![]() Sit down next to your kayak on the dock, place your feet in the cockpit, turn your body toward the bow of the boat while still sitting on the dock, and lower yourself quickly and calmly into the kayak, keeping your weight as low as you can while you do it. However, if you're on your own, start with your kayak parallel to the dock, preferably wherever it is lowest and closest to the water. If you're starting from a dock, one of the easiest ways to get into your boat is to ask a friend to hold your kayak steady while you get in and out. No, this doesn't look very smooth, graceful or effortless, but it works! Remember to be gentle with yourself and also be able to laugh at yourself to keep it light. It may be easiest to slide your butt onto the sand, roll over onto all fours and push yourself up. Don't worry if you end up falling off to the side onto the beach. The more you practice this move the easier it'll become. It's more challenging and takes more strength for women to pull themselves up and out of the kayak than it does for men. What's tough about this move for women is that, in general, our strength is in our hips and legs compared to men who find the bulk of their strength resides in their upper bodies. The crux move from here is to reach forward, grab the front of your cockpit and pull yourself forward until you have the balance to stand up. Start by stepping one foot out at a time so that you end up straddling the kayak or have both feet out and on one side of your boat. Getting out of your kayak is actually much more challenging than getting into your kayak. To get out on a beach, aim your kayak in a direction that is perpendicular to the shoreline, and then paddle it up onto the sand so that the boat beaches or stop when your kayak is floating in a few inches of water. If you have a sit-on-top all you have to do is swing your legs in, push off and paddle away. If you have a kayak in which you have to externally rotate and splay your knees underneath thigh braces you can keep your knees slightly bent as you slide in and then position your thighs under the thigh braces. Bring your feet into the cockpit one and a time, straighten your legs and then slide forward into the seat. To get in straddle your boat just behind the cockpit rim and sit down on the back of the cockpit. In this case you may have to get a friend to help stabilize your boat while you get in. If you don't want to slide your kayak across the sand, or if you're launching on a cement ramp, or the water is too shallow to be able to slide in, you can float your kayak in a few inches of water. ![]() This may sound like obvious advice, but I see people beach themselves trying to launch all the time. Instead you'll be beached and have to get back out of your kayak and move it closer to the water. Otherwise, if your boat is completely on the sand once you get in you won't be able to push off into the water. The key to an easy launch on the beach is to place your kayak perpendicular to the shoreline so that the front half is in the water and the back half is on the sand. Make sure that it is close enough for you to pick up once you're in your boat! On a Beach or Ramp Few things are more frustrating than getting ready to shove off and realizing you left something like your water bottle on shore, just out of reach. The first thing to do is make sure that you have everything you'll need at hand. Here are some tips and techniques to help you feel more comfortable and effortless. ![]() There is no true graceful way to get in and out of a kayak, but it does get easier and looks more effortless with practice and experience. "Is there a graceful way to get in an out of my kayak?" The answer may be disappointing to many of you. ![]()
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