How to launch a kayak or canoe
The key to a dry launch is keeping your weight low and centered. Here's how from the three spots you'll most often start.
From a beach or shoreline (easiest)
- Float the kayak in shallow water, parallel to shore.
- Stand beside the cockpit, put your paddle across the boat behind the seat, and hold it and the edge with one hand.
- Sit down into the seat in one smooth motion, then bring your legs in.
From a boat ramp
Launch from the side of the ramp, out of the trailer lane. Ramps can be slippery with algae below the waterline, so wear shoes with grip. Many lakes have a separate carry-in launch. Look for "Kayak/canoe" launches on any lake page, or use the filter buttons.
From a dock
- Lower the kayak into the water parallel to the dock.
- Sit on the dock with your feet in the cockpit.
- Hold the dock with one hand, turn toward the boat, and lower yourself onto the seat, keeping your weight low.
Safety basics
- Wear your life jacket, buckled, the whole time you are on the water.
- Check the wind. Even 10 to 15 mph makes open water choppy for a kayak. Every lake and ramp page here shows the wind for the next 12 hours.
- On rivers, check the flow. Ramp pages show live USGS river flow where a gauge is nearby.
- Tell someone where you are going and when you'll be back.