Flipped in San Diego bay.

[Tranquility]

I felt bad about this. We run a 52 foot sportfisher in San Diego. We were returning to port yesterday afternoon through the bay. We were at our cruise speed of 9.5 kts. My boat throws a substantial wake at this speed. As we all know that bay can be a crazy place on a nice day and there were boats every where. Room to manuever can be limited for a larger boat.

We past a kayak that I saw a little late. He popped up from behind another boat. However I thought that he had enough room to put himself in a reasonable position to cross our wake. As I watched him cross our wake sure enough he flipped. We turned around to assist him and also another boat came to help. The other boat took the yak in tow and he climbed aboard the other boat. We pulled up beside them and he was obviously upset. " You flipped me", " I lost all my fishing gear". I asked him if he was injured.

I am sympathetic to the fact that he flipped and lost his gear. My bigger concern at the time was if he was injured or not. He was not wearing any flotation. I repeat, no flotation.

I have never fished in a kayak, however I do regularly fish the bay in a smaller boat. 12 ft. aluminum. I keep to the area's of slow traffic in the marina's. Why? Because I feel that the bay is to dangerous and rough when its busy. With mixed traffic and no speed limits the opportunity for disaster is high.

I try to be considerate to all the users of the bay and I like the idea of fishing off a kayak. I often lurk on this website and have considered buying a kayak to fish the bay. I am not a kayak hater.

I guess I am posting this to point out the obvious. Some of us in larger boats are trying to look out for you guys. Sometimes you have to know where the limits are. San Diego bay is not a good choice for a kayak when its busy. This guy was way out in the middle of the bay along way from where he had launched and the bay was really busy. Our wake was one of many that he was having to contend with and I would not have been comfortable on a kayak or even in my small boat in the bay at that time.

Please wear flotation gear when you are out there. It could save your life.

Anytime we enter the realm of the ocean whether it be the open ocean or the bay's, careful consideration must be taken to ensure your own safety. Please be careful out there guy's.