Cardiff Sat 4/17 - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

dsafety · 04-17-2010, 08:04 AM

I woke up late and decided not to try to fight the crowds at the Shores. Since Cardiff is in my back yard, I thought I would give this spot a try for the first time this year. Poor decision.

The surf report said 1-2 feet at 8 second intervals. They got the interval right but the sets were 2-5' and all confused. I probably could have handled the size of the waves but coming so close together was too much for an old guy like me. After taking about 30 to the chest and knowing that the landing would probably be worse, I called it a day without ever making it beyond the surf line.

The good news is that I did not lose any gear. Everything was good and wet however. Even though all the hatches on my Revo were battened down, I somehow took on about two inches of water. My guess is that most of it came in through the front hatch which does not seal very well. Just to be sure, I plan to carefully inspect for cracks and leaks before I go out again.

That is all for today. Maybe one of these days I will be able to submit a fish report that actually has fish in it.

Bob

dmrides · 04-17-2010, 08:21 AM

Sounds like that could have gotten ugly. Way to know your limits and keep your gear.

Quilted Germ · 04-17-2010, 08:30 AM

Glad to hear someone braving the elements in Cardiff. Sorry you weren't able to post a trophy.....

toby · 04-17-2010, 08:44 AM

I'm with the abort Bob. Sounds like a good decision.

GregAndrew · 04-17-2010, 08:51 AM

I don't know about the Revo in particular, but most yaks even without hatches are not very water tight. I saw a video recently of a guy that put his yak on a stand upside-down and filled it with water. Just about every screw, bolt and rivet leaked. So I checked it out on my Trident and found the same results, except for the molded-in attachments. A few of the leaks were enough to amount to an oz. of water in just a couple of seconds. Unfortunately, I cannot get to a bunch of the hardware to goop it from the inside.

467echo · 04-17-2010, 09:27 AM

didn't miss much in LJ Bob, the big catch of the day for me was an F150 stuck in the mud on the beach. Good call on not goin out,just call it quits and go enjoy a bloddy mary somewhere!

wade · 04-17-2010, 09:48 AM

A for effort on the attempt Bob....

Billy V · 04-17-2010, 11:29 AM

2" of water in a revo is a lot. Check the seat plugs for cracks.

The front hatch seals better than you might think. I've had waves wash my face a few times and that hatch held tight.
-Returning through the surf and submarining is a little different, you could take a little water that way.

The center hatch seals good, unless your gasket is worn or missing.

sandydiego · 04-17-2010, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 467echo

didn't miss much in LJ Bob, the big catch of the day for me was an F150 stuck in the mud on the beach. Good call on not goin out,just call it quits and go enjoy a bloddy mary somewhere!

At least it was't my f150. Did you haul it out?

fongman · 04-17-2010, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsafety

After taking about 30 to the chest .....

Bob,

With that much water hitting your deck, is it possible the water is entering through the bushings where the 2 rudder control lines enter the kayak? On sloppy days, my Adventure takes on water at those points.

dsafety · 04-18-2010, 06:31 AM

Did a leak test. My Revo is watertight below the normal water line. I am fairly sure my main leak source is the front hatch. I run the fish finder cables over the gasket and am sure that I do not get a very good seal there as a result.

Fongman has a good point as well. I was totally submerged many times as I tried to make it through the relentless surf. The rudder cable holes are always open and this day they were underwater quite a bit.

For those who have adopted my transducer wet mount idea, I have some news to report on that front as well. All the pounding, which probably also included some significant hull flexing caused the goop holding down my well to spring a leak. It was not a big leak but I found that if I pressed on the well, I could force some water out.

I removed the unit and re-attached it to the hull. This time I made sure that there was a 3/4" wide, thin layer of goop, applied like caulk surrounding the ABS pipe on the outside.

It is probably a good idea to frequently check the integrity of the bond between the plastic pipe and the hull along with making sure that there is water in the well.

Bob

j mo · 04-18-2010, 01:23 PM

Bummer Bob......

-scallywag- · 04-19-2010, 09:21 AM

I agree that the front hatch doesn't seal all that well, especially if you run your FF lines over it. On choppy days where water is consistantly washing over the front hatch I have to pump my boat out once or twice, on days when there is no water coming over the bow, my boat is dry. In rough conditions it helps to have your weight as far back as possible (raise the bait tank level, put the cooler on the back, exc..).

The hatch O-ring can get sticky and are sometimes removed, if that o-ring is missing in choppy conditions you will take on a lot of water.

As for the rudder control holes, they aren't much of a problem for the single seat hobies because unless your very close to the max weight. Even the Hobie outback tandem, when fished solo and the rudder holes are fully submerged most of the time, you only take on about a gallon an hr....

Bottom line is CARRY A HAND BILGE PUMP !!!!...and a big sponge, and if your boat starts feeling heavy, check it.

Billy V · 04-19-2010, 03:25 PM

Bob,

I always carry 2 grout sponges, the good ones from home depot. They absorb a large volume of water.

Place one inside the center hatch it will absorb any water that passes into the hull and can be rung out easily.

The other sponge is for mopping up under the seat after surf launching, and cleaning my bloody deck.

Billy

thien · 04-19-2010, 04:39 PM

However this is how I solved mine. I've had the same issue with my Revo, and the leaky front hatch. The black gasket from the front hatch was not sealing sufficiently, therefore every time the bow would punch through the wave while launching, a annoying amount of h2o would get inside the hull. Went to Home Depot and invested 6.00 for weather sealing foam with 3m, and now only have a few drops of water that get through, even after taking a few to the chest. Left a little gap for my fish finder cables as well. This completely sealed the front hatch with the black hobie gasket, and has stayed in place.

04-17-2010, 08:04 AM	#1
dsafety Olivenhain Bob Join Date: May 2008 Location: Olivenhain, CA Posts: 1,121	Cardiff Sat 4/17 I woke up late and decided not to try to fight the crowds at the Shores. Since Cardiff is in my back yard, I thought I would give this spot a try for the first time this year. Poor decision. The surf report said 1-2 feet at 8 second intervals. They got the interval right but the sets were 2-5' and all confused. I probably could have handled the size of the waves but coming so close together was too much for an old guy like me. After taking about 30 to the chest and knowing that the landing would probably be worse, I called it a day without ever making it beyond the surf line. The good news is that I did not lose any gear. Everything was good and wet however. Even though all the hatches on my Revo were battened down, I somehow took on about two inches of water. My guess is that most of it came in through the front hatch which does not seal very well. Just to be sure, I plan to carefully inspect for cracks and leaks before I go out again. That is all for today. Maybe one of these days I will be able to submit a fish report that actually has fish in it. Bob

04-17-2010, 08:30 AM	#3
Quilted Germ Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Cardiff, Ca Posts: 185	Glad to hear someone braving the elements in Cardiff. Sorry you weren't able to post a trophy..... __________________ Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first. - Ronald Reagan

04-17-2010, 09:27 AM	#6
467echo Rookie of the Month Club Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Mira Mesa Posts: 483	didn't miss much in LJ Bob, the big catch of the day for me was an F150 stuck in the mud on the beach. Good call on not goin out,just call it quits and go enjoy a bloddy mary somewhere! __________________ they are getting bigger....

04-19-2010, 09:21 AM	#13
-scallywag- Banned Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: on the road... Posts: 598	sinking hobies ?? I agree that the front hatch doesn't seal all that well, especially if you run your FF lines over it. On choppy days where water is consistantly washing over the front hatch I have to pump my boat out once or twice, on days when there is no water coming over the bow, my boat is dry. In rough conditions it helps to have your weight as far back as possible (raise the bait tank level, put the cooler on the back, exc..). The hatch O-ring can get sticky and are sometimes removed, if that o-ring is missing in choppy conditions you will take on a lot of water. As for the rudder control holes, they aren't much of a problem for the single seat hobies because unless your very close to the max weight. Even the Hobie outback tandem, when fished solo and the rudder holes are fully submerged most of the time, you only take on about a gallon an hr.... Bottom line is CARRY A HAND BILGE PUMP !!!!...and a big sponge, and if your boat starts feeling heavy, check it.

04-19-2010, 04:39 PM	#15
thien Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 53	Leaks are annoying However this is how I solved mine. I've had the same issue with my Revo, and the leaky front hatch. The black gasket from the front hatch was not sealing sufficiently, therefore every time the bow would punch through the wave while launching, a annoying amount of h2o would get inside the hull. Went to Home Depot and invested 6.00 for weather sealing foam with 3m, and now only have a few drops of water that get through, even after taking a few to the chest. Left a little gap for my fish finder cables as well. This completely sealed the front hatch with the black hobie gasket, and has stayed in place. Attached Images

04-17-2010, 08:21 AM	#2
dmrides Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Point Loma Posts: 584	Sounds like that could have gotten ugly. Way to know your limits and keep your gear.

04-17-2010, 08:44 AM	#4
toby Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Escondido Posts: 154	I'm with the abort Bob. Sounds like a good decision.

04-17-2010, 08:51 AM	#5
GregAndrew Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 2,384	I don't know about the Revo in particular, but most yaks even without hatches are not very water tight. I saw a video recently of a guy that put his yak on a stand upside-down and filled it with water. Just about every screw, bolt and rivet leaked. So I checked it out on my Trident and found the same results, except for the molded-in attachments. A few of the leaks were enough to amount to an oz. of water in just a couple of seconds. Unfortunately, I cannot get to a bunch of the hardware to goop it from the inside.

04-17-2010, 09:48 AM	#7
wade Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Oceanside Posts: 1,214	A for effort on the attempt Bob....

04-17-2010, 11:29 AM	#8
Billy V Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bay Ho Posts: 1,382	2" of water in a revo is a lot. Check the seat plugs for cracks. The front hatch seals better than you might think. I've had waves wash my face a few times and that hatch held tight. -Returning through the surf and submarining is a little different, you could take a little water that way. The center hatch seals good, unless your gasket is worn or missing.

04-18-2010, 06:31 AM	#11
dsafety Olivenhain Bob Join Date: May 2008 Location: Olivenhain, CA Posts: 1,121	Did a leak test. My Revo is watertight below the normal water line. I am fairly sure my main leak source is the front hatch. I run the fish finder cables over the gasket and am sure that I do not get a very good seal there as a result. Fongman has a good point as well. I was totally submerged many times as I tried to make it through the relentless surf. The rudder cable holes are always open and this day they were underwater quite a bit. For those who have adopted my transducer wet mount idea, I have some news to report on that front as well. All the pounding, which probably also included some significant hull flexing caused the goop holding down my well to spring a leak. It was not a big leak but I found that if I pressed on the well, I could force some water out. I removed the unit and re-attached it to the hull. This time I made sure that there was a 3/4" wide, thin layer of goop, applied like caulk surrounding the ABS pipe on the outside. It is probably a good idea to frequently check the integrity of the bond between the plastic pipe and the hull along with making sure that there is water in the well. Bob

04-18-2010, 01:23 PM	#12
j mo Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Encinitas Posts: 600	Bummer Bob......

04-19-2010, 03:25 PM	#14
Billy V Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bay Ho Posts: 1,382	Bob, I always carry 2 grout sponges, the good ones from home depot. They absorb a large volume of water. Place one inside the center hatch it will absorb any water that passes into the hull and can be rung out easily. The other sponge is for mopping up under the seat after surf launching, and cleaning my bloody deck. Billy