I got tangled up with another paddler one cold, windy day in a tide race and had to wet-exit. When I bailed out, I left the nylon spray skirt attached to the cockpit, by slithering out the tube, so I wouldn't have the problem of reattaching the skirt once I was back in the saddle.

I have a snug, foam padded, ocean cockpit which is very secure in rough water. During the start of my reenter and roll, I wasn't upside down, but rather floating out to the side with the boat deck just short of perpendicular to the water. I felt my butt touch the seat, but before I could lock my legs and secure myself in the boat, it was rather violently knocked out of my hands and stripped off my body by a wave that hit me from behind. It promptly rolled upright, with about an inch of water in the cockpit, and blew away.

It was a truly awful sight, and it was accompanied by a feeling of astonished wonder and helplessness that I will never forget. I was within a couple hundred yards of shore, but it was rough, 35F water, and it took a long time, backstroking my guts out, before my feet finally touched bottom.

During that swim, I developed a very visceral attachment to my wonderful drysuit & the pile & polypro layers worn beneath it; and also to the neoprene hood, gloves, booties etc. that were busy saving my ass by keeping the cold at bay. That part of the system worked like a charm, and I was toasty warm - and humbled - when my feet finally touched bottom. I installed a short boat tether after that "learning experience".