And it's not only kayakers. I recall several instances over the years when I was a power boater where other power boats cut off my water and when the driver could not back his/her trailer down the ramp.

Unfortunately, we have a disproportionate number of "that guy" kayakers because many kayakers are new to boating. As kayak fishing become more mainstream, it should get better over time. Threads like this certainly help. 614 people have already read it... I'm sure a few of them are "that guy" and will now be more mindful of their surroundings.

I avoid using ramps whenever possible. Still car top my kayak even though I did purchase a trailer last year, have used it once. I'd rather carry my kayak on my head 50 yards from parking spot and put it down near waters edge away from ramp than deal with anyone or anything ramp related. Too many kayakers and boaters taking too much time at the ramp.

Most boat launches that are in lakes there is plenty of shoreline where a kayaker doesn't need to use the ramp and compete with the PB'ers.
The problems occur where a ramp is the only access point for a boater or kayaker to put in, such as a river with a narrow one or two lane ramp.

Yep. In those cases I'll just unload kayak on the far outside edge of ramp, slide it on down and then lift it over the curb and on to the rocks. It will take a real idiot to back over it at that point. As long as those waiting know you're trying to help speed things up, they are normally pretty understanding.

Here is a typical scenario: You have a boat ramp that has limited bank access to beach a boat, and a long narrow boat ramp, maybe a one or two lane.
To give a visual I'll compare a kayaker to a school of fish that may travel in pairs or maybe up to three or four.
As one kayaker beaches his kayak and stretches his legs and starts to arrange his gear, another kayaker who was paddling a distance behind pulls up and the process starts over, and then maybe a third pulls up.
They may or may not know each other, and then the usual small talk begins, and then maybe even the congratulatory fist bumping and story telling begins, and the time for photos with the stringers before anyone even attempts to retrieve their kayaks while during all of this socializing there is a good chance someone has now arrived, or has been sitting a while waiting on the first guy, and then the others trickle in, and they are still waiting their turn to either put in or pull out.
I've sat at the top of the ramp while the first guy showed up, and I had no problem although the first kayaker was a bit slow, but then as the others started showing up, and that just multiplied the problem.
This is when you have to break up the party and either ask them to move over, or start backing down the long ramp and getting the dirty looks as they have to start moving out of the way, to which I apologize for breaking up the party.
Usually when a boater shows up there may be more than one person, so usual the protocol is one guy gets out of the boat to retrieve the vehicle while the other cast off from the bank and sits in the boat off away from the ramp waiting for his partner to get in line, and then back down the ramp to load and get out.
A single boater knows he has to tie off to the side, because he himself can't back down into the water with his boat in the way.
Kayakers are more tight knit and social, even with how they fish around other kayakers, where if it were other boaters they would be less tolerant.
I know most people can afford a kayak, moreso than owning a boat, and thus more kayakers are new to the boat ramp unwritten rules, although some boat ramps have them posted, but the more you get out around the boat ramps, the more you understand what starts to drive people crazy, and makes blood pressure rise.

at Lake A
i can pull over to 1 side
offload
& be gone
in 3 minutes
no need to back down the ramp

When i used to launch at GYB saw a few kayakers take up both ramps at 530 when everyone is trying to launch, it was not pointed out in a nice way, but I think they got the point. Here in our neighborhood we have a launch on the river and its got a big yellow stripe down the middle I have almost bumped mirrors with more than a few who thought a 40" wide boat ramp was for 1 vehicle. I am a boater and yakker also.

Turn your darn head lights off as well!

Hey Tin Star, Jimbo, and others! Chad Hoover also has a very good older video on launching a kayak where he goes over a *lot* of the things in this post:

Chad - Launching a Kayak

This post is probably preaching to the choir just a bit!! It's probably not the enlightened, thoughtful, and careful researchers on this site that are the problem. Not that this thread is a bad idea! There may be some people out there that just don't know, and that doesn't make them a bad person! I was that guy once upon a time, and I'm a new kayaker with my son out there, so I know I need to learn more as well. I was glad to find Chad Hoover's videos and few others like Yak Motley. All good stuff.

I never intended to paint those folks who may be "that person" as bad people, and I also mentioned that it's my belief that they just don't know, since most probably never owned a power boat and used a boat launch, as the popularity and affordability is the rule, more people are getting into the sport.
Some of those folks who own power boats are just as guilty and due to the same reason of just not knowing.
Usually the single kayaker or boater is not the problem, it's when you get two, three, or more using the ramp at one time. Mainly because they spread out across a ramp, and are all going to move at their own pace, and you aren't waiting on a single person using the ramp. It's made worse if they lose focus as a group, and do what groups do, or start taking photos etc.
Those things are better done at the parking lot after the kayaks and gear or loaded up.
I think maybe this is where the confusion is, and not blaming a single kayaker, when saying there is a trend that needs to be addressed.
As a kayaker when I've seen this, it embarrasses me, but being a bully and approaching anyone at the ramp isn't the answer either, so maybe those who don't know will read this topic and watch those videos.
I'm glad Chad Hoover addressed it as well with his video, so it's not just me or a few of the older "get off my lawn" bunch either.

Oh yeah, I know you didn't mean anything bad Jimbo, and I agree that (hopefully) they just don't know. There are always some that just don't care, whether kayak or boat. I was just trying to relate to my own experience as a new boater years ago, and now a new kayaker as well. We were all new at some point. I have never fished a kayak tournament (or any other tournament), so my experience is nill in that regard. I can see that being an issue though between the 2 groups.

I have a serious question here though - Is it up to us as people that already know the right way to say something (and possibly provoke a response), or do we let it go and hope they learn by example?

and this thread...

It's not just you for sure, and I'm just about to join the "get of my lawn" bunch!

SO... going back through this post, I've seen this question has been discussed. I'm sure it will depend on the particular situation.