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PostPosted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 8:35 pm 
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Newbie here. I've been doing my homework and ready to join the fun but I have one question. How do you board your PA? I have yet to see any videos that show someone entering or exiting their boat. Is it possible to board with out getting wet feet? I'm 6'4" and have concerns about the balance challenges of getting on or off this craft, as well as standing to fish. Is the H-bar the way to go? Appreciate all helpful responses and any video available, thanks!


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2016 9:39 am 
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Wet feet will depend on your launch. As far as stability, it doesn't get any better. I just grab the seat for balance and step in and sit down. No worries, it's a breeze. Same basic exit, just stand up, hold the seat and step out....again depending on launch site.

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PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2016 11:53 am 
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Unless you are dockside, your feet will be in the water!

I found this product solves my launching/wet feet problems http://www.outdoorplay.com/Kokatat-Hydr ... unch-Socks
They are not cheap, but the pair I have are now 4 years old and not leaking.

Make sure the rudder and Mirage Drive is not installed and your paddle is within easy reach if you need it......I have the "T-handle" installed and a coiled leash attached so I don't lose the paddle.
It's normally stored on the left side, behind my seat in the "taco clip".

I enter/launch my PA 14 on the right side, in about 12" of water, lift the left foot into the kayak, grab the seat, push off with the right foot while entering the PA and sit down.
At this point, I use my paddle and deploy the rudder until it's deep enough to insert the Mirage drive and get going.

Take your time and you will quickly master the process......when returning, make sure you pull out the Mirage drive and at the last moment retract the rudder.....I don't have the tracking skeg, but retract it too.
Remember, you always have the paddle to help in the process :wink:

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PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2016 10:22 pm 
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Getting on and off any kayak can be a challenge. Doing it without wet feet, almost impossible. In cold water or cold temps I use dry pants - have a set from BassPro which I would not recommend and a set of Pilot //'s from FroggTog which I really like. Sock footed waders and wading shoes or water shoes make for dry feet and lower body. In warm weather or warmer water, it does not matter to me. But as you have read above, the PA is a very stable kayak. I am 6'1" 200lb and can sit on the side of the boat without it tipping over. I do the step in method, and the slide my @$$ over the side into the seat method. Either way, my feet are almost always in the water when I launch. But the kayak does not need much water to launch, maybe a foot, so it is not like I am up to my waste. And the method of entry really depends on the surface I am standing on. If it is a slimed up super slick boat ramp, I use the kayak for balance and slide my backside over the side and into the seat, followed by my feet. If I have firm footing with hard packed sand or rock that is stable I might step into the kayak. The last method is the most dignified. But if you saw me in my wading pants, boots, gortex jacket and such, you would know that is really not all that important to me.

As far as standing in the PA. If you have kayaked before, you will realize that understanding the primary and secondary stability aspects of any kayak is important...and different in each boat. At what point does your kayak go from upright to upside down. The PA is by far the most stable kayak I have been in. I could stand in my Jackson Cuda 12...but just barely...and always with the fear of getting wet. With the PA, on day one, I felt more stable standing than after a year in the Cuda. It still felt tippy at first, but in a different way. Now after just a short time, I feel very comfortable standing, even thru wakes caused by other boats, or with the wind blowing. It is a completely different experience...but it still takes some practice and getting used to. Once you do, it is freaking amazing.

I just wanted to add, two weekends ago I went out with a buddy who was paddling a different 14' SOT. It was his second outing of the year. I watched him launch his kayak, sit in on one side and promptly roll over into the water on the other side. Twice! It was horrible to watch. Twice! I wish I had my camera running.

I did help hold his kayak stable for him after he changed into dry clothes, and we had a great day. But man, I really wish I had my camera running!

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PostPosted: Mon Jun 13, 2016 7:33 am 
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I always have a seawall or a dock to launch from. I think the guys that are saying its impossible to do dry are beach/surf launchers. The PA is stable enough for me to walk right onto and sit down. Also not my first rodeo. I used to launch from a cheap sit in and I've very used to launching off banks, seawalls, and docks.

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PostPosted: Sun Dec 04, 2016 8:25 pm 
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Location: Kuna, ID
It's simple to board with dry feet! I'm a big guy, 280, and wear socks and shoes every time out.

Simply put the stern in first, with the bow on the shore at the waters edge. Walk down the front hatch, turn around and sit down and push off shore!

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 05, 2016 3:47 pm 
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Only time I fell while getting in was the time I had a beer in my hand.. :D


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PostPosted: Mon Dec 05, 2016 10:45 pm 
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Location: Orangevale, Ca
Tombo1 wrote:
It's simple to board with dry feet! I'm a big guy, 280, and wear socks and shoes every time out.

Simply put the stern in first, with the bow on the shore at the waters edge. Walk down the front hatch, turn around and sit down and push off shore!


I used a similar approach my second time out this past Saturday. I rolled it right in stern 1st with the Boonedox Landing gear deployed. I wasn't sure the hatch could hold my weight(210lbs ish) so I put my hands and knees on the outside edges surrounding the hatch and crawled in. I then pushed off enough so I could raise the landing gear. It worked well. I used the reverse approach on the way in. Tracked a little sand in but I did not have to get wet.

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PostPosted: Tue Dec 06, 2016 7:11 am 
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Great thread guys! I'm taking notes!


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PostPosted: Tue Dec 06, 2016 10:02 pm 
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The hatch will hold up just fine! Nothing to worry about!

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PostPosted: Wed Dec 07, 2016 9:23 pm 
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Location: Charlevoix, MI
Tombo1 wrote:
The hatch will hold up just fine! Nothing to worry about!


It's not the hatch I would worry about. I know that these yaks are built to take punishment, but where I beach launch (mixed sand, gravel, baseball-sized rocks, lots of mussel shells) the bottom of the hull would suffer significant cosmetic damage if I "dry launched" and that would affect resale. To me, dry feet are not worth that risk. Also, pushing out backwards in sand or mud can fill your Lowrance Ready ff pocket with debris and this will affect the transducer efficiency and signal quality. Just my $0.02 FWIW.


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PostPosted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 6:53 am 
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Tombo1 wrote:
It's simple to board with dry feet! I'm a big guy, 280, and wear socks and shoes every time out.

Simply put the stern in first, with the bow on the shore at the waters edge. Walk down the front hatch, turn around and sit down and push off shore!


This is what I was waiting for on this thread. I don't have a Hobie yet, but I launch this way with my SOT Perception. I will try dock launching when its available tho.
I tie one of my tiedowns to the front carry handle and hold onto the strap to lower myself into the seat, then push off the bank with my paddle.


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PostPosted: Sat Mar 04, 2017 11:19 pm 
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Well I'll admit it... I'm sure I look ridiculous getting in and out of my PA. 5'6, short legs, bottom heavy rotundo. Pretty sure if I tried just stepping into my kayak even with it low in shallow water I'd do the splits as it shot out away from me :shock:

If anyone is like me and looking to see how to get in, I kneel. One knee in, hop in on the other knee with my hands on the far side helping to balance the weight and there's plenty of room up front to work your way around to where you can back into the chair and get your feet out from under you even with the mirage drive and half a paddle up front. Being on my knee also helps because I can shift weight across my shins from my knee to my foot as needed.

It's got great stability for that fumbling around. For a moment while the first leg is pushing the near side down it looks bad but it really isn't, it balances quickly. Maybe if something hung you up as you try to get the other leg in I'd bet the kayak would just shoot out from under you and your first leg would slide/scrape out on your shin. Not fun but it probably wouldn't flip and no splits. This would only be if something stopped you at the committed moment you're trying to get the other leg in, nothing usually happens.

Managing the drive placement, I get it as far up as I can, maybe with the fins poking off the side, and having the paddle on the other side helps too. Make sure they are leashed.

Winter is too long...I kind of forget how I get out. I get out on the right side so I get off the chair and get on my left knee/leg leaving my right leg to get over the side. The left leg unwinding and getting over will push it away a bit. I think getting in is harder, there's a lot more "out" than "in" to work with.

Long post to say I stay low and kneel... Just want to be reassuring to anyone coming across this thread. If you can stand on it, great! But it's not necessary to use it. I love my PA and that, as awkward and unathletic as I am, I'm very comfortable using it. LOVE it.


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PostPosted: Wed Mar 08, 2017 8:21 pm 
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I'm 6' 275 and find stepping in and not doing the splits a challange until to started putting my stake out stick ( a ski pole) in the drive hole to "anchor " the boat


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PostPosted: Thu Mar 09, 2017 9:52 pm 
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jake100 :lol: 8)

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