BCITORGB wrote:
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.

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At http://www.seapaddler.co.uk/Launchin...%20Landing.htm

One of the most common sights is of sea kayakers using their paddles as
outriggers, across the back of the cockpit, to steady their entry into
the kayak. The process is often reversed at the end of the day. This
is a practice, which should be avoided if at all possible. Sea kayak
paddles are not generally constructed to withstand the same pressures
as white water blades and it is possible therefore for the junction
between the blade and the shaft to be weakened and eventually break.
If this is during the course of a multi-day trip then the expression
"inconvenient" is somewhat of an understatement.
====================


As Mike pointed out, the cockpit design, paddler size, surf conditions
and even the stability of the boat are factors for the type of entrance
possible. I noticed that the web site stated that it is preferable to
have the boat floating parallel to shore (bad idea in surf, though it
can be done) and to paddle out backward to protect skegs, rudders, etc.
(yet, none of the photos show this).

If you brace across the back of the boat with your paddle, and, as
someone said, lean on it as little as possible, the paddle should serve
quite effectively. I've done this on my existing paddles for about 17
years now and they are still tight at the joints (sigh - I almost want
one to die on me so that I can buy a better blade, but I'm too cheap to
do so if the paddle isn't broken).


Warning: Personal Story follows:
As for their recommendations on paddling through the surf:

There are times when none of the available options seem possible and you
need to improvise. For example, I was launching at Pt. Lobos (Monterey).
This is a small, narrow beach that is sheltered behind a significant set
of rocks that go from the point to a good 50 feet out to sea. From the
road, you have an excellent survey of the conditions, but on the beach,
the rocks block the view of the oncoming waves. These rocks, during
storm, are swept by the surf, but unexpected waves of significant size
can sweep them on even the mildest days (these are BIG rocks, by the
way, 10 to 15 feet out at the point, 6 to 8 feet above the shoreline at
the launch. The conditions after several minutes of watching from the
road, seemed on the mild side for the point, so we unloaded the boats
and prepared to go (whale watching in February and conditions in
Monterey can be very unpredictable at any time of year). The beach is
crowned north-to-south and the high point, right behind the rocks, keeps
the southern exposure protected from all but the largest waves.

Once on the beach, I launched my friend and then tried to get into the
sea lion and button up. As sometimes happens, a large set of waves came
in, swept the outside rocks, and the swell swept the beach, coming over
the crown and down on me from behind. The back of the boat rose, the
nose perled into the bottom and stuck. I spun in place, bracing against
the water as the stern was pushed by the current. I had my legs in, or
it would have been a fairly unrecoverable situation. I had the paddle
across my lap as the stern lifted, so it was pretty easy to give up on
the spray skirt and brace. The nose of my boat was pushed toward shore
and the stern (more or less) out toward sea.

I ended up broached, in a rip current, in a 17' boat trying to exit
between rocks that were less than 10' apart. The bow of the boat came
loose as the rising water finally caught up with that section of the
beach, and since the stern was pointing closer to the direction I wanted
to go, I continued the brace until the stern was pointed out to sea. I
went out backward as the waves continued to come. Fortunately, they were
not as large as the initial one that swept the beach, but they were
still pretty convincing. As I paddled out over them, backward, the boat
had a tendency to fall down into the troughs from a rather unsettling
height. I took some water over the combing, but mostly, the boat handled
reasonably well.

Once away from the rocks, I was able to bring the boat about and catch
up with Max who, by now, was laughing at me. Not exactly a textbook
entry, but any lauch you paddle away from must be ok, right? I had to
raft up with Max to pump water and button up the boat.

Kind of funny, now, but at the time, it was more than a bit disconcerting.

Rick