: Am I reading this right that a paddle float isn't part of your re-entry
: scenario here?

: If I were trying to re-enter a swamped kayak without a paddle float, I'd be
: doing it from the stern-- "cowboy style", with my legs hanging
: over each side, keeping my center of gravity low (i.e. belly low to the
: deck) and snaking forward until I could slide my feet into the cockpit.
: Trying to re-enter from the side without a paddle float generally results
: in tipping the boat upside down on top of you...(at least that's what
: happened when *I* experimented with that maneuver.)

: Julie Kanarr

Yes Julie, my entry will be from the side and not the standared entry of gently sliding up over the kayak from the stern with or without the float paddle in place. My kayak would be too wide to roll even if I knew how, I think, and the side floatation I believe would stop the roll or make it harder. If I cut out too much of the bow and stern floatation to sink the boat lower into the water to make the side floatation work better I may be destroying the possibiltiy of using a stern entry as you mentioned because it would just sink under my weight. This may not work at all Julie and its only an idea in my mind that seems like it should work, so I am looking forward to trying it and reporting back. I am probably 6 weeks away from trying this.

John