Some of us …
that have been through BCU training programs always offer to help, regardless of gender. It is part of the training to use teamwork to ensure safe lifting, carrying, launching and landing.
Sea kayaks can be very heavy, as can be some canoes.
This from the BCU 3 Star Sea Kayak Training Notes:
Part A - Personal Paddling Skills
A.1 Lifting, carrying, launching and landing
Training should aim to develop good, safe lifting and carrying techniques appropriate to moving a kayak from a vehicle to the launch site, using teamwork where necessary to limit the risk of accident and injury. Training should include launching safely and efficiently from any simple launch site with the boat afloat e.g. pier, steps, rocky shoreline and beach.
Source: http://www.paddlesportsnorthamerica.org/documents
I hope folks are not offended by the offers.
~wetzool
surprised
By my count looks like a 4:1 ratio would help each other. I think this is good for the sport. As I annotated earlier, I paddle solo but always appreciate help. Yea I can do it all by myself but if somebody wants to help me off the beach by grabbing a toggle, I'm ok with that. If anything it strikes up conversation and possibly interest in the sport. I'm surprised by some of the answers however. To each his own. Paddle on...
I have helped power boaters and jet skie
when they were loading and unloading by themselves. I think pay it forward works.
I ask and am grateful to be asked
The askee can always politely say no.
I once waited for over an hour for any stranger to show up to help me load my 22’ outrigger canoe onto my full size van in the high afternoon winds sweeping across the Mono Lake basin. It’s light, but I couldn’t risk losing control of its clumsy length in the wind and having it shatter on the desert floor.