Getting in & out of my kayak

I have a Qcc kayak & sometimes it is a adventure getting in & out. Sometimes I get wet, or the kayak flips.

Any suggestions on how to get it right all the time?



Thanks,

Robert G

Here you go…
This thread had some great advice on getting in and out…



http://www.paddling.net/message/showThread.html?fid=advice&tid=487916

I use the paddle brace method
I use the paddle brace method described in the thread of the last post.



I put my paddle behind the cockpit combing, and hold it in place with my right hand, and the left end of the paddle is against the shore or ramp. I put my left hand between the combing and the left blade, and keep my balance to the left of the kayak as I get in and out.



Works well for me, and I am a big guy.

QCC - the wrong way
the yak is in about a foot of water and is floating. Now how the hell do I sit down ?



[[img=http://thumb10.webshots.com/t/53/53/3/19/93/2961319930088080270fiKonp_th.jpg]](http://community.webshots.com/photo/2961319930088080270fiKonp)



cheers,

JackL

I just drop my butt
I never use a paddle. I refuse to damage a $300 paddle by putting some of my 250 pounds on it. I always take my kayak a foot or two out in the water, stand over my yak spread eagle and drop my ass righ down into the cockpit. Then, one leg at a time, I swing in my legs.



Reverse that for getting out. Never flipped or even came close.

I get in my QCC…

– Last Updated: Aug-02-06 5:59 PM EST –

... the same way I get in my skinny SOF with much smaller ocean cockpit - since after moving the seat I can't bring legs in/out while in the seat (just like longer legged folks):

I place paddle behind cockpit as an outrigger - floating and pointed away from shore or parallel - not propped on shore or dock. I sit on rear deck, bring both feet in the cockpit, and slide in like putting on both pant legs at the same time.

Reverse to get out. Set outrigger same way (with SOF I use deck lines to hold it while getting in, but tend to just hold the paddle there getting out. With QCC I just hold behind cockpit for both. With hands on rear deck/paddle just behind hips - just push yourself up and back. Once siting on the rear deck you can swing both legs to the side (weight still centered) drop them and stand up.

The paddle does not prevent tipping - but dampens out the wiggles and slows things down enough if you stay centered.

This method can seem dicey at first as your may not feel to steady up on the rear deck - but it gets easier very quickly.

I can do pretty much the same thing from deep water - but find it a lot easier with the lower flatter rear deck of the SOF even though it's over 2" narrower and has the smaller opening. The QCC needs a bit of a belly flop across the cockpit first and then is more of a challenge to keep balanced while getting upright - so more like a paddle float recovery with no float.

Re: Getting in and out of my kayak…
Greyak, I’ve been following what you’ve been saying and do exactly the same thing without difficulty. I have an Ellesmere with an Ocean cockpit and am always glad that I have it, EXCEPT when I’m attempting to exit when the water is a bit rough. While I’m trying to get out using the paddle as an outrigger, the incoming waves spin the stern around and because I’m half in and half out, I lose control and end up on my side. If there’s a solution, and I’m sure there is, I’d really appreciate hearing it. I don’t know anyone else with an ocean cockpit to help me with this problem. Thanks everyone…

Read this
http://www.paddling.net/guidelines/showArticle.html?31

Well,here’s what I did with the Tern
I started out with the boat simply sitting on the grass in the yard and practiced with the paddle as a stabilizer untill I got the hang of it.

Then I raised the boat up on some el cheapo foam blocks so it wasn’t so stable and repeated the practicing.

Last season I had it down pat…

This season I wound up working 99% of the time and paddling…well, all of about 5 times…and it showed in my exits.

In surf -take a tip from…
… pilots:



Any landing you can walk away from is a good one.

This is not the kind of question
I would expect from an advanced paddler :wink:

That’s not very nice !

– Last Updated: Aug-03-06 7:24 PM EST –

I was "advanced" ten years ago.
Then I read here all that I didn't know and changed it to intermediate a couple of years ago.
I was a Lilly dipper for about fifty years, and knew the J stroke and thought that was the meat of canoeing.

I submit that whatever you think you are, that is what you are, even though others might think otherwise.

Cheers,
JackL

You might be right
I just found funny that somebody could find an adventure getting in/out of a kayak and rate his skills advanced.

Elitist ! :slight_smile:

Jack…
Nice pics…ever think of staging a pic of an overturned Kayak with a lot of splash/froth around it to put right after the gator pics?..