How To Self Rescue on a Fishing Kayak

[@dougms9790]

Megan, you are such an incredible person for going through the hassle of demonstrating this safety procedure, not once, but TWICE!!!!

[@Bob-mr8ck]

This is my second summer fishing from my Salty so I'm still learning. On an early Monday morning, I was fishing a protected bay in MA. No one on the water but me. The wind was blowing maybe 10 mph against the tide with some chop. I was approaching some birds working, reached behind me to grab my rod, and out of nowhere my kayak flipped and I was in the water. As the saying goes - I thought it would never happen to me. I was wearing a PFD and pulled myself to the side of my flipped kayak to compose myself. Thank God I watched this video shortly after getting my Salty and I always have Megan's rope stirrup tied to my kayak. I uprighted the kayak by grabbing and pulling on the prop, put one foot in the stirrup, and pushed up with my foot as I pulled myself back on to my kayak. I don't know if I could I pulled myself into the kayak without the foot stirrup. I had never practiced this self-rescue but wish I had. It would have lowered my stress level. But everything worked out. Thank you Megan and Old Town.

[@777sgiles]

Thank you sooo much! I’ll not get back in my sportsman till I make that rope to attach to it. I’m 5’1” so I can relate about short arms. I think I’ll put another loop on the other side as well.

[@fmlstewart]

Having flipped my Predator PDL, twice, I can say, anyone over 200lbs is not going to be able to slowly climb back in like that without the kayak flipping back over on you. You really have to get horizontal on top of the water and launch yourself over the gunnel quickly while kicking hard. If you attempt to get back in and it flips back over on you, go to the bow and try to climb in over the nose. You really have to stay balanced, but it can be done.

[@bigwater_outdoors]

I just fell out of my Bigwater 132 pdl Saturday Dec 18 and I had a hard time getting back in and once in I tried to get back in the seat and the whole yak rolled on me. Gonna have to try the rope idea

[@TexasFishinGal1]

Great demonstration! I have the sportsman 106 paddle. I need to get out and see if I can re enter. The rope idea is great.

[@Greenearthpluswaves]

I’m a pretty tall guy, but the Hobie angler is wide, This is a great idea. I wouldn’t necessarily need it for help getting into the kayak. But I think if my hobie is flipped, it can be really difficult to get it flipped back over And if I can reach under and grab that rope from the other side and pull while I push up with the other side Or potentially even push down in the water with my foot in the rope, while pushing up on the kayak on my side, it may help flip a heavy set up much easier

[@OldTownCanoeKayak]

Glad we could offer some advice. Safety is always the top priority!

[@mrb401]

I think this is a good idea for calmer/freshwater applications. In a situation where there is current/chop & wind in saltwater, the rope could be disastrous. If your whole foot/calf goes through the loop, vs just the bottom, you could be in a sticky scenario and dragged wherever the ocean decides to take you. Nonetheless, a good tip for certain conditions!

[@OldTownCanoeKayak]

That is a great point, always be aware of the effect that current and wave conditions may have on your kayak.

[@markskibo5159]

Awesome , I have the 136 autopilot. This is the movie I needed to see , That foot booster would probably be the only way I would get back in !!!! Also your personality reminded me of the REM Song Shiny Happy People !!! 😋Rock On .

[@madam497]

Wow the stability😍

[@mediumfast]

For kayaks that ARE actually flippable, it's best to put your stirrup on the bow or stern handle to ensure you aren't capsizing the boat trying to pull yourself up.

[@TheRealGrandadNo1]

Good video, but this demo' is on a flat calm lake. If you did capsize, the kayak would almost certainly be upside down, so you need to show how you would right the kayak first. Try it on the sea and it is a whole new ball game! Thank you for posting.

[@claudiaweber7011]

Love my Old Town 106MK, very stable and steady. Love your video and appreciate it very much. Thank you. 👍😎💦

[@williamgwynn6624]

That oldtown kyak looks like a great kyak

[@OldTownCanoeKayak]

Thanks! The kayak she finds herself in is the Old Town Sportsman PDL 120 - it has a pontoon-style hull, so it is incredibly stable. And it is propelled by a pedal drive system which means your hands are free to focus on fishing. Manufactured and assembled in Old Town, Maine, USA!

[@patriciaward3207]

Thanks for posting this video, as someone your same size I like the assist with the rope.

[@OldTownCanoeKayak]

Thanks Patricia, glad you found this helpful.

[@robertday2364]

A thoughtful self rescue re-entry system on Old Town would be a great selling point. The many comments highlight the desire for something and pit falls of rope alone, being fully rigged, etc. Is there a video showing use of the old/auto drive to right the yak?

[@user-zc5ft9nw9b]

I used to work on 250m long warships and your kayak looks wider than them 😁 jk obviously, but in all seriousness, thats a stable beast right there, the stability must help when doing a self rescue? My kayak is about 30 inch's wide, this old town looks twice that.

[@OldTownCanoeKayak]

Absolutely! Megan is in the Sportsman 120 PDL in this video, which is 36" wide.

[@HuyFishin]

Sweet! thanks for the tips!

[@OldTownCanoeKayak]

You bet!

[@TheCopperFrog]

Great video! I am bigger too, so this was very helpful.

[@blaircox1589]

Cool. Now do it fully loaded with all the gear on the tracks that will be in the way.

[@OldTownCanoeKayak]

We agree that you should be experienced in self-rescue with your kayak rigged the way you fish in it, but it’s a good idea to start small in a controlled environment, perfect your method, and build up to real-world situations from there.

[@reelingwithrocha2830]

That’s if it doesn’t all float away😩

[@toail8624]

Having the rope long enough to be on the opposite side of entry serves 2 purposes, 1: if you actually flip the boat using that rope coming over the bottom of the boat and using your body weight will help in uprising the boat, 2: gives you a place to grab as you pull yourself into the boat, removing the need to grab components that are not meant to support weight.

[@mv3722]

Was is hard to slide the seat back . I noticed that the seat was set way back and your legs are short. This could be an issue getting back into the kayak.

[@G1Fishing]

Most of the times people go over board is when the kayak actually tips over up side down. I guess the more important information is on "how to bring your kayak right side up in deep water." Good video nonetheless.

[@OldTownCanoeKayak]

Good point. It can be a trick and is worthy of practice. When the kayak is flipped all the way over, the angler/kayaker should try to climb onto the bottom of the kayak hull (midship, near where the side handle is located). Then, grab the opposite side handle, using their weight to roll the kayak back over. If available, a rope, cordage, etc helps increase the amount of leverage when tied off to the opposite handle prior to rolling the kayak. Hope this helps!

[@fmlstewart]

I'm not saying it's the best technique, but in an emergency, the PDL sticking up in the air provides a lot of leverage to pull it back over.

[@jelly_fishing]

Nice video - liked the idea of the rope - I think if you make the rope attach to the other end, it will also help flip the kayak over and then enter the kayak ? Any feedback on that ? Thanks for the suggestions on safety

[@OldTownCanoeKayak]

That is a great idea. On the PDL kayaks you can also grab onto the bottom of the drive (which will be pointing up into the air) and use that to flip the kayak back over.

[@jelly_fishing]

@@OldTownCanoeKayak Thanks I have an MK106 Sportsman

[@martinlarkin9624]

Megan, what size of rope was used in this video?