And once you're comfortable with that, go into deeper water and while holding one end of the paddle tight to the gunwhales behind the cockpit, keep the other end a little into the water. It's surprising how much stability that provides.

: Like others, I would suggest you try to use the small cockpit. It should be
: quite easy to get in - extend paddle to ground or bottom, sit aft deck (I
: sit on my paddle), slide in while holding the paddle to kayak with your
: hands and that's it. Remember to keep your weight partially on the paddle
: so you just can not capsize. Another way is to lower your kayak paraller
: to shoreline, extend paddle and hold it to kayak, sit to the kayak's aft
: deck while it's so close to shore that it'll touch bottom as you put
: weight on it. You have slight V-bottom so the kayak will sit there heeled
: but steadily on it's bottom panel. You could also just sit to kayak as
: it's half way on ground and push yourself to water. Works well on soft
: ground and pretty much only way to launch if there's bigger waves.

: And so on... There's many way's to get inside kayak. I don't think small
: opening would make things more difficult, I think it's pretty much the
: same.