How to Cowboy Scramble up a kayak with a rudder

Here it is. A short and sweet video that shows how I Cowboy Scramble up a kayak with a rudder without hurting myself on the blade or rudder mechanism in the back.

A small family of Canadian geese swam into the scene while we were shooting the video to see what was up and seemed to wonder if I needed help. How awesome is that!

Just remember to always secure the front tab of your spray skirt before you scramble up the back of the kayak or it will get caught between your legs and make it more difficult to get your spray skirt back on quickly once you make it into the cockpit.

You will see in the video below that I hold on to my spray skirt tab with my teeth as I scramble up so it doesn't get stuck between my legs, or you can secure it with a quick release clip on the shoulder of your PFD.



Come on. You can do it! It's not that difficult.

I Cowboy Scrambled 10 times up the Wilderness Systems Tsunami 165 sea kayak because the camera guy kept saying, "Could you do that again. We need lots of takes to make sure we get a good one."

For more Cowboy Scrambling up different sea kayak models see:

Enjoy your Cowboy Scrambles and playing with your kayak!
The BaffinPaddler

Credits:
  • Video shot and edited by Jeremy Cherpit.
  • Thanks to Ottawa Paddle Shack-Trailhead for letting me test the Wilderness Systems Tsunami 165

Comments

  1. PenobscotPaddlesJuly 16, 2012 at 7:56 PM

    You make the Cowboy Scramble look so easy! Definitely great weather for practicing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BaffinPaddlerJuly 17, 2012 at 12:46 PM

      Thanks. Regular practice is the key. But honestly, every time I try it, I never know if I'm going to succeed. I'm always happy when I get 10 out of 10 trys.

      But I did try to scramble up the back deck of this kayak just behind the cockpit and failed. I learned that I really do have to scramble up behind the back hatch near the tail where there isn't any resistance from the foam in the bulkheads.

      So, are you doing your Cowboy Scrambles?

      Te weather is so hot and the water is warm, so it is a lot of fun to practice this July.

      Cheers from Canada!

      Delete
  2. MikeJuly 17, 2012 at 6:43 AM

    Hey Peggy. You should consider utilizing a leash to keep your vital paddle close at hand! It would help free up your hands for your cowboy scramble. I always use a paddle leash to keep an accidental paddle drop into the water from becoming a big deal.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. BaffinPaddlerJuly 17, 2012 at 12:41 PM

      Thanks Mike. Good suggestion.

      I do have a paddle leash, but rarely use it. More to get tangled in. But you're right, when I need to get my spray skirt back on, I need two hands to do it and my paddle is not secure. I usually leave my paddle in my lap at that point and close at hand to grab if necessary. I do have a spare Greenland paddle to grab on the front deck if I need to go chasing after my Werner!

      Cheers from Canada!

      Delete
  3. AnonymousJuly 17, 2012 at 10:12 PM

    Peggy,

    This is a great demo. Thanks for sharing.

    Jules (Boréal Ellesmere paddler)

    ReplyDelete

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