Over the course of a few years of renting kayaks, I have always been
instructed that the best way to enter and launch is by way using my
paddle as an outrigger, across the back of the cockpit. I've accepted
this as gospel. Now I've come across a very informative website that
takes a contrary view.


There seems to be a trend in sea kayaking these days to try to make it
appear to be much more difficult and dangerous then it really is. I suspect
a lot of this is the result of so many people these days trying to make a
living off this sport. The method you describe for entering (as well as
exiting) a kayak has pretty much been a standard for a great many years.
While in theory using the paddle to stabilize the boat can put stress on the
paddle, I have been teaching this method for close to fifteen years now and
have yet to have one single student manage to damage a paddle with it,
regardless of how clumsy or overweight they may be.

The BCU and the ACA need to have strict curriculums which accentuate
specific techniques in order to justify their existence. They are both fine
programs, but I wouldn't take anything that either one of them says as "the
gospel." A large part of sea kayaking is having the ability to think on your
feet (or on your butt, as the case may be) and figure out an appropriate
solution for your own particular problem. Everything we learn about this
sport is just more building blocks to help enable us to make a more informed
decision - NOT a hard and fast rule.



Scott

So.Cal.