As I watch re-entry videos I notice (all) advice, direction and several options of re-entering a kayak that has flipped and left you immersed in water appear to be exercised in kayaks relatively bare or completely barren of a normal payload for a fishing outing.

As I continue to watch more and more videos of the adventures of kayak angling I cannot help but ask the question, are these re-entry measures effective with a kayak that is fully loaded with a wide assortment of fishing tackle, techno-doodads and other items?

It would appear to me that if all of the aforementioned items remained in the yak after being flipped, - flipping the yak over and re-entry may not be as easy as 'practiced', stated or carried out in said safety videos.

For those who have flipped a fully loaded kayak, is there a gap between what is practiced and what is reality in this sort of emergency with a fully geared yak?

Comments?

Jeff

A lot depends on which Kayak you're using, some are very easy and some are dang near impossible. Your size, condition and your skills will also play a major roll as well as water temps and wind.

good question jign. this is one of the reasons so many of us have advised to rig your gear to foat & or keep it strapped or tethered while not in use. flip the yak back over and get back in. the heck with the gear till then. if it floats or is strapped down it aint going no where though. also if you cant get back in your yak due to phyisicality, you got no business yak anglin till you can IMO. if you cant get back in due to all your gear being in your way, you might rethink your setup.

This ^^^ It's all about operator error, and most of the time flipping your kayak is operator error!

My buddy who is 5'10 160 lbs, flipped his Coosa HD a couple weeks ago in calm water. He had 3 poles and fishing gear but not a lot of extra stuff packed in it. He was able to easily reach across and flip it back over using just his body weight and everything was still in the boat. I thought it was pretty good considering its 34"+ wide and 80+lbs. One nice thing was he had a towel stowed in the hull and it was a pretty cool morning.

I've often thought about the same thing. I'm pretty sure I can re-enter my cuda, but after having gotten the 17t Pro Angler, I doubt I'd be able to do anything with that beast!

My question was born out of seeing the safety videos and the way some anglers rigged their yaks - be it for fresh or saltwater.

A yak with batteries, anchors, crates or boxes, bait box, and fishing tackle would appear to culminate in a different experience with re-entry vs. a kayak without said payload.

At least I'm thinking of this stuff as I continue to research kayaks with the anticipation of becoming a member of the community in the future.

Jeff

I haven't flipped yet, when I didn't want to. I practice in my pool. Not totally geared up, but with my life jacket on. I practice because I'm not in the best shape of my life and want to be sure that I can rescue myself as needed. If i can't... maybe I should get a boat.

They say, "Prepare to flip" by using leashes and lashes and make sure that you don't lose stuff, but I would try to focus on rescuing yourself before your stuff. An ounce of prevention, etc. etc. etc.

You're gonna love yak fishing.

on lake grapevine there are classes on kayaking you go on the lake and you learn reentry on to a kayak. took me a couple times to get it down

If you haven't practiced this you should. The videos make it look really easy. I'm 6ft 220 have played sports at a high level all my life and getting back in was a lot harder than I thought initially. I figured out how to do it much easier after about 15 min. If you aren't sure you can get back in when you're tired or in cold water you should really practice.

and ^This taking a class that teaches correct paddle strokes and how to control your yak will make the whole experience much more pleasurable. Lots of folks out there trolling around with their paddle upside down.

I've only turtled once and that was in the gulf. All of my stuff was either tied down or it floated. I didn't lose anything but I did end up with a huge top-water treble hook lodged in my pants. Fortunately it didn't reach my leg. The main thing that I considered was rod-leash or rod floats. In the end I chose rod floats. My concern was that I might get tangled up in the leash. It might not be a big problem but then again if I can avoid even a small problem I will. The fact that a lure got hung in my pants demonstrated that my body interacted with the rod under water. I've intentionally jumped into the water from my outback in order to cool off and then climbed back on fully rigged. I didn't notice any problems because all of my stuff was lashed down.