Wet exit

A wet exit is the maneuver of releasing a spray skirt and swimming clear of a sit-inside kayak after it has capsized and rolled upside down, with the paddler still in the cockpit underwater. It sounds alarming described that way, but it is a short, well-practiced sequence: reach forward, pull the skirt's grab loop to release the seal, then push the skirt down and off before tucking forward and sliding out of the cockpit.

The main risk in a wet exit is panic, not physical difficulty, since being upside down and briefly underwater can trigger a strong instinct to rush. Staying tucked forward, finding the grab loop deliberately, and exhaling slowly while still upside down are the habits instructors teach to keep a wet exit calm and controlled rather than frantic, and this is exactly why it is taught and practiced in a pool or calm, shallow water before ever being needed for real.

Once clear of the boat, the next steps are usually a paddle float self-rescue or an assisted rescue with a paddling partner, which is why a wet exit is taught alongside those skills rather than on its own. We recommend learning and practicing a wet exit with a qualified instructor in controlled conditions rather than attempting it for the first time on open water; this entry describes the maneuver, it is not a substitute for that instruction.