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Subject: Best way to get out of my kayak gracefully? Author: Mel [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] Date Posted: 00:41:12 05/30/04 Sun I have just gotten a Pamlico 160T tandem with a large open cockpit and made my first voyage with my enthusiastic husband. I am a large size person and at the end of the paddle, we tried several methods of getting me out of the boat but nothing short of dumping me in the water and scraping my knee up through my pants leg. I loved paddling, so I am looking for suggestions on how to get out gracefully and safely. It is just difficult to throw my legs over the side and try to stand up even if my husband is standing on the opposite trying to hold the boat in place. We are thinking about getting a couple of ski poles (or making some out of pvc with a t joint on top) to try to get some traction. Any other bright ideas? Thanks! [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

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[> Subject: Re: Best way to get out of my kayak gracefully? Author: Ratty [Edit] Date Posted: 21:21:19 05/30/04 Sun >I have just gotten a Pamlico 160T tandem with a large >open cockpit and made my first voyage with my >enthusiastic husband. I am a large size person and at >the end of the paddle, we tried several methods of >getting me out of the boat but nothing short of >dumping me in the water and scraping my knee up >through my pants leg. I loved paddling, so I am >looking for suggestions on how to get out gracefully >and safely. It is just difficult to throw my legs >over the side and try to stand up even if my husband >is standing on the opposite trying to hold the boat in >place. We are thinking about getting a couple of ski >poles (or making some out of pvc with a t joint on >top) to try to get some traction. Any other bright >ideas? >Thanks! A couple of things work for me. I decided long ago that landing bow-first on an incline only complicated the problem of getting out of my kayak. I hate working against gravity! So I will beach stern-first and let gravity work for me. Grabbing the coaming in front of you, leaning forward and throwing your leg out of the kayak, placing most of your weight on that leg ASAP while kneeling on the other leg sometimes works best for me. Having someone straddle one end of the kayak while you climb out will stabilize things a bit. Some of the macho guys in my group think it's a big help to grab the bow of my kayak and pull it WAY the heck out of the water, so I'm looking uphill. (It's anything BUT helpful.) If they want to grab an end, have them grab the stern and hoist away! You can then kind of ROLL forward, get one leg out, and stand up. Laughing helps a lot, too, especially when you've drawn a crowd. NOTE: There is NO way to get out of your kayak gracefully, so just forget all about that! People who can get out of kayaks effortlessly are droids. [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> [> Subject: Re: Best way to get out of my kayak gracefully? Author: Kim (interested) [Edit] Date Posted: 22:46:14 06/12/09 Fri watch this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7vRwSyV1v4 on you-tube - it will show you exactly how to get in and out of a kayak onto a dock: then look at the docks made specifically for kayaks at www.accudock.com.>>I have just gotten a Pamlico 160T tandem with a large >>open cockpit and made my first voyage with my >>enthusiastic husband. I am a large size person and at >>the end of the paddle, we tried several methods of >>getting me out of the boat but nothing short of >>dumping me in the water and scraping my knee up >>through my pants leg. I loved paddling, so I am >>looking for suggestions on how to get out gracefully >>and safely. It is just difficult to throw my legs >>over the side and try to stand up even if my husband >>is standing on the opposite trying to hold the boat in >>place. We are thinking about getting a couple of ski >>poles (or making some out of pvc with a t joint on >>top) to try to get some traction. Any other bright >>ideas? >>Thanks! > >A couple of things work for me. I decided long ago >that landing bow-first on an incline only complicated >the problem of getting out of my kayak. I hate >working against gravity! So I will beach stern-first >and let gravity work for me. Grabbing the coaming in >front of you, leaning forward and throwing your leg >out of the kayak, placing most of your weight on that >leg ASAP while kneeling on the other leg sometimes >works best for me. Having someone straddle one end of >the kayak while you climb out will stabilize things a >bit. Some of the macho guys in my group think it's a >big help to grab the bow of my kayak and pull it WAY >the heck out of the water, so I'm looking uphill. >(It's anything BUT helpful.) If they want to grab an >end, have them grab the stern and hoist away! You can >then kind of ROLL forward, get one leg out, and stand >up. Laughing helps a lot, too, especially when you've >drawn a crowd. NOTE: There is NO way to get out of >your kayak gracefully, so just forget all about that! >People who can get out of kayaks effortlessly are >droids. [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> Subject: Re: Best way to get out of my kayak gracefully? Author: Nighthawk175 [Edit] Date Posted: 13:24:45 06/02/04 Wed If you have a nice shore you can just paddle up on, I like to back up onto the shore as solidly as I can and do the following. Undo the skirt. Place paddle on the deck behind you, extended out like an outrigger and holding the shorter end of the shaft against the back of the cockpit coaming lip by reaching behind you. The extended paddle should be placed with the curve facing up and blade flat. Nice and easy, leaning a bit towards the paddle side, push yourself up out of the cockpit and sit on the rear deck. Bring one leg at a time, first the one on the paddle side, out and put them along side the boat. Then stand up. If you have to parallel a shore or a dock, you rest the paddle on the dock or shore as above. But depending on the water depth you may not be able to put your water side foot over the side and stand up. In that case you do your best to get the land or dock side foot planted and stand up with your other foot still in the boat. This is harder by a lot than just rafting up onto the shore. None of this is particularly easy for anyone that is larger than average and only gets harder after you are weary from paddling for an afternoon. You do get better at it as you go. The biggest tip I can tell you is do each step, nice and easy, feel your balance. Any time I rush, I do a good impression of a shark attack and get wet. [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> Subject: Re: Best way to get out of my kayak gracefully? Author: k.c. dillon [Edit] Date Posted: 23:27:19 06/15/04 Tue i can relate. i'm a very big gal myself. i have 2 or 3 methods. i agree, don't work against gravity with your bow up. my favorite way is to push up, get my butt on deck behind the seat, swing a leg over to the shore side, and walk out. next favorite way is to flip around facing the stern, push up on back deck with my hands, and get out still facing the stern. another way if i'm beached is ---if dismounting to the RT--- to swing my LT leg over my RT and lean the kayak down til my LT foot hits the ground. it's kind of a pivot on the RT knee and i'm standing. i made some of these up from yoga poses! but seriously- - - if people don't like what they're looking at after my joyful day on the water, they can darned well look elsewhere! good luck & happy paddling kcd [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> [> Subject: Re: Best way to get out of my kayak gracefully? Author: Ratty [Edit] Date Posted: 21:28:31 07/03/04 Sat >i can relate. i'm a very big gal myself. i have 2 or >3 methods. i agree, don't work against gravity with >your bow up. > >my favorite way is to push up, get my butt on deck >behind the seat, swing a leg over to the shore side, >and walk out. > >next favorite way is to flip around facing the stern, >push up on back deck with my hands, and get out still >facing the stern. > >another way if i'm beached is ---if dismounting to the >RT--- to swing my LT leg over my RT and lean the kayak >down til my LT foot hits the ground. it's kind of a >pivot on the RT knee and i'm standing. > >i made some of these up from yoga poses! but >seriously- - - if people don't like what they're >looking at after my joyful day on the water, they can >darned well look elsewhere! > >good luck & happy paddling > >kcd KC, I do like your style (and your attitude!) Not sure I could imitate your exit moves, but I agree that if people don't think your exit is scenic and graceful enough, that's just tough. It's funny how many people congregate to see how a kayaker gets out of a kayak. I feel like posting a disclaimer on my chest (or butt) to let them know that this isn't any kind of STANDARD method, just my OWN method. The other day I ended up doing a wet exit in a shallow, fast-moving creek, compliments of the rock I didn't see coming up on my left. Flipped into knee-deep moving water, kayak swamped by the current, rocks apparently slathered with Crisco. I have the whole theory of fixing this situation down pat, but the slippery rocks and the very heavy kayak full of water were kinda daunting. A friend came back upstream and we used the two boats as pontoons to get us both to shore, then dumped out mine and got me back in business. It was not graceful. I nearly lost my pants on account of the current, and laughing does NOT help in this situation. (But it was hard NOT to laugh.) [ Post a Reply to This Message ]

[> Subject: Re: Best way to get out of my kayak gracefully? Author: Cathi [Edit] Date Posted: 15:14:09 08/14/04 Sat >I have just gotten a Pamlico 160T tandem with a large >open cockpit and made my first voyage with my >enthusiastic husband. I am a large size person and at >the end of the paddle, we tried several methods of >getting me out of the boat but nothing short of >dumping me in the water and scraping my knee up >through my pants leg. I loved paddling, so I am >looking for suggestions on how to get out gracefully >and safely. It is just difficult to throw my legs >over the side and try to stand up even if my husband >is standing on the opposite trying to hold the boat in >place. We are thinking about getting a couple of ski >poles (or making some out of pvc with a t joint on >top) to try to get some traction. Any other bright >ideas? >Thanks! I don't know if anyone is still watching this thread, but here are my suggetions based on my first awkward summer with a kayak. Getting out was never a very graceful feat, but the worst was after a long and very windy day. My arms were exhausted ( I have MS which just adds to the fun) and my legs had fallen asleep. I did my best imitation of a grounded walleye on that exit. Besides working on my arm strength in the off season, to prepare I added shower stickies (those things you put in your shower so that people don't slip) to the bottom of my boat, wear aqua socks with tread, and put rolled up beach towell under my knees. Then for the actual exit I place my hands on the lip slightly behind me and lift to a seated position on the rear deck. If I place my hands to the side or slightly in front, I am not going anywhere good. So far this has worked very well with no more floundering walleye incidents. I hope this helps someone. Cathi [ Post a Reply to This Message ]