All of a sudden, you find yourself upside down in your kayak, and you end up doing a wet exit. As you surface next to your boat,it's important to stay calm and keep your wits. First things first, and it's crucial that you hang on to your boat and paddle. Either can very quickly get away from you in windy situations, which can make a simple swim rapidly escalate into something trickier. It's best to move to the downwind side of you boat, either by ducking under or working around the side of your boat. Assisted rescues are generally easiest, but there are several reasons that a solo rescue might be needed. Obviously, paddling alone creates situations, but even paddling with a buddy you might need to do a solo re-entry. If you've capsized accidentally, there is no guarantee that your paddling partner will be able to help you, they might be struggling too. This skill set shows you how to do one, the Paddlefloat re-entry.
Next, find you paddlefloat, and slip it over your paddle blade. If using an inflatable, now is the time to inflate it. While doing this, it can be helpful to put a leg inside the cockpit, to free your hands. Right your boat, if possible lift it as high as you can as you flip it, with helps reduce the amount of water scooped into your cockpit. You can take a moment now to pump some water from your cockpit, but if hypothermia is a concern, it's best to just to get yourself out of the water quickly.
If using a boat pre-rigged with attachments for the paddlefloat, now is the time to fasten the paddle. Position your self just behind the cockpit, and grasp the paddle in the hand closest to the cockpit. Hold the paddle against the edge of the cockpit by grabbing both simultaneously. Give a good strong kick and get your chest up onto the back deck of the kayak.
Get your feet out onto the paddle shaft, helping stabilize yourself.
Here comes the balancing act! Carefully start to turn your body, keeping your chest against the deck and turning to face the stern of the kayak. As you turn your body, get one leg into your cockpit, keeping the other leg on the shaft until you can get your arm on it. Always keep a little weight out on the paddlefloat
Once Both legs are into the cockpit, keep some pressure on the paddlefloat, and scoot backward until your hips are over the seat. Once there, carefully twist and drop your butt into the seat. Although it feels like you're done, you've still got a few important steps
Now you're in your boat, but you've probably got water sloshing around in the cockpit. Keep the paddlefloat out there, to help keep you upright. In rough water, you might need to put your skirt on, otherwise water can wash into your cockpit as fast as you can pump it out. You n can separate a small section of skirt on the side and slip your pump in, or sometimes you can put the pump down the tunnel of the skirt. Once you've got yourself re situated in the kayak, your skirt on, and the water out. You'll want to take the paddlefloat off. In rough water it's often easiest to clip it to your deck still inflated, and worry about deflating it once you reach calmer water or raft up with another paddler.
