Kayak Leash?

[Orca Winfrey]

My buddy and I were caught out in some pretty windy conditions the other day. I'm thinking the if either of us had rolled, it's possible that our yaks could have been blown away from us faster than we could swim. I'm thinking that in that type of situation it might have been a good thing to leash our yaks to ourselves. Other than surf launches and landings, does anyone think leashing your yak to yourself is a bad idea? Thanks.

[Mr. NiceGuy]

Sounds kind of like free-lining a mackerel, only on a bigger scale

---

On a more serious note, if the weather is that rough it might be better to consider fishing someplace a little safer?

As a pilot, I always review weather reports in advance so I don't find myself in a situation where I have to foolishly challenge nature. To a certain extent I feel the same way about being out in the ocean in a kayak.

That includes watching not only wind, currents and rough water reports but also the dew point relative to air temperature. When it's within 4 degrees we should be prepared for the sublimation of fog like we've been seeing in LJ lately. Do you know how to navigate if you can't see anything and get disoriented?

Thinking through various potential emergencies and practicing self-rescue is prudent, to say the least.

[Orca Winfrey]

Originally Posted by Mr. NiceGuy

Sounds kind of like free-lining a mackerel, only on a bigger scale

---

On a more serious note, if the weather is that rough it might be better to consider fishing someplace a little safer?

As a pilot, I always review weather reports in advance so I don't find myself in a situation where I have to foolishly challenge nature. To a certain extent I feel the same way about being out in the ocean in a kayak.

That includes watching not only wind, currents and rough water reports but also the dew point relative to air temperature. When it's within 4 degrees we should be prepared for the sublimation of fog like we've been seeing in LJ lately. Do you know how to navigate if you can't see anything and get disoriented?

Thinking through various potential emergencies and practicing self-rescue is prudent, to say the least.

I completely agree about closely monitoring the weather. This time, we got fooled. We had been closely checking reports and there was nothing to indicate those level of winds. We were even monitoring conditions while on the water. It was a lesson well-learned.

[Dave Legacy]

Leashing yourself to your kayak just doesn't sound all that safe to me. You could get tangled up and become more likely to drown. There are instances where you wouldn't want to be leashed to your kayak. What if a boat was about to hit you and you needed to bail? Maybe an extreme example, but I don't want anything other than my VHF and PFD attached to me; Those are the items I need to get me out of a pinch.

[Harry Hill]

I don't know the answer to this question. I fish by myself a lot so I can see the benefit of having a way to stay connected if you flip. But I also understand the concern about getting tangled, I would hate to have a rope around a foot dragging me along. I know when I was fighting the current the other day in Mission Bay I thought about how fast my boat could drift away. Most people would say don't fish alone but I seem to a lot. At any rate I think about what I would do in different scenarios while I'm out fishing. I hope when the time comes I can put my plans to use successfully. One thing I have is a line on the bow and stern that should give me something to grab even if the yak is out of reach.

[2-Stix]

i dont fish alone. i have a radio, cell phone in a water proof case and a global beacon strapped to my chest.

[momo fish]

Man that always makes me laugh ! Thanks for the yearly reminder..

I guess he never came back with a version 2.0

[Orca Winfrey]

That's hilarious!

[bwana]

I always thought the blood red waterproof mattress cover was a little weird.