Ocean ski for the smaller paddler

It's essential to have the paddle across the boat so that when your bum lands in the seat you can instantly have the paddle in both hands ready to brace.

Leaving the paddle on one side means that there's a crucial instant when you're in the seat, but you have to lift the paddle up and swing it across... and all kinds of things can happen in that instant that will cause you to be back in the water.

See also: Remounting

It's getting a bit dated now and we need to renew it with some video, but it gives you the theoretical idea.

Maybe it's because I have long legs, but I like to remount sidesaddle without the paddle and just flop my legs over both sides while I pick up the paddle.

Once the legs are out you can take on anything from any direction and if it is rough and the ski is side on to the waves, you can even start paddling with the legs out, or just put them up on the side of the cockpit to stop drag, until it gets going and you have rudder control.

Of late, I've been pushing the limits of my control in the ski and have taken a few swims when I've tried to do things I shouldn't, and when I try and get back on, I have been trying to develop a launch straight into the seat and paddle technique, mostly I fail and go back to a standard sidesaddle, but sometimes it works and I am slowly getting better at it.

If it is rough and I am tired, I like to mount without my paddle and I always have a paddle leash for this reason.

Thanks Robin. It is this very video which taught me how to remount. Trouble is, my hands are too small to get my fingers round the paddle and my thumb round the footstraps unless I make the footstraps so loose they are useless. I have done fine with the paddle along the boat remounting everything except the Atom. I will see if I can find a way of holding the near gunwale and the paddle in the one hand.

Enjoying your Swordfish and V10 stories.