In the Drink

Part of kayaking, is getting wet. Sometimes, really wet. It is ok, it has happened to all of us, and it will happen to you if you kayak enough.

I recall the first time I went in the drink, unintentionally. It was Shelter Cove, GS4. I was not prepared at all. I thought I was, but I was not. I did not have a wetsuit on. I had hydroskin pants, and layers of shirts, topped with a hoodie under my pfd. By the time I got back in the yak, and started for the launch, I was cold and heading towards hypothermia.

This weekend, in the drink I went again. We were floating the American, and the San Juan Rapids got the best of me and I was bucked out of the seat and into the drink. My initial reaction was to panic, and I did for about five seconds. Then I realized, I am in a river, pfd on, got a hold of the kayak, I aint goin anywhere except downstream, and I will be ok. I didn't try self rescue on account of the eddie and moving water. I just held on and side stroked to get to shore. That was not working, the eddie was pushing me back into the middle, so I swapped sides and side stroked to the shore on the other side. Got out, stretched, and caught a bunch of shad.

The point is, unless you stay on a pond, there is a high probability that you will eventually, go in the drink. This is the time of year to practice, weather is nice and water is warm.

After seeing me go in, and as we were finishing our day floating down to the take out, my son started diving off of his kayak and swimming around. He is now proficient in self rescue. He is also familiar with  going in the drink with his pfd on.

Why is it important? Because knowing what to expect is beneficial in a crisis. Knowing what it feels like to flip and go under water with your pfd on is key. You float differently with the pfd than you do in swim trunks in a pool. Being comfortable floating/treading water with a pfd is what I think everyone should experience and be familiar with. It is not the same.

Once you are comfortable with being in the water, you will be more comfortable when the time comes to self rescue. When you are in a panicked state, you tense up and breathe faster, heart is racing. You expel a lot of energy, really fast. The more comfortable and relaxed you are, the easier it will be to climb back in your kayak. Erratic kicks and scrambling to drag yourself back in, only wears you out, and can make a bad situation, a lot worse.

For instance, if you flip in the ocean or river for that matter, and you are being swept towards rocks or breakers, you have a short window. If you spend it in panic, you are in trouble. If you are comfortable and prepared, you stand a better chance of quickly re-entering your kayak.

Just some food for thought, get out and have some fun, get wet, and go in the drink! Please though, save the drinks for later  

Good advice Rich!  It's been awhile since I've done some practicing.  I dread the day I end up going in during a sub-freezing winter day on the lake.

It's also a good time to start getting my kid used to it.  I think we'll give it a shot this weekend at the lake.

I went in at San Juan right before Rich.
First thing I did was freaked then I thought hell in in a PFD so I turned my yak right side up and hopped back in on the first try.

Haven't self rescued in years. But was a cakewalk. I'm gonna take the yak back out and leave it empty and do it again.
Also learned a lot about my new yak, like how much water it takes on a dunk. Lot more than I expected. 
Was a greaT learning lesson.


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Got my nephew a Frenzy Kayak 2 years ago and the first thing that I taught him was how to get back on it if he ever fell off(self rescue). After about an 1hr. he had it mastered and he was diving off the thing like it was a diving board. Fast forward 2 yrs., at the beach with him to play in some small kiddie surf with our yaks when some of is friends show up with mom and dad and a new kayak in tow. The parents had pfds. for them and let them get in the yaks and start paddling around when my nephew stopped them and asked if they fell out could they get back on it. The kids said no, so my nephew preceded to show them how. So for the rest of the day kids and parents learned how to self recue. Pretty dang proud of my nephew,Oh by the way he turns 7 end of this year.

Got my nephew a Frenzy Kayak 2 years ago and the first thing that I taught him was how to get back on it if he ever fell off(self rescue). After about an 1hr. he had it mastered and he was diving off the thing like it was a diving board. Fast forward 2 yrs., at the beach with him to play in some small kiddie surf with our yaks when some of is friends show up with mom and dad and a new kayak in tow. The parents had pfds. for them and let them get in the yaks and start paddling around when my nephew stopped them and asked if they fell out could they get back on it. The kids said no, so my nephew preceded to show them how. So for the rest of the day kids and parents learned how to self recue. Pretty dang proud of my nephew,Oh by the way he turns 7 end of this year.

I bet your nephew had fun teaching them, way to go

I went in at San Juan right before Rich.
First thing I did was freaked then I thought hell in in a PFD so I turned my yak right side up and hopped back in on the first try.

Haven't self rescued in years. But was a cakewalk. I'm gonna take the yak back out and leave it empty and do it again.
Also learned a lot about my new yak, like how much water it takes on a dunk. Lot more than I expected. 
Was a greaT learning lesson.


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My net busted the flush mount, I have to weld that up and resealed before I go back out. Have to dust off the old Prowler 15 for a while!

My first time was about a mile and half out past the mile buoy in Santa Cruz. I was jigging and didn't get any sleep that night, launched at 5am.

I fell asleep and fell off my kayak into the ocean. I remember mostly being surprised then getting back in. It was easy and I lost nothing.

Earlier this afternoon I was in Shadow Cliffs and jumped in the water to swim a bit in my AI (only one ama). It was predictably easy to get back in. Mostly my dang dog trying to "help" me get back in lol.

I remember the time I was in SWS and the swells were 9' high. I was very uncomfortable because I had never practiced self rescue in my Trident 13 which is a lot less stable than my Predator 13. I didn't take a swim but that week I went and found out that the Trident 13 is much harder to self rescue than my Predator was.

I had to learn how to do it properly. Once I could safely get in and out of it, I felt much more confident even in turbulent waters.

Great sharing here. 

I say if you don't know how to self rescue - if you aren't well ready for it - then you do not belong in this sport.

Period.

Great sharing here. 

I say if you don't know how to self rescue - if you aren't well ready for it - then you do not belong in this sport.

Period.

This^

Or leave the kayak in the backyard pool. 

Excellent reminder.  I'll be on the water w/ the family tonight and we'll be practicing. 

OK I'll fess up here. I took a dunk off San Clemente island on the recent (6/26-28/16) 2.5 day Islander trip. I was trying to put a rod behind me in a priorly un-tested rod holder /mounted to a crate behind my seat, and over leaned. Did a slow roll and there I was= in the drink 

The Islander skiff was right there, and I had help from the skiff and other kayakers, but I seriously felt like I was in need of some practice and also need to lose some excess weight to pull this off solo. Lost my collapsible net and some lead in a box, everything else was floating or tethered. PFD was my personal salvation, but I am an old surf rat, and being immersed in water does not usually bother me. I've even been washed over rocks in the surf many times at Pleasure Point and Steamer Lane after ditching my board In a wipe out.

I do think I will employ a rope step on my yak for future off shore ventures.

Thanks for getting this topic started with your confession MontanaN8V.

Keep the hull side down.

I Zod Out

good post, Rich, we need a vid of you getting back in or you cant play anymore

Hell I am happy when I can just get out! With that comes calculating the conditions and being realistic with my capabilities that given day.

OK I'll fess up here. I took a dunk off San Clemente island on the recent (6/26-28/16) 2.5 day Islander trip. I was trying to put a rod behind me in a priorly un-tested rod holder /mounted to a crate behind my seat, and over leaned. Did a slow roll and there I was= in the drink 

The Islander skiff was right there, and I had help from the skiff and other kayakers, but I seriously felt like I was in serious need of some practice and also need to lose some excess weight to pull this off solo. Lost my collapsible net and some lead in a box, everything else was floating or tethered. PFD was my personal salvation, but I am an old surf rat, and being immersed in water does not usually bother me. I've even been washed over rocks in the surf many times at Pleasure Point and Steamer Lane after ditching my board n a wipe out.

I do think I will employ a rope step on my yak for future off shore ventures.

Thanks for getting this topic started with your confession MontanaN8V.

Keep the hull side down.

I Zod Out

Islander Swim Team!

Islander Swim Team!

Practicing 50 miles off shore of the mainland.

I Zod Out