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.
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[> Subject: Re: Best way to get out of my kayak gracefully?
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!
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.)
Re: Best way to get out of my kayak gracefully?