Usually, when you go kayaking, you want to be on top of your boat sitting in the seat ;). But occasionally, whether by accident or on purpose, you might find yourself in the water instead. You’ve done a wet exit! This can be fun and exciting and it’s also a good skill/scenario to practice.
On Waypoint programs, our goal for participants is always simply this: That each individual would challenge him/herself in some way – whatever that means for them. When it comes to kayaking specifically, this may mean paddling from point A to point B, experiencing the social dynamic of a group, putting on a life jacket, or trying the wet exit. Wet exits and re-entries DO happen on Waypoint programs and they’re a lot of fun! (Especially on a hot day when it’s nice to get in the water and cool off!)
Waypoint staff spend a lot of time practicing getting people back in their boats or the “re-entry” for all different scenarios and body-types.
We spend a lot of time demonstrating this process to others.
And our participants spend a lot of time practicing their wet exits and re-entries! Check out some wet exits!
*Note, in the world of kayaking, technically a “wet exit” is when your boat goes over while you’re wearing a spray skirt. For our purposes, even though program participants do not wear spray skirts, we use the term “wet exit” most often instead of “capsize” because it helps frame the experience as fun and intentional.