How To Launch Your Kayak
Jakob Jelling
Launching your kayak does not have to be difficult as long as you
know what you’re doing.
When it comes to launching your kayak, there are a few important
decisions that you must make. The first thing you should decide
is whether or not you want to launch your kayak from the land, or
on the water. You can even launch your kayak from a dock, though
that is usually a bit harder to do than launching the boat from
the beach, or on dry land.
The two main methods of launching your kayak from the land
consist of the regular launch, and of “wet-footing” it. Wet
footing means that you load up your kayak in the water so that
the bottom will not rub against the sand or rocks that might be
on the beach. You should definitely use this method to launch
your kayak if you are going to be launching from a rocky beach,
or any other situation where there might be objects that can harm
your kayak in the sand.
After all, while most kayaks are generally designed to be fairly
sturdy, it is always possible that they could be damaged. This is
especially the case if they are loaded up on land, and then
dragged over rocks. When launching your kayak from the water, you
should make sure that you are able to put everything into your
kayak that you want to use. You should probably load the lighter
objects into your kayak when you are still on land, as well,
since they won’t cause any extra harm to your kayak, and it will
make getting in a lot easier once you are in the water. If you
decide to try launching your kayak this way, make sure that you
practice a little bit first. That way you’ll be able to get into
your kayak quickly and easily, and you won’t fall.
If you think that this method sounds too complicated, some people
find that it is easier to get into their kayak on dry land.
However, you should only use the dry land launch if you are on a
sandy beach where there are no major obstacles between yourself
and the water. Then, pull your kayak out so that the bow is
actually floating. This is so that you will not have to drag your
kayak over too much sand before you get into the water.
Keep in mind that launching your kayak can get a lot more
dangerous and difficult if you are launching in an area where
there is a lot of surf. While it is always possible to launch a
kayak in high surf, you’re probably better off avoiding this.
Therefore, you should try to find a beach that is sheltered for
launching your kayak.
Jakob Jelling is the founder of
http://www.kayakhelp.com . Please
visit his complete kayaking guide for all skills and ages.
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