind you.
You might be ok with this but why risk an injury.
With the method you’re about to learn, you will find it works well in most conditions. And I’ll show you how to practice it so it’s quick and easy to learn.
You’ll be looking like a pro in no time. Even if your kayak is tippy.
Here’s how to do it.
Step one:
You want to hold the paddle in place so that it doesn’t slide off the kayak.
It still works if the paddle slides into the water, but it doesn’t look as graceful.
I like to hold the paddle by wrapping my fingers on the perimeter line behind the cockpit coaming. And place the palm of my hand on top of the paddle to hold it firmly against the kayak.
Make sure you don’t get your fingers squished under the paddle.
If you are getting in on the left side, you start with facing the back of your kayak, and holding the paddle with your left hand.
Step two:
You turn around and place your right hand on the coaming on the other side.
Step three:
Now you simply sit on the edge of the coaming, and put your right leg in first, and then your left leg.
Since both your hands are near the edge of the kayak it’s easy to control your balance.
What you will want to practice is rocking your weight while keeping the paddle in the water.
You want to avoid the paddle going too deep. And ofcourse it won’t give you much support if it comes out of the water.
I think you will find that with a bit of practice, you have a lot of control, and you feel very stable.
I like to start backwards but it will work fine with the kayak either facing away from the beach or towards it.
To get out you do the reverse. I like to use my leg to help push myself up a bit. Just to reduce the load on my arms and shoulders.
You may not have to lift yourself all the way up to sit on the coaming. But you do want to be high enough to make it easy to get out of the kayak.
If your bum is below the water line, it could be hard to stand up.
One variation that you may want to practice is getting out while the kayak is still moving a bit. And even when getting in you can give the kayak a gentle push to get some movement away from the beach.
That momentum will give the paddle some extra support and make it easier to avoid a sinking paddle that could lead to an embarrassing swim.
As you practice this technique you will find that you quickly develop a much better sense of how to use your paddle to stabilize your kayak.
You feel more in control.
And now you can be more relaxed as you explore new wild places.
You know that you have more options for where you can get out of your kayak if you need to.
Sometimes you just need to make an emergency stop along a rocky shoreline before you get to your destination.
Now you have the confidence that you’ll be able to do it gracefully.