Don't Let This Happen To You

[bigbarrels]

Thank you everyone for all the feedback, generous offers, and most importantly explaining what you do to make your time on the water safe. My goal was to create some awareness and prevent someone else from getting into this kind of situation. Hope to be back out there soon

[kareem korn]

Have you contacted a spero or diver to see if at least your kayak (and possibly some gear) can be recovered?

[peguinpower]

Originally Posted by kareem korn

Have you contacted a spero or diver to see if at least your kayak (and possibly some gear) can be recovered?

That is a great idea. With that much gear, and kayak is likely still usable, you could organize a some spearos or scuba folks to dive for the wreck.

[dgax65]

Having a couple of flares or smoke signals and a whistle clipped to your PFD might get you out of a jam in a hurry.


http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...classNum=11401


http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...0&classNum=154

An EPIRB is also a valuable thing to have when you run out of options
http://www.acrelectronics.com/product2.aspx?sku=2882

[j mo]

Wow, that was an intense story. Glad you found yourself high and dry Tom! Thanks for posting too some great advice has come out of it.

I through my churchils in my dry bag last night.

[Holy Mackerel]

Thanks for posting, this is important for all of us kayakers, because we can learn from this accident. I have a Tarpon 160 you can borrow, until you can get another kayak.

[Socalrobt]

So glad that You are ok. This post defiently has me thinking on more safety items to add to my Yak. Thank you for posting this and again I am glad that you are ok.

[mo2vation]

Originally Posted by kareem korn

Have you contacted a spero or diver to see if at least your kayak (and possibly some gear) can be recovered?

I you have numbers (as if... like you're gonna write this down as you're bailing out) - If you can get me in the general area or someone with a FF can get me there, and its shallower than about 140 feet, I can surely dive onto the new reef, grab and send up on a lift bag whatever I can.

-Ken

[Ed]

Low cost solution:

[nunyabizness1]

Thanks for the reminder that we all need from time to time. I usually go to LJ alone and can use all the tips I can get. I do tie my water pump to my yak as it does slide freely inside my x-factorvyak from front to back if you don't.

Glad to hear you made it back safely and thanks for sharing your story for the good of all.

[bluesquids]

More thoughts on this..
Sounds like you weren't in any major danger other than hypothermia and getting run over by a boat. A whistle can signal someone who's fishing nearby but won't be heard over the sound of a motor coming at you. I have SOLAS reflective tape on the back of my paddle blades and have been spoted 1.5 miles away. Expensive, but found it on ebay cheap, been on my blades with little to no wear 6-7years now.
If you're in the water and a boat is heading towards you and your in a PFD, you're only gonna have a few seconds to get it off and dive down.
I've heard it happen to a scuba guy who couldn't get his inflated BC off in time.

[Rob929]

ED- How are those pad eyes attached inside your hull? I need to do that to keep things in place.

TO OP: First off- very glad you are safe (and that you still managed to get some fishin in after- crazy!)

This is a great reminder for those of us (myself included) to make sure safety is #1. It hasn't been my priority in recent outings.

I used to bring a little pump out with me until I lost it. They are only $6 at harbor freight.. Time to go shopping
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=66418

Thanks for posting

[Billy V]

Go Play a Lottery Ticket Today - you might still have some of that lucky Karma attached to You.

I'm glad to hear you survived the ordeal and would like to offer a suggestion to our kayak fishing community. Your calm head played an important part in your survival.

- As a former search and rescue firefighter, and motorcycle instructor I have survival mindset and carry this along to my kayak fishing, and many other things in my life.

On the bikes I used to teach students to Dress For the Crash.
This also applies to kayak fishing.
You have to assume you will be quickly parting from your vessel and in a fight for your life - on your own - in open water.

There are several things I don't leave home without:
PFD with Attached Water Whistle, Tethered Floating Icom VHF, Cell Phone in a small dry bag with SD Lifeguard Number on Speed Dial, Attached Knife, Water Proof Laser Flashlight (Its very bright even in daylight)
-A fresh charge on all your batteries.
-------------------------------------------

Its no joke out there, look out for your fellow kayak fisherman. By this time you should have a trained eye to spot the signs of a distressed kayak fisherman.
ie. Paddle waving in the air, whistle blowing, unusual noise (its usually quiet as a church out there), a person signaling with a flashlight.
-------------------------------------------

I caught one of my best fishing buddies while kayak fishing off La Jolla a few years ago using the perception I described above.

-He is Still the largest catch I have landed there to this day.
A 220 lb. Pilipino.

[sandydiego]

I'm thinking about stuffing some empty 2 liter soda bottles in the empty areas of the yak.

[Ed]

Originally Posted by Rob929

ED- How are those pad eyes attached inside your hull? I need to do that to keep things in place.

Clean hull and padeyes with alcohol, lightly sand and use a generous amount of Goop (no rivets). Stronger than it looks. I'm on my second season with no failure.

[Holy Mackerel]

Originally Posted by mo2vation

I you have numbers (as if... like you're gonna write this down as you're bailing out) - If you can get me in the general area or someone with a FF can get me there, and its shallower than about 140 feet, I can surely dive onto the new reef, grab and send up on a lift bag whatever I can.

-Ken

I was gonna say, I'd be willing to help look up to 100ft. I am sure you are a competent SCUBA diver, but be careful not getting NARC'd down there... Either way, I think it might be a HEAVY load trying to pull a kayak up full of water, from a boat, or otherwise.

[mo2vation]

Originally Posted by Holy Mackerel

I was gonna say, I'd be willing to help look up to 100ft. I am sure you are a competent SCUBA diver, but be careful not getting NARC'd down there... Either way, I think it might be a HEAVY load trying to pull a kayak up full of water, from a boat, or otherwise.

I blend my own gas, and would bring very large lift bags specifically designed for the task, along with surface support and a like-minded buddy.

Some things you don't cowboy up, and one of them are recovery dives in water like this.

Thanks for looking out, but 'sall good.

Offer stills stands. I'm in SD 5/1 through 5/3 for some wreck diving (Hogan, Yukon, P38, etc.) so I'll have everything I need if you get me numbahs.


-Ken

[miguelitro]

Sorry this had to happen to you to make many of us start to think about this stuff more seriously.
-I am definitely getting a whistle to carry.
-I like the reflective tape on the paddle idea as well, gonna look into that.
-I am going to at least put a deck plate on my yak and carry a hand bilge pump.
-I am going to actually fix the leak in my stern this year

A couple questions-

Do the pool noodles really work in side the yak?
I have heard that deck bots can be used as a floatation device in a pinch. could you do the same waders?

Mike

[dgax65]

Originally Posted by miguelitro

A couple questions-

Do the pool noodles really work in side the yak?
I have heard that deck bots can be used as a floatation device in a pinch. could you do the same waders?

Mike

A couple of guys on the Australian Kayak Fishing Forum did some tests on swamped kayaks to see how effective pool noodles are. See the thread for the full info. http://www.akff.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=5953

Basically, 6-8 pool noodles will keep a kayak from sinking completely, but it will not be stable enough to support you. Somebody else did some tests and found that you almost have to fill the hull with noodles to displace enough water to make the yak stable enough to paddle. The take-away is that the pool noodles will keep the yak near/on the surface so you can recover your gear, but you are still going for a swim.

[WahooUSMA]

Pool noodles don't create lift or buoyancy inside the hull. They just take up space. Think of it like tossing life vests under the bow or under the seat of your boat. It ain't gonna help. Now glue or stick the noodles to the bottom of the yak on the outside of the hull, now you have lift and buoyancy. Just my two cents, but then I am LA Unified educated, so I could be way off base.fficeffice" />>>