tournaments/trips offshore: do we carry enough safety gear?

[Badman Bolinchsky]

Two well-equipped and experienced kayakers were recently rescued off Massachusetts by Coast Guard helicopter basketlift and a rescue swimmer in rough seas and high winds.

A pair of VHF radios (one crapped out), pfd’s, drysuits and nearly a dozen flares were key to the rescue.

Neither guy was seriously hurt, but the rescue took nearly three hours, requiring not only the helo but surfboats, a couple of harbormastes, and two local CG stations.

I've got postings on the incident, with comments and additional links, at

http://paddlingtravelers.blogspot.co...nd-rescue.html

(which gives a general overview)

and at

http://paddlingtravelers.blogspot.co...s_archive.html

which gives details.