anyone we know? - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

zeelaagee · 08-09-2007, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tylerdurden

I think we should all carry a hand bilge pump and a radio for stuff like this.

if used properly- your bilge pump for your bait tank will do the trick... i keep a small container of QuikPlastic on the yak for situations such as this. Hope I never have to make use of it and is why I'm not completely sold on the internal bait tank.

frugalfisher · 08-09-2007, 10:39 AM

I wonder what was the cause of the leak. and so on.

lamb · 08-09-2007, 10:47 AM

Wow...

Glad the guy made it.

Another could-have-been-deadly reminder on importance of safety.

Make sure you have a life vest. Wear it all the time if all possible.

Have a VHF, preferably in a bag with attached small floater. Your cell in a dry bag won't do you much good in situation like this.

Have a manual pump or at least improvised device to scoop water out manually... Kayaks are tiny plastic boats - you can easily punch a whole in it without realizing by dragging it over a sharp rock. Not even to mention all the constant stress on internal plastic joints while the boat vibrating strapped on the top of your car/track doing 70+mph on the freeway... Plus the swell banging on it...

Have a GPS, preferably waterproof hand held, easily detachable. Have spare batteries for it. In blown out to sea situation, you ought to be able to tell the CG where you are at.

I know some folks carry light flares as well; great idea. I haven't been doing it, but now I'll throw a few in my dry bag. Better safe than sorry.

Always carry extra water with you!!! Now that I have a kill bag (btw, great way to keep your catch fresh), I take an extra 3-4 frozen water bottles to keep the inside of the kill bag cold. That water doubles as the emergency water supply.

I'm sure that's not all, but in my case - minimum safety standards I paddle by...

We're in the open ocean.

SAFETY FIRST!

tylerdurden · 08-09-2007, 01:16 PM

hand bilge pumps are better than battery operated ones. We know how often bait tanks and electronics crap out. But yes you can use a bait tank pump in an emergency in most situations.

My internal bait tank has worried me little since I got it. There have been zero problems so far in over a year and over 150 uses including dragging over cobbled beaches, dropping the kayak off the rack, dragging over the edge of a panga fully loaded, dropping a knife in it, having a treble hooked lure snag it and mothership racks not meant for kayaks. Still the plastic fix kit is a great idea.

PAL · 08-09-2007, 01:39 PM

What an ordeal. I think many of us wouldn't have survived a night in the ocean, particularly only in shorts.

I'm anxious to hear the rest of the details. They are so sketchy now, almost all of it is supposition.

I won't leave the beach without a hand pump - those things move a tremendous volume of water - but even those can fail. I'd taken on several gallons on a really ratty day one time. I'd pumped out about half when the pump handle and metal piston pulled right out of the cylinder. Not good. Having a buddy nearby to bail you out? Good!

FISHIONADO · 08-09-2007, 02:23 PM

I didn't always wear my PFD. Last August I was fishing by myself near Blacks, I started feeling really tired, then blacked out briefly and flipped and fell into the water. Fortunately the water woke me up and I was able to get back on my kayak and gather all my stuff. I felt weak paddling back to the launch but by the next day I felt 100%. I figured I had some kind of virus the previous day but I started wearing my PFD constantly after that. I had another dizzy spell in September with heartburn. Had it checked out and ended up getting quad bypass heart surgery. I was in the best shape of my life, riding a bicycle 200 miles per week, surfing, kayaking, etc. I'm not preaching but I wear that PFD all the time now.

Rode 85 miles this past Sunday, from Solana Beach through Del Dios, Escondido, Valley Center, Bonsall, Fallbrook, Oceanside, etc. Thats pretty good for less than 12 months after quad bypass, huh? If you see us riding on Sunday's give us a friendly honk, we have red jerseys with Qualcomm printed all over them.

SAR · 08-09-2007, 02:46 PM

I always wear a PFD for exactly the unlikely scenario that fishinado described. Had he not come around in the water he could have had a buddy 30 yards away and he would have been under and gone before the buddy could have paddled to him. I also do everything that lamb described (right on Adi

) Having spent 11 years in search and rescue I've seen many bad endings that could have ended up as just good stories if only for one little, usually obvious thing (like wearing a PFD) that the person didn't do. 99.9% of the time things are great but when it goes to hell it goes quick. It's the ocean and we need to respect it and always be safe. See you all out there (bring fish)!!!

Joe

Handymansd · 08-09-2007, 03:01 PM

This is a great reminder for me. I usually leave my PFD sitting in the front area of my yak. I could have been hard pressed to get it on, never mind the scenario like Dave described. well it will be on 100% of the time from now on. I have a little survival pack that is in a dry pouch that I throw inside my yak and I have a hand bilge pump for my internal tank. I have my VHF attached to my PDF and now my phone in the dry pouch will go on me too!

I am happy that this event did not end differently, and kudos to whoever this was for the effort it must have taken to swim in! He probably saved his own skin!

08-09-2007, 10:39 AM	#2
frugalfisher Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: San Diego Posts: 190	Lots of questions? I wonder what was the cause of the leak. and so on. __________________ James Caldwell Yellow Prowler

08-09-2007, 10:47 AM	#3
lamb Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 2,568	Wow... Glad the guy made it. Another could-have-been-deadly reminder on importance of safety. Make sure you have a life vest. Wear it all the time if all possible. Have a VHF, preferably in a bag with attached small floater. Your cell in a dry bag won't do you much good in situation like this. Have a manual pump or at least improvised device to scoop water out manually... Kayaks are tiny plastic boats - you can easily punch a whole in it without realizing by dragging it over a sharp rock. Not even to mention all the constant stress on internal plastic joints while the boat vibrating strapped on the top of your car/track doing 70+mph on the freeway... Plus the swell banging on it... Have a GPS, preferably waterproof hand held, easily detachable. Have spare batteries for it. In blown out to sea situation, you ought to be able to tell the CG where you are at. I know some folks carry light flares as well; great idea. I haven't been doing it, but now I'll throw a few in my dry bag. Better safe than sorry. Always carry extra water with you!!! Now that I have a kill bag (btw, great way to keep your catch fresh), I take an extra 3-4 frozen water bottles to keep the inside of the kill bag cold. That water doubles as the emergency water supply. I'm sure that's not all, but in my case - minimum safety standards I paddle by... We're in the open ocean. SAFETY FIRST! __________________ [------------------------ <)))< ....b-a-a-a-a

08-09-2007, 01:16 PM	#4
tylerdurden Bad Clone Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 874	hand bilge pumps are better than battery operated ones. We know how often bait tanks and electronics crap out. But yes you can use a bait tank pump in an emergency in most situations. My internal bait tank has worried me little since I got it. There have been zero problems so far in over a year and over 150 uses including dragging over cobbled beaches, dropping the kayak off the rack, dragging over the edge of a panga fully loaded, dropping a knife in it, having a treble hooked lure snag it and mothership racks not meant for kayaks. Still the plastic fix kit is a great idea. __________________ MLPA, if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem Let the Fish and Game Commission know what you think about the proposed maps. Be ready for December 9th and 10th.

08-09-2007, 03:01 PM	#8
Handymansd Ancient Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: On The Water Posts: 935	This is a great reminder for me. I usually leave my PFD sitting in the front area of my yak. I could have been hard pressed to get it on, never mind the scenario like Dave described. well it will be on 100% of the time from now on. I have a little survival pack that is in a dry pouch that I throw inside my yak and I have a hand bilge pump for my internal tank. I have my VHF attached to my PDF and now my phone in the dry pouch will go on me too! I am happy that this event did not end differently, and kudos to whoever this was for the effort it must have taken to swim in! He probably saved his own skin! __________________ All men are equal before fish. -Herbert Hoover

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08-09-2007, 01:39 PM	#5
PAL Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 754	What an ordeal. I think many of us wouldn't have survived a night in the ocean, particularly only in shorts. I'm anxious to hear the rest of the details. They are so sketchy now, almost all of it is supposition. I won't leave the beach without a hand pump - those things move a tremendous volume of water - but even those can fail. I'd taken on several gallons on a really ratty day one time. I'd pumped out about half when the pump handle and metal piston pulled right out of the cylinder. Not good. Having a buddy nearby to bail you out? Good!

08-09-2007, 02:23 PM	#6
FISHIONADO Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 698	I didn't always wear my PFD. Last August I was fishing by myself near Blacks, I started feeling really tired, then blacked out briefly and flipped and fell into the water. Fortunately the water woke me up and I was able to get back on my kayak and gather all my stuff. I felt weak paddling back to the launch but by the next day I felt 100%. I figured I had some kind of virus the previous day but I started wearing my PFD constantly after that. I had another dizzy spell in September with heartburn. Had it checked out and ended up getting quad bypass heart surgery. I was in the best shape of my life, riding a bicycle 200 miles per week, surfing, kayaking, etc. I'm not preaching but I wear that PFD all the time now. Rode 85 miles this past Sunday, from Solana Beach through Del Dios, Escondido, Valley Center, Bonsall, Fallbrook, Oceanside, etc. Thats pretty good for less than 12 months after quad bypass, huh? If you see us riding on Sunday's give us a friendly honk, we have red jerseys with Qualcomm printed all over them.

08-09-2007, 02:46 PM	#7
SAR Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Lakeside Posts: 16	I always wear a PFD for exactly the unlikely scenario that fishinado described. Had he not come around in the water he could have had a buddy 30 yards away and he would have been under and gone before the buddy could have paddled to him. I also do everything that lamb described (right on Adi ) Having spent 11 years in search and rescue I've seen many bad endings that could have ended up as just good stories if only for one little, usually obvious thing (like wearing a PFD) that the person didn't do. 99.9% of the time things are great but when it goes to hell it goes quick. It's the ocean and we need to respect it and always be safe. See you all out there (bring fish)!!! Joe