[Paddlewise] BCU kayak entry & exit

I put a lot of folks in kayaks from a dock while demoing kayaks. It is
difficult for them to use the paddle like they were taught because the dock
is of fixed height and the lake level is varied for different seasons. What
I do and try to show them what to do is to place both feet in the center of
the cockpit in front of the seat, place one hand on the dock and the other
at the very center of the rear of the coaming. With feet and hands centered
the kayak doesn't tip and they can swing their butt over and into the seat
(or with a cockpit that is too short they can put there hand further back on
the center of the deck and slide their feet forward until they can drop
their butt into the seat). The hardest part about this is trying to keep
them from moving their hand off center, since this is the key to not tipping
the kayak.
I usually have one hand on the decklines so I can lift to keep them from
tipping one way and can push down with the same hand to keep them from
tipping the other so try as they might I haven't lost one yet.

The greatest danger to graphite paddles (at least after unfeathered ones in
the surf) is  a point load. The shaft wall is thin and pressing it very hard
into an edge that might deform it at one point will snap it at that point.
I once broke an early graphite shafted paddle by attempting to sprint a
heavily loaded Khatsalano (with 10 gallons of water aboard--Baja) to catch
and surf the steep following seas. Actually it was the first hard stroke I
took and I loaded up the paddle just as the next wave caught the blade from
behind. Sounded like a firecracker went off and there was a puff of black
dust. It broke at the stress riser where the ovalled shaft became round
again out near the blade. Luckily I didn't capsize and my partner had the
spare nearby. For David Seng--It was the original ultralight "Skypole" shaft
Lightning. They are stronger now. This may also have been a weakened paddle
because it was made from two other broken shafts that we had Hank make into
a two piece to test the feasibility of making a two piece paddle in
ultralight graphite (which hadn't been done before). We had used it as a
demo for a few years before I needed a two piece paddle to take on the plane
to Baja. While it didn't break at the joint, Lightning now uses a shaft that
is thicker at the joint and a little huskier elsewhere on the shaft as well
but it is not quite as light as that 1# 6oz. two piece I broke.
Matt Broze
http://www.marinerkayaks.com


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