[Paddlewise] BCU kayak entry & exit

I was looking at the BCU training/testing requirements for 1 and 2 star 
certification and saw something confusing.  One of the first items that the 
student needed to demonstrate was getting in and out of the kayak without 
using a paddle.  I think it said something else like "paddle must be kept 
nearby within reach".  I have always used a paddle across the back deck for 
extra support when getting in and out of the kayak. Is there something wrong 
with using the paddle (ie I should never be doing this) or is this a test to 
master and demonstrate balance, (ie it is good to learn but it is not 
necessarily the way you always do it) or is there some other reason (such as 
I completely misunderstood what was being said).  

Rest of the descriptions made very good sense and gave my some good ideas for 
things to practice.  I was reading from the selections at 
http://www.bcu.org.uk/Coaching/pdfdocs.htm.

Hope some of you BCU coaches can enlighten me.

Mark J. Arnold
MJAkayaker_at_aol.com



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