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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. ======================== 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 |
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