Kayaking Expert Advice: How to Get Into a Kayak

🤣 When she sat on the paddle 😂

So which is worse? The bent paddle or the rashed yak hull? Answer: Neither if you sell paddles and yaks!

Hilariously overcomplicated, thanks for the laugh

Never use your paddle to inter your kayak. Put the boat in the water, with sufficient depth to prevent grounding after boarding, and enter low and slow. Regardless of boat construction materials, you don’t purposely grind it into a substrate.

Lots of negative comments about this video. To be fair, it's not easy to enter a kayak from a dock and I have no objection to the technique she demonstrates. The beach launch is another story. If your kayak has a large cockpit, and the shoreline is gently sloping, it's easier to just put the kayak in the water, straddle it, and sit down so that your butt lands on the seat. At a boat ramp, for example, position the kayak so that it's parallel to the ramp so that both the bow and stern are in the water before you straddle the kayak. However, that's not an option when the shore drops off steeply or if your kayak has a smaller cockpit. In those cases, the paddle outrigger technique is the preferred method. But you definitely don't want to sit on the paddle shaft, and you want to keep the outrigger length to the minimum necessary for the technique. You have to keep the outrigger blade weighted, but again, with just enough weight so that you don't capsize on the other side. Rather than putting your butt on the paddle shaft, you sit on the back of the kayak so that your butt is just behind the coaming. Launching into surf is best done by getting into the kayak on shore - as close to the water as possible - attaching the skirt, parking the paddle under the decklines, and scooting forward using your fists. The fist technique avoids the high potential for finger dislocation if the bottom is uneven. If the ground is rough, gloves are a big plus.

1) Put the kayak in the water 2) Sit over your kayak 3) Put your feet in. Don't do such cruel things to your paddle.

How to make it far more difficult than it needs to be in one easy lesson.🤣🤣

If you're on a flat, beachy shore...just get in the damn kayak.

The easiest way to get in your boat is to straddle it, bend your knees, and lower your legs and bum into the boat. All that other crap is a lot harder than it has to be.

Could you make a video on how to get into your shoes, using your left and right foot. Some people suggest using shoehorns but I'm not sure if that is the correct method.

If you snap your carbon shaft while sitting on it... Reference this video and maybe REI will give you a new one.

I'm assuming the first boat had a skeg so personally I'd launch it backwards so the skeg slot was floating in water and you're not wedging grit or pebbles in there which would foul the skeg. Just my opinion.

I would not recommend that beach launch if you are over 200 pounds. You;ll break some paddles. That's the way I was taught years ago. Great tips on dock launching!

I usually just jump right in. I didn’t know there was a technique lol

Definitely a good point to remember. You don't want to capsize the boat!

What a way to sell more paddles. I'm 250 and quite sure it'll break. 🤣

I am shocked that REI puts out this stuff! No way to treat a boat or paddle.

Thanks for lesson. 🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼

Very very helpful!

Gran video