Entering and exiting is always the hardest part.  

If I can enter from the beach or shallow water I straddle the kayak. let my rump fall into the seat.  then with the weight low in the yak I am stable enough to bring the feet in one at a time.  Landing I reverse the process, both feet out one on each side and then push up to standing.

From a low dock is more difficult. The key is to get the rear down quickly.  to get out I usually just roll onto my chest onto the dock and then drag the feet out.

There are many videos on you tube showing how to use a paddle just behind the cockpit to act as an outrigger to help stabalize the kayak while entering.  Check them out and then practice.  

Soon it becomes easier.  I dumped every 4th or 5th try the first few days.  have not dumped in the last 2 years.

VERY CAREFULLY would be the stock answer. I've never tried from a dock. After performing some interesting gymnastics for the amusement of the folks at the beach I ordered paddle holders that clip to the coaming (hope I spelled that right}. I hope to clamp the paddle behind the cockpit to use as an outrigger. 

This is one reason it is suggested that you should always go with a group - so there is always someone to steady the boats.

I try put the kayak at the water's edge with the stern on the sand just enough to give me a little extra stability while I get in, but with the bow far enough into the water so that I can reach down with my hands to scoot free into the water.

Getting on or off a dock, I swallow my pride and go into my beached whale mode...putting most of my weight on my stomach and crawling ungracefully on or off the dock. I try to find a ladder, rope or clete to hang onto while I transfer my weight on or off the dock. I always feel pretty stupid, but it works. 

What has been a problem for me is getting out of my kayak in shallow water after a long paddle. I've just fallen over several times. The legs just don't want to work. But hey, a lot of times just falling in and floating around for a few minutes feels good.

This is supposed to be a graceful activity? I guess I missed that day in class.

Dan

Thank you all for the tips.

Perch

keep your weight in the center of the boat if you have to step down from the dock keep your feet in the center of the boat

1. I find joy in providing others with amusement.  Not really, but put a positive spin on it.

2. Off the beach I straddle the yak and sit down. Rear on the seat or on the deck just behind the ccockpit then pull the legs in one at a time. I have a relatively cheap plastic paddle and often use it as a cane to steady things. Before my knee recovered I'd use my cane to steady things.

     a. to get out you often push up with both hands to put rear on deck, feet in the water keeping weight foward. If this is difficult try it with a broken wrist and bad knee.

    b. keep weight centered and as low as you can.

3. Off the dock I get out of the boat by rotating my upper body over the dock and turning and rolling  butt onto the dock. Not pretty but I don't fall in. Reverse the proceedure to get in.

     a. works on floating docks. Fixed docks more of a challenge.

     b. keep one foot in boat to keep it from gliding off.

4.  When racing I just roll out, let the volenteers take the boat and I get wet. Cool off,  stand up and limp across the finish line. Old fat guys get credit for just finishing.

5. Keep on doing it. You get better with practise.

Note.. ..........most kayaks float with one end lower than the other, usually the stern.  That is why I often go out stern first and leave the bow on the beach or in shallow water in contact with the bottom. It takes less of a power stroke to move a lightly grounded boat than a heavily grounded one. 

Wow.  This is a lot of answers and it makes me want to watch all of you get in and out of your kayaks :)

With a bit of practice this becomes an easy and graceful activity.  The best option to use, from both the beach as well as a low dock, is the paddle outrigger method.

If you're on a dock, sit down on the dock beside the boat that is in the water (I'll assume the boat is in the water to your left).  If you're launching from the beach, just crouch down, no need to get your bottom wet.  Put the paddle behind you, and with your left hand, hold the paddle near the left blade at the back of the cockpit.  Put your fingers inside the cockpit while the thumb comes up and wraps around the paddle shaft.

Put your right hand on the paddle shaft behind you, in the small of your back.

Here's the trick - keep your weight on your right hand.  If you do this, you have tons of stability.  You might be tempted to put weight on your left hand (the one that's holding the paddle to the back lip of the cockpit coaming) - doing that might result in a "paddle rainbow" where you roll the boat over away from you as you get in.

With your weight on your right hand, either stick your bottom in the seat first and then your legs, or, if you're tall like me, put your legs in first and then sit down in the seat.

Reverse the process to get out.

This really does wind up being relatively graceful, and you don't need to have your boat beached (paddling away from that must ruin the finish!) or anything like that.

The truly tricky situation is when you have to get into your boat from a HIGH dock (where the paddle outrigger is at too steep of an angle for you to put your weight on it) or even from the bottom of a ladder.  There's no great advice in those situations (although the "beached whale" method mentioned above sometimes works).  I usually just jump in the water and then do a wet-entry - kayaking is, after all, a water sport, and we all dress for immersion, right? :)

Here's a good way to leave or enter a kayak from a dock or ladder. assume coming along port side to. Tie a length of parachute cord to the port hip brace or other secure point far to port in your boat, I glued a wood pad eye to the under side of the cockpit combing. When you are along side make the cord fast to a ladder rung or dock cleat and snug it up. This will support the port side of the boat from tipping. Keeping your weight slightly to port of the center line, lift yourself out of the seat onto the back deck, stand up and step on the dock or ladder always keeping your weight slightly to port. Go pee, or whatever you need to do, and reverse the procedure for re entry. SEEYA Jack