Actually the selection of boats was very good. A pair of Eddylines, Swift kayak, some descent poly boats and my Pack canoe. No sun dolphins in this crowd.
I am generally a canoeist on moving water. I will often help stabilize kayaks when the launch is a bit complex so we can get the group going & cut down on drama. I have no problem being the last in. Sometimes the launch into the boat is more of a vault.
In a kayak I’m dressed to be wet so &'ll almost always launch wet.
It may be a bit extreme, but I think if someone isn’t wiling and able to toss their boat in the water, jump in and swim to it (have a rope attached so it doesn’t get away), re-enter, then paddle comfortably for the remainder of the day … then they aren’t properly prepared for the conditions.
This may or may not be the reason people don’t seem to want to be wet. I’m aware that many people would not pass the “test” I described above, and that’s fine. I make an effort to the majority of the time.
@Sparky961 said:
It may be a bit extreme, but I think if someone isn’t wiling and able to toss their boat in the water, jump in and swim to it (have a rope attached so it doesn’t get away), re-enter, then paddle comfortably for the remainder of the day … then they aren’t properly prepared for the conditions.This may or may not be the reason people don’t seem to want to be wet. I’m aware that many people would not pass the “test” I described above, and that’s fine. I make an effort to the majority of the time.
That’s a little extreme for me!
The next time I go with a group I will observe to see if it’s an issue with getting there feet wet.
@shiraz627 said:
That’s a little extreme for me!
It gets a great reaction from a group of people in the winter though. 
@Sparky961 said:
It gets a great reaction from a group of people in the winter though.
That would be a sight to see!
@Sparky961 said:
It may be a bit extreme, but I think if someone isn’t wiling and able to toss their boat in the water, jump in and swim to it (have a rope attached so it doesn’t get away), re-enter, then paddle comfortably for the remainder of the day … then they aren’t properly prepared for the conditions.
See “Body Boat Blade”, Speed launch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6Lo8jOSJ0c
I hear from my Oregon connection that this works best with dry suits. They slide up on the back of the boat better.
@Overstreet said:
See “Body Boat Blade”, Speed launch.
Maybe you’re better practiced, but I’ve never been able to keep my feet dry doing that either. 
Good reason to keep the rear deck clear too!
@Sparky961 said:
@Overstreet said:
See “Body Boat Blade”, Speed launch.Maybe you’re better practiced, but I’ve never been able to keep my feet dry doing that either.
Good reason to keep the rear deck clear too!
Shoot my feet are always wet in the kayak. Do that? … only in my mind.
My in experience, out of town/state friends, have a severe case of Gator/snake general reptile phobia. They can’t figure out why I am almost up to my waist trying to get them off the bank when they won’t even put their feet in the river?!? I’m like, I live here, it’s OK as long as you are smart, let’s get moving, but no, there is so much dilly-dallying at launch and pull-out, it can be frustrating.
As far as abuse goes towards a 'Yak… a Kayak, is like any vehicle, if you leave it in garage all year, there will be no scratches/dents/whatever, however, you will have no memories of the events that got those marks either…seriously, where’s the fun in that, you might as well not drive/kayak.
thinking it’s their desire to avoid skin eating bacteria.
@daggermat said:
thinking it’s their desire to avoid skin eating bacteria.
My friend’s father got it off of some farm equipment inland away from water.
What about zika skeeters?
Going on group paddles 4-5 times people in the group spotted each other when landing. It can’t hurt if done properly. Guess it depends on water conditions, bottom, conditions, water temp, experience, gear your wearing you, physical ability,and how much mud or sand you want to drag in the boat.
Sometimes I paddle hard. I feel great going like hell to my floating dock or beach. I usually paddle harder as I go.
When I go to get out I then feel like it takes the most energy of the day to get out on beach or roll out on the dock.
and for that reason I have masteres the half roll
A few of my older friends have mobility issues, so we typically stabilize their kayaks on landing or launching. I don’t recall ever dragging them ashore while they still sit in the kayak. That would be over the top. Certainly no one would ever expect that level of service. However, there could be those so compromised in the lower body that dragging their kayaks would be the only option for them to enjoy kayaking. On the other hand, if a person just fears getting his/her feet wet, it would be tempting to just throw them in the water.
@shiraz627 said:
@PaddleDog52 said:
Just leave them if they are fit and able.I concur! I don’t mind stabilizing a boat while someone exits, but don’t expect me to pull a 200 +lb person up the boat ramp. Not willing to injure myself for incompetent people.
Well…DON’T help them and take a “Chill pill” or maybe a nice long paddle to rid yourself of all that bitterness. People are people, some tend to be a little more “Needy” than others. You can choose to grit your teeth and stress about it or as someone I’m fond of here says, “Paddle on!”
Well, Terry -and da rest a youse guys -I tend to paddle with a lot of people who are ‘chill pill’ addicted.
Now I’ll admit to running my bow up on the beach at the landing and back home at the takeout, if I’m not headed to a dock with a ladder, as will Sally, but we don’t need to be shoved off at all. No one we paddle with -even brand new newbies -does!
And everybody ,-everybody! -gets at least mid-calf wet for non-dock beach launches. For the balance-challenged, we’ll stabilize their boat as they plop their butts down and settle in, and it’s no big deal.
Of course, I also must admit, we paddle in sunny South Florida and the fabulous Florida Keys. Much of the time it’s not just good, but BETTER, to get wet!
But there might be exceptions… GH? That dainty lass? She stays ashore if she can’t do more than expect a “3rd party slo-mo seal launch”, accompanied by understsnding, heart-felt sorrow for her predicament of terminal excessive dilletente-ness, as the rest of us launch -wet if need be -and
(nod to the credit card commercial: "…can I say it?…)
PADDLE ON!
Frank in Miami
common practice to drag boats part way up the shore/bank to exit or launch a ww boat. Nice to have paddling partners to assist with the process. Boats are viewed as expendable chunks of fun. Just replaced a pyranha shiva (punched a crack in hull under seat running a creek) Bought a used $350 wavesport diesel (fence gauley fest). In a few years I’ll be replacing it. So it goes…
@shiraz627 said:
Can anyone tell me why 99% of the paddlers in northeast FL drag there boat so it’s half in water but still not floating? Then they proceed to get in the boat and expect you to push them out. It’s like they do not know how to enter and exit a boat. When they get back to the put in they do the same thing expecting someone to pull them on shore. I was trying to tell some paddler how to exit the boat but he did not want have any part of it. Either they are lazy or unskilled.
Well! What you can do if they are not ready to listen… I see people struggling with raft and I did help them, I face the same situation sometime people are not ready to listen just to make things happen even though it took more time and effort!