How many of you have flipped your kayak?

[Fiskadoro]

Originally Posted by sdfishman

Went out to mission bay today and my kayak decided I should be swimming instead of fishing..

There's flipping and then flipping.

I've seen guys roll in open water when they hit a wave wrong etc. That's what I'd consider real flipping, when your not prepared for it but it's never happened to me yet. I hoop and fish a variety of yaks both sit on top and insides sometimes in pretty rough conditions and I've never had a problem... yet...

My take is watch the conditions, and keep your head and things are usually OK if you have a decent sense of balance, and stay aware of your surroundings..

Launching through surf inevitably your going to roll your yak. I've only rolled twice, both times coming in through the surf, once in my x-13 at La Jolla in small stuff when I was just tired, complacent and was just not paying attention, and once in Malibu in a mini-X in five foot beach break at Esco. That Esco one I never had a chance just got caught in a bad backwash/rip-current, and could not get in quick enough to avoid the next set.

At Malibu I also got nailed by my yak after I was already out of it by a second break sneaker shore pound on the beach, in confused four to five conditions, but I didn't actually roll it that time, more like just got knocked off my feet, and that one fn hurt.

I still get nervous every time a launch and land, which is weird considering how many times I've done it without trouble. That said the first time I got complacent I rolled in some little 2 footers right in front of Gary and Josh, and felt like a total idiot.

I've never lost any gear as I always store my gear launching and landing. On open water I don't tie anything down so if I ever do roll outside it's going to be painful.

I've had some really close calls. Once at Rats beach the waves came up big while I was out fishing Rocky. When I got in the beach was walled up with big crashing five footers. The only area with slightly lower surf was this gut where a rip current was coming off the beach flattening the surf. I tried it there and ended fighting the rip like it was some outbound river while breaking wave after breaking wave came in from behind me. I must of fully surfed five different waves before I actually got on the beach that day, it totally worked me.

Another time while hooping a boat came up and asked me if I could free a net they got stuck in tight to the breakwall. I knew the guys and they could not get in above it with thier big boat to free it as it had been washed into the rocks by a heavy surge. I tried it and got in and right above it but it would not budge, I kept working and working it pulling a little slack when the waves would drop and holding on tight on the rise trying to get enough force to pull it free. About then a huge wave rolled in and up the breakwall and before get my hands loose, (one got partially wrapped) about half my yak got completely pulled under. Imagine how much force it takes to pull under half a FND, That was some strong swell and surge!!! I did not roll but was pretty shook up, and they ended up just leaving the net with a bottle tied to it.

So for me 2 or 3 times landing in the surf, but that is kind of a given.

Jim

[DanaPT]

Thanks for bringing up a good "old" post.

1) wear a PFD and be aware of your surroundings
2) tie your stuff down
3) the beach launches are the likely spots to spill

simple enough to remember.

[ctfphoto]

A couple times landing in the surf at La Jolla ..lost sun glasses that were strapped on ..BUT

the first roll ever was in our 2 seater with my 4 year old on his very First Ocean trip and only his second trip ever.

He went under (w PDF) and I grab him and brought a crying 4 year old to his moma on the beach

Next time we go out I INSIST that we do La Jolla as my son is now scared of the waves. By now we have the second (my) kayak so I my daughter and wife get ready to launch the 2 seater and my 4 year son is freaking out balling on how he doesn't want to go. I grab him by his PDF and put him on his moms boat kicking a screaming ...... we get out , he calms down, we see dolphins, sea lions and go through a really cool cave and he is fine. Coming back in, I think to myself, no way he flips this time. I land first, then come back out and ride the tail of the two seater with all my weight on it in thru the surf for a sweet landing. My son thinks my wife is a better yaker than I because she didn't flip

[sdfishman]

Here's a good viedo to BUMP the thread..


http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=ede_1326381224

[mtnbykr2]

too funny...to watch...I think I would have had to take the goose out though

[addicted2sp33d]

I hope I never meet an angry Pelican.

[mtnbykr2]

Originally Posted by addicted2sp33d

I hope I never meet an angry Pelican.

It's not the pelicans to worry about it's those damn cormorans...