Launching your kayak from a rough shore or in rough weather conditions can be difficult and even dangerous if you don’t know what to do. But if you follow these steps, with a little practice you will learn how to launch a kayak safely anytime and anywhere.
How to launch a kayak
1) Position your boat
First, put your kayak completely in the water. Then position your boat away from the rocky shore and pointed into the wind.
2) Get seated
Next, sit on the back deck of the boat, so you can slide down and be fully seated inside the boat.
3) Swing your legs in
Once seated, bring your legs inside the boat. Then paddle the boat to an area that you can safely attach your sprayskirt.
Video: How to launch a kayak in rough conditions
For a more in-depth demonstration, instructor Steve Ruskay joins us from Black Feather Adventures near Parry Sound, Ontario. From the waters of the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve he demonstrates how to launch a kayak from a rough shore or in rough conditions.
Watch the video below:
Fine advise if your legs are sufficiently short and your knees are sufficiently flexible to first sit in the kayak and then bring your legs in. Otherwise, like me, with a 35″ inseam and an artificial knee with somewhat limited range of motion, sitting before bringing in my knees will not work. So, I sit behind the cockpit, then insert my legs and slide forward until seated. Although less stable than first sitting, I need to use this sliding in method even with large size cockpits. If possible, getting into my kayak on land and sliding into the water is usually preferable.