Launching and Landing Solo

Before anything else, set up on land. Put the boat where the water will reach it, load and secure your gear, adjust your foot braces, put your life jacket on and zip it, and have your paddle within reach. Doing all of this while afloat is how phones end up on the bottom. Look at where you plan to land later too, because launching sites and landing sites are not always the same place, especially where tides or current are involved.

On a gentle beach or shallow bank, the simplest method is to float the boat parallel to the shore in a few centimetres of water. Place the paddle across the deck just behind the cockpit, with one blade resting on shore for support. Stand beside the seat, hold both the cockpit rim and the paddle shaft, sit down onto the back deck or seat, then swing your legs in one at a time. Push off with your hands or the paddle. Reverse the sequence to land: come in parallel, place the paddle for support, swing legs out, and stand up in the shallows.

A straight-on beach launch also works and is quicker in small waves. Sit in the boat with the stern on land and the bow floating, then push yourself forward with your fists or knuckles on the ground until the boat floats free. If small waves are running, wait for a set to pass, time your push for the moment after a wave has receded, and paddle hard and straight out for a few strokes rather than drifting sideways. Never let a beam-on boat sit in breaking waves, because it will roll and fill.

Docks require a different approach. Choose the lowest point on the dock, ideally one with a kayak launch slot. Put the paddle across the dock and the back deck, sit on the dock with your feet in the cockpit, then lower yourself onto the seat while keeping your weight over the boat rather than leaning back toward the dock. Leaning away from the boat is what causes dock capsizes. Getting out is the same in reverse, with weight low and hands supporting on the dock, and it is generally easier if you first shift onto the back deck.

Rocky or steep banks call for patience. Find the flattest ledge you can, and consider entering the boat while it is already floating with you standing thigh-deep, using a low centre of gravity and a paddle brace. Wear shoes with grip. If the surface is slick with algae, assume you will slip and move accordingly, keeping three points of contact and never carrying a loaded boat over slippery rock when you can carry gear separately in two trips.

Wind and current change the plan more than most people expect. A crosswind will pivot an unloaded kayak the moment you release it, so keep a hand on the boat and launch with the bow into the wind when possible. In current, land facing upstream by ferrying into an eddy, then step out on the downstream side of the boat. In all cases, land where you can get out with dignity rather than where the view is best. Scouting a landing for thirty seconds from twenty metres offshore saves a long walk with a boat over rocks, and the sheltered corner is usually right around the point.