Re: Re enter

Posted by Ken Leffert on Jul 4, 2007

A few thoughts.......

I'm not an instructor, I'm not even a particularly competent kayaker, but I have practiced paddle float re-entries. I think you'd benefit greatly from some bungees behind the cockpit to secure the paddle while doing this re-entry.

Once you're over the cockpit with your torso, you're pretty much stuck and can't do anything. Come up onto the boat on the rear deck, with the paddle shaft between you and the cockpit and your chest pretty much right on the rear hatch, NOT over the cockpit. work your feet over the paddle shaft and into the cockpit while spinning your torso (still facing the water) toward the rear of the boat. As you get your feet and lower legs in the cockpit, the paddle float will want to lift up out of the water and flip you again, to keep that from happening, STAY FACE DOWN, and rotate your head\torso to the rear of the boat and over the center, putting weight back on the float. Still face down, and keeping an eye on the paddle float to make sure you're putting the right amount of weight on it, slither down inside the boat until you feel the rear of the coaming where your beltline is. THEN, you can think about getting face up. Spin your body/legs toward the float (trying to spin away from the float will virtually guarantee failure) into a normal seated position.

The big points: 1) Come up onto the boat on the rear deck, not the cockpit. 2) Stay face down through most of the maneuver. 3) Keep visually checking the paddle float to monitor the amount of weight you're putting on it, and adjust with body position.

Good video quality, production-wise if not technique-wise, what camera are you using? How did your hatches do as far as not leaking? I'm sure its not important, but did you know that you installed your rear hatch 180 degrees from most boats.....

In Response to: Re: Re enter by Kim on Jul 3, 2007

Replies:

• Re: Re enter by Kim on Jul 4, 2007
  • Re: Re enter by LeeG on Jul 4, 2007