How to Get Into a Kayak and Launch Safely

Nobody capsizes mid-lake. They capsize at the beach, one leg in, phone in pocket, in front of everyone. Getting into a kayak and launching is the wobbliest thirty seconds of kayaking - and completely learnable.

Low, central, and in control.

The Principles Behind Every Entry

Low and central

Your body low, your weight over the centreline. All the wobble lives above knee height.

Three points of contact

Keep three points of contact until you're seated - two hands and something.

Use the paddle

Laid across the boat behind the seat (and bridged to shore or bottom), the paddle becomes an outrigger.

Launching From a Beach (the Easy One)

1. Float it

Float the kayak in shin-deep water, nose pointing out - never launch side-on to even tiny waves.

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2. Straddle, sit, feet in

Sit-on-tops make this genuinely easy, which is why beginners start on them. We explain the boat types in Kayaking for Beginners in Australia: How to Get Started.

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3. Push off and paddle

Seated? Hands or paddle-push till you're floating free, then paddle before wobbling gets a vote.

Riverbanks, Ramps and Pontoons (the Wobblier Ones)

• From a low bank or ramp: kayak parallel to the edge, sit on the edge beside the seat, weight on hands, lower in - bum first, feet second.

• Pontoons and jetties add height, and height is difficulty - use the lowest point, keep grip on the dock till you're seated, and accept help without shame.

• Getting out is entry in reverse, and it's where the classic swim happens: get to shallow water or grip the dock BEFORE unweighting.

Common Beginner Mistakes

• Standing in the kayak. Ever.

• One foot in, one on land, boat drifting - the split. Commit or stay ashore.

• Launching with everything loose: leash the paddle, stow the bag, pocket nothing you love. The Before You Launch checklist on our Resources page covers it.

• Side-on to waves at any point of the process.

Once you're in, the hard part's done. Next comes picking the right water, covered in Where to Go Kayaking in Australia (and Where Not To), and what to do if you end up back out, covered in How to Get Back in Your Kayak After You Capsize.

Link to downloadable resource: Before You Launch

You'll find how to read the wind and water, why the jacket goes on first, and what a float plan is. Download or print the PDF with full details and keep it in your kit. The phone download version is a quick overview reminder list.

Source: technique aligned with Paddle Australia and Paddle Queensland instruction.