If you are an experienced kayaker, then it is likely that, at one time or another, you have fallen out of your boat. Likely not on purpose, but probably more than once. If this is the case, then you have clearly already figured out how to get back in a kayak after falling out.
If you are a beginning kayaker, then you may still need to find the way that is best for you to re-enter a kayak.
There are several ways to get back in a kayak after falling out. While the details differ, the steps are mostly the same. You need to locate your paddle, flip the kayak back over (if it’s upside down), secure your paddle to the boat, mount the kayak, re-position your body back in the kayak seat and expel any excess water.
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Do you really risk falling out of a kayak?
Look, if you are really good at launching and landing your kayak and only do it on days with glassy water, then there is an outside chance that you might never fall out of your boat.
But if you are anything like the paddlers that I know, you are constantly trying to challenge yourself and improve your skills. People like us tend to put ourselves in the way of forces that knock folks out of their kayaks. (This means that we actually spend quite a bit of time getting back in our kayaks after falling out.)
Wind, Waves and Wake (and maybe Whales) – the dreaded trinity of kayaker anxiety. If you are going to get knocked off your kayak, the odds are pretty good that it will be because of one of these three forces. Either an outsized gust of wind will knock you off balance, a rogue wave will catch you sideways, or the wake of a large, fast-moving, cottage-country mini-yacht will have its way with you. (Also, it is possible that a whale could knock you off your kayak. That would be amazing.)
Kayak style and paddling ability. The style of your kayak and your paddling ability are two key factors that impact the probability of whether you will actually fall out of your kayak.
Sit-on-top kayaks. Sit-on-tops are typically (although not always) built for recreational use. Beginners buy them. They are flat, they have a wide beam and are usually difficult to flip over. Also, they have scupper holes which allows them to self-drain when needed. (Read what I have to say about scupper holes here.)
What sit-on-tops claim in structural stability they lose in paddle-a-bility. (Pretty sure I made that turn of phrase up.)
Paddlers sit high in a sit-on-top kayak. This creates a high center of gravity that can put a novice paddler at greater risk of capsize when accosted by wind or waves.
Also, sit-on-top kayaks do not have thigh braces. These braces (found in sit-in boats) lock the paddler in with the kayak, allowing for better control and the ability to perform advanced maneuvers.
So, if a stiff wind or rogue wave hits, a novice kayaker with undeveloped paddling skills will likely end up in the wet stuff, if they are using a sit-on-top kayak.
Sit-in kayaks. Recreational as well as experienced paddlers enjoy sit-in kayaks. Sit-ins are characterized by a lower paddling position, and a cockpit that leads to a covered hull.
Sitting lower in the kayak results in increased stability due to a lower center of gravity.
Sit-in paddlers also benefit from thigh braces that connect them to the boat and allow for carving and edging techniques that can’t be effectively done in a sit-on-top
Some sit-in kayaks sport a wide, flat beam while others are narrower. Also to be considered are the hull and chine styles as well as the rocker.
An experienced kayaker can have a lot of fun banging through waves in her sit-in kayak with a planing hull, hard chines and high rocker. Furthermore, the risk of falling out of her kayak may not be that high. So much of the risk has to do with the paddling ability of the individual parked in the seat.
But, if you do find yourself floating in the water next to your kayak, how do you get back in?
Three different techniques to get back in a kayak
Would you be surprised to learn that there is no consensus about how to get back in a kayak after falling out? Sure, the key steps are similar (start in the water, get in the boat, finish in the kayak seat), but the details in between can be quite different. In this article, I will discuss three different re-entry strategies that you can try when you are paddling a single-person kayak and there is nobody to help you get back in after you have fallen out.
Re-entry technique #1: Brute Force. I highlighted this technique in an article here. However, it didn’t have a name until just now. So, if you fall out of your kayak, here are the key steps to getting back in:
- Keep your paddle close either by securing it to your kayak or at least keeping one eye on it in the water.
- If your kayak is upside down, flip it back over. To do this, position yourself in the middle of the boat. Reach over the top of the hull (which is facing the sky), grab the far edge and fall back (having a rope or cord to pull is helpful). As you fall back, your kayak will flip back over.
- Secure your paddle to the boat.
- Position your body at the center of the kayak again.
- With one hand, grab either the near handle or cockpit lip (depending on your kayak). Using your other hand, grab the opposite handle or lip on the far side of the kayak.
- With a strong kick to help out, pull your body perpendicularly over your boat so that your belly button is situated above the cockpit/seat.
- Roll over and twist your body to position your buttocks back in the seat of your kayak. At this point you should be sitting side saddle in your boat.
- Position your legs where you like them and get your feet back into the footwells.
- If yours is a sit-in kayak, then use the bilge pump (which you never leave home without) to expel the excess waver over the lip of the cockpit wall.
- Paddle away and tell your friends you are behind because you wanted a closer look at a moose.
If you have a long reach and well-developed musculature, then this method to get back in a kayak after falling out should work just fine (with a little practice.) This is also a particularly good method of re-entry for sit-on-top kayaks.
Re-entry technique #2: Reverse PaddleGirl. I didn’t invent the technique, but I did sort of blushingly stumble onto the name (no offense intended). Here are the steps:
- Grab and hold onto your paddle.
- Hook your leg inside the cockpit (the opening of which is facing down) to free up your hands.
- Slide a paddle blade into the paddle float (that I am assuming you are stowing in your kayak).
- Attach the clips of the paddle float to the paddle
- To flip the kayak back over, reach underwater and grab the far cockpit lip. With your other hand, grab the close cockpit lip.
- Pull the underwater lip towards you. Push the above-water lip away from you. Voila! Your boat is upright.
- Move towards the stern of your kayak, but not all the way.
- Create an outrigger with your paddle and float. With one hand, hold the (float-less) end of your paddle just behind the back of the cockpit opening. Actually hold the paddle and coaming together in one hand.
- With one leg, use the floating side of your paddle as a step. Pull the other leg over your kayak. You should now be lying low and face down along the rear deck of your kayak facing the stern (hence the name of the technique – sorry again).
- While still lying on your belly and facing the stern, position your legs in the cockpit.
- Slowly flip your body over and slide your bottom back into your seat.
- Use your bilge pump to expel the water in your kayak.
- Collect and stow your paddle float and replace the spray skirt.
This is a technique that I like for sit-in kayaks floating in rough water because your center of gravity remains low. Also, the use of the paddle and float as an outrigger makes it a bit easier to get back on top of the boat. All in all, a very good technique to get back in a kayak after falling out. Check out a video of how to do it here.
Re-entry technique #3: Itchy Bum Stern Straddle. While you can use this technique for both sit-on-top as well as sit-in kayaks, I view it as slightly more effective for the latter.
- Handle the paddle. Either float it close by or secure it to your kayak (which this time we assume is right side up).
- Float your way to the stern of the kayak. Not all the way, but close. There are two reasons why: 1. The kayak is less sensitive to tipping at its ends, 2. You can pull the end of the kayak down into the water, making it easier to mount.
- While almost at the end of your kayak, reach perpendicularly across to the other side of the boat for something to grip. With a kick of your feet and a pull from your arms, propel yourself onto the back deck of the boat.
- From the perpendicular position, swing one leg over the stern all the way to the other side of the kayak. You should now be lying face down along the back deck, straddling the kayak, facing the bow of the boat.
- Sit up and spread your legs to create fleshy human outriggers. This should provide a little extra stability.
- Inch your way towards the cockpit by iteratively reaching forward to grip the cockpit lip and then dragging your backside gradually towards the middle of the kayak. (You know how dogs drag their backsides across your living room carpet to get a good scratch? This technique looks like that.)
- Manipulate your backside until it is positioned above your kayak seat and drop it in. Then pull your legs into the boat.
- Collect your paddle and you’re on your way.
This technique is fine – particularly when sitting on a body of water that isn’t moving (which raises the question of why you fell in to begin with?) It is psychologically more comfortable to face the bow of the boat. However, the technique for sliding your backside along the length of your back deck with a high center of gravity is clunky.
What can you do to make re-entering a kayak easier and safer (after falling out?)
Paddle a sit-in kayak with bulkheads. Bulkheads are walls that are constructed in a sit-in kayak, creating a dry storage area. Typically one bulkhead is positioned just behind the seat of the paddler. Touring kayaks usually have another one at the bow, as well.
The compartments that bulkheads create do not fill up with water (at least not quickly) when you capsize your kayak. This results in extra buoyancy for a period of time sufficient to allow you to right your kayak and then get back in it.
Sit-in kayaks without bulkheads can be problematic if you capsize. In a very short amount of time you may find that you are unable to flip your boat back over because it’s swamped (full of water). If you are well offshore, then the problem is even worse. Something to consider when thinking about the characteristics of a boat that you may want to rent or purchase.
Wear a personal floatation device (PFD). No kidding right? Hear me out, anyway. Have you ever gone swimming and tried to stand on a flutter-board underwater? And has that flutter-board ever taken off like a rocket ship when you lost your balance and released the board?
Well, when you’re trying to get back on a kayak, your PFD acts a little like that flutter-board. When you drop low enough in the water, the natural buoyancy of the PFD helps propel you out of the water and onto your kayak. Every little bit helps.
Stow a paddle float. Paddle floats are common and you can find them in most paddling shops. Some are inflatable cushions, others are constructed from a solid block of foam. They stow in your kayak to be pulled out when needed – like when your kayak is floating face-down in the ocean.
Simply slide the blade into the pocket and secure it with whatever mechanism your particular float uses.
As explained in the ‘Reverse Paddlegirl’ re-entry technique, the combination of paddle and float create a stable outrigger allowing you to more easily get back on your kayak.
Stow a bilge pump as well. A bilge pump is a tool used to expel excess water from the hull of your kayak. Unless you want to take up submarining as your new hobby, bring a bilge pump. Check out my article on how to use a kayak bilge pump here.
Parting Thoughts
The particular process you choose to get back in your kayak after falling out isn’t all that important. What is important though, is that you have a technique and are comfortable executing it in various conditions.
Mastering how to get back in a kayak after falling out is kind of like getting your driver’s license. It opens up a whole new world of places to go and experiences to have.
Here’s to those experiences.