The Germans have a word for the enjoyment derived from watching someone else's misery: Schadenfreude. At the risk of entertaining this dark side of human nature, I stumbled upon this clip on YouTube of a man unsuccessfully attempting to reenter a kayak in CALM water.
Since we don't normally capsize in calm conditions several feet from a dock, it probably makes sense to learn to do things the right way, practice skills in a variety of settings, and to continue to educate yourself on safety techniques.
It may very well be that this waterlogged soul did take a class and learn at one point how to properly reenter his kayak using a paddle float and simply forgot some of the core principles necessary for a successful reentry.
So where did he go wrong?
In no particular order:
1) Don't use deck bungees to secure your paddle to your kayak. By design they stretch, which means the boat still turns. Keep your paddle in your hand and grip it to the cockpit coaming...that way, you're in control of your paddle.
2) Placing the paddle BEHIND the cockpit and entering over the back deck is the most stable position.
3) Be sure to secure your paddle float to the paddle shaft. Floats typically have a bit of webbing that can be wrapped around the paddle shaft and buckled or snapped into place. This will prevent the float from coming off the paddle blade.
4) Keep your weight over the paddle shaft and leaning toward the float at all times. I think it is a tremendous help to come into the cockpit on your side, looking at the float, rather than on your belly.
Imagine the scenario above if this had been a must re-enter situation...cold water, alone, and off-shore. Hypothermia is the number one cause of death for sea kayakers, and having a handle on how to reenter a kayak quickly and efficiently is critical.
I'll post a video of the "right way" to use a paddle float to reenter a kayak in a few days.
