The Scramble Self-Rescue

If you're going to hit the water on your own, you need to be comfortable with some self-rescue skills. Personally, I couldn't imagine hitting the water alone, without having a solid roll. And even with a good roll, you need to have a back-up plan. And you need to have practiced those things enough so that you're totally comfortable with them.

The Scramble is exactly what it sounds like. It means getting up on top and into your boat anyway that you can. And it can be an incredibly tricky thing to do.

• After flipping your kayak upright, approach your boat from the side of the stern.
• Now, pull yourself up and onto the boat and, staying as low as possible
• Throw a leg over the kayak so that you're straddling it.
• Now slowly work your way into the seat and slide your legs in.