Sea Kayak Self Rescue - The Ladder

ADVERTISING

LuxoGear Emergency Whistles with Lanyard

Shop now »

NOCO Genius GEN5X2, 2-Bank, 10A (5A/Bank) Smart Marine Battery Charger

Shop now »

RHINO USA Boat Trailer Transom Straps (2PK)

Shop now »

LUCKY Kayak Portable Fish Depth Finder

Shop now »

Seaview 180 V3 Full Face Snorkel Mask

Shop now »

Most popular comments
for Sea Kayak Self Rescue - The Ladder

Live comments
Comments on YouTube

Slavko Pekaric - 6 years ago

Great self-rescue skills! Btw, is that an Aquarius Trek kayak? Looks a lot like it, if not, it's very similar...

Игорь Кудрявцев - 6 years ago

Круто.

bowrudder - 6 years ago

A.k.a. cowboy scramble.

tomytron1 - 7 years ago

Nice to see an actual demo in real conditions

THE Gramma Chronicles - 7 years ago

WOW! Yet another reason I only kayak on lakes LOL

sierra mk - 7 years ago

i have tried this technique. ineffective if the boat is a crossover too wide at the back. rolling and heel hook is better.

Chris - 8 years ago

how the heck did the paddle stay in place? !

Nicky L - 8 years ago

If you slow it down to .25 and go to : 45 you can see that there is a paddle leash in use

fasignal - 8 years ago

way to go

Joe Doe - 8 years ago

but will it work in rough water? lol Great video.

Lance Smith - 7 years ago

10. comment for Sea Kayak Self Rescue - The Ladder

frokostjuicen - 8 years ago

just what i was looking for. great post. impressive skills!!!!!!!

GulfCoastGirl5 - 8 years ago

Pretty gd impressive man! I would have been shitting myself and crying for mommy :P

Nicky L - 8 years ago

Maybe it's bc I live next to the Gulf of Mexico that I always have a snorkeling kit ( snorkel , mask , swim fins ) in my hold Self -rescues and /or long tows are so much easier when wearing swim fins In addition I have grab handles mounted immediately fore and aft of my cockpit and installed perpendicular to the long axis of my hull

Iam free - 8 years ago

You better keep a good hold on that kayak or you will be swimming across the ocean. Good to see a video in the conditions I go in. I have para cord all around the deck and my 16ft ocean kayak can haul 425 lbs so you could ladder a whale on it. I always keep my back deck clean of anything so I can back mount into the cock pit easily. I carry nothing except safety stuff and nothing in the cockpit itself.

Todd Harvey - 8 years ago

Capsized on lake yesterday! Now I know what to do.but, cheap rec kayak, so will bring a bailing cup next time. The 300 yd swim pulling the kayak was draining.

Keith Parrish - 8 years ago

Ddnt even know that as possible! thanks!!

Becky - 8 years ago

Excellent!

Rubén Darío Ríos Silva - 9 years ago

Ahora que estoy iniciándome en este mundillo del kayak con el Club Kayak Vigo, ole ole y ole a este artista que demuestra en situaciones reales como hay que volver a subirse al kayak en una situación real y fastidiada. A mi me queda aprender esto en aguas tranquilas jejeje

Richard Wells - 9 years ago

Thank you, nice see it in 'real' conditions.

McTraveler - 9 years ago

I practiced this on a calm river until I was exhausted (my sister too). My bungee cord plastic little thing over my latch was scraping our legs BAD. in life/death who cares, but made all out attempts painful. This girl needs more upper body strength to make it rest of way in the yak. Great job!

20. comment for Sea Kayak Self Rescue - The Ladder

Shunto99 - 9 years ago

not on my best day... nice going man!

Irony Itch - 9 years ago

Impressive!!! Great demonstration, given the fact that its done in a dynamic waters. :) I havent try this one yet, next on my list! Obviously, a secure line for a paddle is a good idea ...

Nick Davis - 9 years ago

This is much more appealing to watch then that fat red head guy on Tosh.0 who couldn't do this people just love to hate don't they

Pablo Enrique Tirabassi - 9 years ago

Wow !!

FLiTVnetwork - 9 years ago

one bad dude..

Joseph Saeteurn - 10 years ago

indeed nice self rescue. just like everything the more you practice the better you will get so get out there and practice

santacruzer - 10 years ago

nice example in actual conditions we see.

Agnieszka B - 10 years ago

Nice done - thank you. I do kayak -- however I am not good swimmer so your video shows me how to rescue my self ;) Thank you.

emmanuel cachia - 10 years ago

good one

evolve749 - 10 years ago

Could this be done in a rec kayak? I'm thinking the added width might make it difficult.

Severin Piper - 9 years ago

A recreational kayak does not have the bulkheads that sea kayaks do. Many recreational kayaks have a bulked only in the stern (back) of the boat. If you want to flip a recreational kayak, you need to make sure there is floatation at both ends so that either the entire kayak does not sink, or one end does not sink while the other end sticks up like a needle above the water.

Ÿ ^_^ łô - 9 years ago

Take it to a lake and give it a shot

30. comment for Sea Kayak Self Rescue - The Ladder

Paul Morgan - 10 years ago

brettcorrea77 - 10 years ago

This video pisses me off. I can barely self rescue on a lake. I have a sea kayak, and it feels much more stable in waves so maybe that would help. Great job love seeing people do this so easy, it gives me hope.

Andrew Macdonald - 10 years ago

Wow...he made that look easy. I take it the paddle is on a leash.

Sameman0 - 10 years ago

Very brave boy, does not afraid sharks...

John Carroll - 10 years ago

Brilliant little video, done in pretty difficult conditions. I couldn't do it training in a swimming pool, must practice.

TheMrfox5000 - 10 years ago

Nice job. Could be hard to stay calm in those type of conditions

RoadCasted - 11 years ago

DAM NATURE, U SCARY!!

Ray Watson - 11 years ago

Nice to see a real life open sea situation, And of course you had a foot operated pump to get rid of any water taken on board. Most plastic production boats have no bulkheads to minimize flooding, and no pumps. Vale William McCallum, 27, from Adelaide, who was lost at sea from his kayak, off Dover, Tasmania, Australia . August 2013, gifted artist, musician. Stay safe everyone.

aircanuck - 11 years ago

I tried this reentry with my boat, but it has a rudder. Now I can't have babies.

Romany1111 - 11 years ago

Good re-entry. Usually call that a "Cowboy" entry in the States. What are you securing your paddle to? Didn't see a tether on it....

AnEssentialQuality - 11 years ago

I love the way the swell calmed just as you entered the kayak. Almost like the sea was saying, "Oh this guy is no mug, let's give him a break!" :-) Great technique, well demonstrated in real world conditions. Thank you.

Nick Henton - 11 years ago

nice job-real world type conditions

John Coulbourn - 11 years ago

Nice move. It's probably easier doing that with the wave action than it would be in a pool.

Michael James Rowland - 11 years ago

I agree with jmpurser, good to see it done in challenging conditions. Thanks.

claudio franco - 11 years ago

este tipo es un recapo!!

Dantastic - 11 years ago

Awesome technique. I wouldn't have thought to flip it over from one end like that to avoid filling the boat with water.

DracoDewey - 11 years ago

HATS OFF YO YOU!! WOW! I struggled with this method of self rescue a lot when we were in a calm pool during our certification. THe fact that you can do this that quickly shows a lot of skill!

vivitar45 - 11 years ago

might help to losse some waight be easyer to get back in and the boat not so low in the water

AlpenViews - 11 years ago

If you don't have a leash, run the paddle forward under the bow lines.

PaddleDogC5 - 11 years ago

I have a CD Nomad with a small 15.5" x 29" cockpit and it would be impossible for me to d with my size 6' 225 lb My Solstice may be.

Fred van Viegen - 7 years ago

Valley Nordkapp ocean cockpit. I'm 6,23 feet, this won't work for my either. I guess with my length this wouldn't even be possible with a larger cockpit!

50. comment for Sea Kayak Self Rescue - The Ladder

PaddleDogC5 - 11 years ago

I think this is the only real world rescue on you tube. Others are just flat water BS.

goev1390 - 11 years ago

It will if you have it in a paddle leash I guess.

Al Kaholic - 11 years ago

Great to see it done in real life sea conditions not a pool or calm lake. I notice that rather than letting the waves be a hinderance, it appears you're using them to your advantage - climbing forward in sync with the waves and using their momentum to lift you forward. (Looks that way to me anyway.) Great demonstration!

Al Kaholic - 11 years ago

True. The tutorials in a pool or calm lake are better than nothing, but while watching I always wonder how practical they'd be in a choppy sea and whether you'd be able to manage it at all. Much better to see a real life demonstration!

iviewthetube - 11 years ago

This is definitely one of the most impressive kayak re-entries on YouTube. Just one question: Will a paddle usually stay put under the boat like that?

Antonius Carbonius - 11 years ago

Try to do it when fully loaded

Antonius Carbonius - 11 years ago

Try d

glass house - 11 years ago

hahahaha!! me too!..How I wonder!

mike gill - 12 years ago

Very well done!!!, but PLEASE SEA KAYAKERS!!!!! NEVER LET GO OF YOUR PADDLE!!!! And you don't need a paddle leash, that is substituting equipment for skill, okay.. bring an extra paddle ... and then it's okay!!

Kakashi101sensi - 12 years ago

That must be ethe\ier a very peaceful moment in the face of danger, or extremely tiring and scary with the waves just comming, and comming.

jmpurser - 12 years ago

Nice. I also appreciate seeing a recovery done in water conditions that might actually case a recovery to be necessary! Usually they're in a pool or on flat calm water and I wonder how they fell out in the first place. Thank you.

Soul Daddy - 12 years ago

too rough for my taste/ nice demo tho

iviewthetube - 12 years ago

@ladedk For sure. If you are going to go over it is likely that you are going to go over when there are waves like this.

Happy Angler - 12 years ago

Thanks for the tips, I think I could actually do that. Time to practice !

PaddleDogC5 - 12 years ago

to bad this is the only video of self rescue in some rough water I have seen even in videos I have bought. Thanks for real life video and your great skills.

Racing Singles - 13 years ago

intense

William Jones - 13 years ago

you got me there

William Jones - 13 years ago

@WALSTEADH0USE You're adorable

William Jones - 13 years ago

@WALSTEADH0USE It's a Mayan Seas Performa L. I have surfed all my life, so standing on water-borne vessels is not a problem. Do you have a special process for getting out of your bathtub too? : )

DENMONKEY - 13 years ago

PhotoArt Showcase - 13 years ago

Outstanding and memorable, thank you.

shirleymae30 - 13 years ago

Nice manuver to get back in the kayak. For some others ways to reboard and a lot of other great info, check out the video "practical kayaking", by dolphins eye productions. ( I am not a kayaker, but i am actually in a small part of the movie, discussing the dangers of hypothermia). It was a good video that all kayakers should watch.

William Jones - 13 years ago

You don't have to make it so complicated. You can turn the boat over from the middle. You can also climb in straight over the rail into the cockpit. Just use common sense. It's like the old dictum "NEVER STAND IN A CANOE!" I stand in my canoe and kayak all the time while taking photos. I have this thing called "balance."

NilezII - 13 years ago

Isn't it amazing how much more stable the kayak seems once he actually gets IN the cockpit? I tried this today-it felt really wobbly when I was on TOP of the rear deck.

NilezII - 13 years ago

When I've done the "emptying" part, I do bob under a little, but my 'yak does flip easily with a wrist flick, and all but about 2" of water falls out, unlike a reenrty & roll, where the cockpit is almost 1/2 full of water.

richardmilk - 13 years ago

@BigDsKayaking the easiest way to have the paddle secure is to have a little rope with a snap hook or something in your kayak where you can easily attach the paddle to the hook in these circumstances. Not sure if the guy used this though.

Don Thompson - 13 years ago

How does the paddle stay where you want it to?

DENMONKEY - 13 years ago

I just purchased a couple of SOT kayaks and plan on taking friends out for a day paddling. To go with me though they will need to do 2 thing first, put on the pfd I provide them and get themselves back onto the yak 3 times successfully whilst in the water near the shore. If they can't or won't do these things, then I'm afraid they won't be coming with me :(

wwwtotalitaerde - 14 years ago

The German state uses his secret service BND to systematically rape, torture and murder. My brother Markus Bott had been tortured during five and a half years. I recorded more than 450 hours on video which ended in the legal system. The BND continued under cover of the legal sytem to torture my brother for one and a half years. My brother was assassinated on 11.7.09 because of our homepage linked on my chanel. Whatever lie german snitchers tell you: Germany is the worst torture state on earth.

John Dickson - 14 years ago

Thank you ! Life saving clip

Kaydo G - 14 years ago

@73mandala And you know it can change in an instant you know all the skills and everything u need to know to survive and you shouldn't go out if you don't

Kaydo G - 14 years ago

@73mandala I don't think any one wud have gone out into bad conditions where they cud die without all the knowledge needed..

dinnerandashow - 14 years ago

One person didn't want you to survive.

Audiolaboratory - 14 years ago

When my kayak flips, I can never seem to get it upright again without it scooping up a ton of water.

Big Back - 14 years ago

wow nice

robert gillies - 14 years ago

@ripazhakgggdkp notice how he purposely used both arms to lift the bow clear of the water. This drained the cockpit water while the bow was stood up over his head, and then a quick flip as he set the kayak down right side up. I'd make sure during self rescue training that a person would practice this with items inside the bulkheads you'd expect to be carrying so you know your physical strength at lifting the bow overhead.

robert gillies - 14 years ago

Nice example for us beginners to see what it's really like in the environs other than a pool or placid lake. This demo also makes one think of how having "stuff" bungee or strapped to the top deck can pose a possible snag against clambering up the "ladder". Thanks for sharing.

BlackJackzOO - 14 years ago

wow! what a video! I'm going to be doing some ocean kayaking in extremely mild conditions. Nice to see this video- now to practice it in the lake before heading out!

rory sutherland - 14 years ago

lol, if youre good enough to do that in those conditions, I doubt you would blow your roll! great video- In the next one could we see it done only using one arm? :)

ripazhakgggdkp - 14 years ago

The only thing i do not understand, is how was all the water drained from the inside of the kayak?

theninja001 - 14 years ago

@NLKayaker i would stick the paddle through the straps on the deck

NLKayaker - 14 years ago

Not sure that I would just let my paddle go - like in this video. There's no use of a paddle leash so he's only relying on the boat to "trap" the paddle, I'd hold the paddle in my hands and, when I'm ready to drop my @rse into the cockpit, I'd have the paddle ready for a brace!! This is obviously not the "be all and end all" videos on how to do a scramble rescue!!

Alex McGruer - 14 years ago

Nice video. This deserves practice... I have become far to reliant on my roll. I found that out on January first in frigid water (on purpose) then again in a swim pool last night.

Dennis Barnes - 14 years ago

Great skill very well executed.

orkcooper - 14 years ago

@787tommyt Bull! most of the females I know can do this better than re-entry roll. nothing to do with strength! huge cockpit like his helps right enough. better of bombproofing your roll, if you ever come out of your boat conditions mean self rescue is pretty near impossible..

Jersey Kayak Adventures - 14 years ago

Good video. It is a technique you need to practice to make it as slick as this.

assanyuri - 14 years ago

molto bravo. Io personalmente avrei incastrato la pagaia sotto una cima di prua, in primo luogo per non perderla ed in secondo per aumentare la stabilità.

Thomas Grove - 15 years ago

he made that look so easy when as i found out the other day it is not

gruuz - 15 years ago

bravo, the keyhole cockpit help is thi case. I never suceed empying my kayak like Leo. It stay stuck to the water...

ladedk - 15 years ago

For once a rescue technique is actually shown in real life conditions.

100. comment for Sea Kayak Self Rescue - The Ladder

Harley Lewin - 15 years ago

pretty good to demo how to cowboy reentry but you better have one large cockpit to drop in that way esp. with the boots on. For me, I'd rather roll and if that fails, loop a foot in the boat (right side up), get the balloon on the paddle then flip the boat over me and do a quick reentry roll. You better be really lucky and highly skilled to do a cowboy entry with the winds and waves we face off of Maine

787tommyt - 15 years ago

Nicely done. Good technique if you have the right boat (low aft deck, no rudder, nothing tied on aft deck), if you are strong enough (this eliminates all of the ladies of our paddling group), and the seas cooperate (in our 29 years of paddling, this would not have worked in any of the few instances we personally know of that caused a dump to occur). Good to add this to ones repertoire. Like all techniques, make sure you practice them in as close to real conditions as possible. Thanks again.

qazwas2001 - 15 years ago

I've wanted to see a self-rescue in less than ideal water. Well done.

souldaughter18 - 15 years ago

a tip from experience, dont try that one with bare legs!

Alex Larson - 15 years ago

excellent technique! Thanks for posting. I was only aware of the standard paddle float technique.

Donald Perley - 15 years ago

I'm a fan of re-enter and roll too. How does this guy lift a kayak (with some water in it) to arm's length overhead, unless maybe he can stand on the bottom? For sure you don't get much kicking power wearing mucklucks.

MetaView7 - 15 years ago

I am getting sea sick watching it.

Key2Be - 15 years ago

Yes this is my favourite way aswell. Fumbling with a paddle float can be very time and energy consuming.

Karl Geisel - 15 years ago

Most people can't lift the bow that high in the water on their own. Why empty the boat? The cockpit gets filled up over the next 5 waves that hit the boat! This rescue might be worth a try if you're paddling solo, but I doubt your average paddler would physically be able to perform it.

WillForsberg - 16 years ago

I like it... I climb up from the back too as long as the boat doesn't have a rudder which will castrate you...or a bunch of gear tied on the back deck. Another good reason to not have a rudder or carry stuff on your rear (rescue platform) deck.