Here is one way of getting back into your sea kayak with assistance. This is my preferred assisted rescue which works well in both calm and very rough conditions.

To start, the rescuer positions the emptied boat alongside theirs. It works better if they are bow to stern (but it’s not essential). The rescuer holds onto the decklines of the boat being rescued in front of the cockpit.

The person in the water moves around to the side of their kayak and, if possible, reaches over to grab the decklines of the rescuers boat in front of the rescuer’s cockpit. They then put the leg nearest the front of their boat into the cockpit. It should then be possible to roll up onto the kayak. They can then put the other leg into the cockpit and roll over into their seat. In the video below, Gordon continues to rotate in the same direction as he started to sit down. I prefer to rotate the other way so that I can continue to hold onto the rescuer’s deckline (you’ll see that Gordon had to let go).

It’s really important that the rescuer continues to hold onto the decklines until the person being rescued has put their spraydeck back on, has their paddle (the right way around) and is ready to paddle away.

The secret to success with this method is keeping your centre of gravity low over the boat as you roll up on to the boat. It’s then pretty easy.

This does require regular practice – we’ll be running some practice sessions when the river warms up a bit!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-zpJQeiaNc