Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
March 28, 2024, 11:40:19 PM

Login with username, password and session length

Recent Topics

[Today at 11:34:08 PM]

[Today at 09:59:11 PM]

[Today at 09:44:18 PM]

[Today at 09:12:36 PM]

[Today at 07:11:09 PM]

[Today at 01:13:46 PM]

[March 27, 2024, 07:25:42 PM]

[March 27, 2024, 07:05:39 PM]

[March 27, 2024, 12:35:34 PM]

[March 27, 2024, 11:18:23 AM]

[March 26, 2024, 07:45:07 PM]

[March 26, 2024, 06:19:03 PM]

[March 26, 2024, 05:47:06 PM]

Support NCKA

Support the site by making a donation.

Topic: Capsized by storm on Maui  (Read 3268 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

ganoderma

  • Salmon
  • ***
  • View Profile
  • Location: Felton / Santa Cruz, CA
  • Date Registered: Aug 2006
  • Posts: 791
Around 8 years ago, I was paddling solo off the western shore of Maui looking for whales, about one hour after sunrise, just south of Lahaina. It was a borrowed SOT with a rudder. Safety equipment consisted of a PFD. No radio; didn't even know about them back then. I also had fins and a mask/snorkel onboard.

Usually the conditions are very calm on the leeward side of the island, especially early in the morning. I was out about two miles looking for whales. After sitting on the glassy calm water for a couple of minutes, I heard a loud "whoosh" sound behind me. I turned and saw a huge humpback whale just a few feet away, with another one a few yards further. After snapping a few photos, both whales sounded and disappeared. I was thrilled; my first time getting that close to whales.

At that time, I noticed that storm clouds seemed to be punching through the gap between the West Maui mountains and Haleakala volcano. Usually, they don't break through to the west side, but today was different. In just a couple of minutes, the ocean went from glassy calm to a raging storm. Five-to-six-foot waves popped up, breaking away from shore. The waves were so steep and sudden, that my kayak was tossed into the air, landing upside down. I turned the kayak over and climbed back on, trying to paddle into the waves toward shore. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't paddle into the waves and was soon thrown upside down again. After getting on board and getting tossed a third time, I decided to look at the rudder. It appeared that the first toss-over by the wave had damaged the rudder. There was a broken cable on one side, and the other side was jammed in a fully turned position. That was why I couldn't turn into the waves! I broke the rudder loose and stowed it on top. After getting back on the kayak, it was then possible to steer into the waves and paddle the two miles back to shore.

While it would have been possible to abandon the kayak and swim back to shore, the waves and tiger sharks would have made it very unpleasant, if not terminal. Since then, I always check rudder cables, ropes, and hardware when using a boat with a rudder. The rudder can be extremely helpful in rough conditions, but it can also be a source of trouble if it is jammed. Another reason to always carry a knife when paddling.

Just a couple of weeks after this, a newlywed couple were paddling in the same area. A similar storm punched thru the mountains, and they were blown offshore and got stuck out there after dark. The woman went into the water to get warm and got attacked by a tiger shark. She bled profusely, passed out, and fell off her boat and disappeared. The guy managed to make it to an abandoned island off Maui. After a couple of days, he was able to signal for help and was rescued.

Moral of the story? Check your equipment. Be prepared for adverse weather conditions, even if they are not predicted. Carry a radio (something recreational kayakers almost never do). Wear insulating clothing, even in Hawaii, since the water and air are still cold enough to cause hypothermia, especially after dark.
« Last Edit: May 19, 2007, 06:11:35 PM by ganoderma »
- Ganoderma

Santa Cruz


ganoderma

  • Salmon
  • ***
  • View Profile
  • Location: Felton / Santa Cruz, CA
  • Date Registered: Aug 2006
  • Posts: 791
I found an article about the kayakers who got swept out a few weeks after my experience. The wind conditions were similar to those I encountered, but they didn't experience storm waves. They did experience something much worse, though:

http://www.igorilla.com/gorilla/animal/1999/shark_kills_honeymooner_in_hawaii_4.html
« Last Edit: December 20, 2006, 08:24:59 PM by ganoderma »
- Ganoderma

Santa Cruz


swellrider

  • Salmon
  • ***
  • View Profile Humboats.com
  • Location: Eureka, California
  • Date Registered: Sep 2006
  • Posts: 621
Harsh Honeymoon, Damn!!!

I grew up on Oahu and watched a friend of my dad get taken right in the surf by a tiger shark. That image horrifies me to this day. I'm a pro-kayaker and find it ironic that I like paddling on top of the water but am phobic about being in it.
HUMBOATS KAYAK ADVENTURES
www.humboats.com


ganoderma

  • Salmon
  • ***
  • View Profile
  • Location: Felton / Santa Cruz, CA
  • Date Registered: Aug 2006
  • Posts: 791
Harsh Honeymoon, Damn!!!

I grew up on Oahu and watched a friend of my dad get taken right in the surf by a tiger shark. That image horrifies me to this day. I'm a pro-kayaker and find it ironic that I like paddling on top of the water but am phobic about being in it.

That's a terrible thing to see. Did he survive?

Tiger sharks are really unpredictable. There have been quite a few attacks on the southwest shore of Maui the past few years. Last December, I was swimming off Kihei when I suddenly saw helicopters all over the place. When I got back to shore, I found out that a swimmer had been attacked by a tiger shark.  When I checked the news, I saw that it was my friend's brother who was attacked; he lost part of his hand. He was the only swimmer who was out farther than me. That really freaked me out. It seems like a lot of attacks occur in November and December on Maui. I haven't heard of any attacks on kayakers, at least those who stay on their boat. There have been stories of very large tigers following kayaks, though.
- Ganoderma

Santa Cruz


ganoderma

  • Salmon
  • ***
  • View Profile
  • Location: Felton / Santa Cruz, CA
  • Date Registered: Aug 2006
  • Posts: 791
Here's a link to the story about the tiger shark following a kayak on Maui:

http://www.mauinews.com/story.aspx?id=16556
- Ganoderma

Santa Cruz


Tote

  • One life, right? Don't blow it.
  • Global Moderator
  • View Profile
  • Location: Diamond Springs, CA
  • Date Registered: Jul 2005
  • Posts: 12979
Here is a quote from an amazing story by Terry Maas concerning a tiger shark, complete with photos.
 
"Usually, when we spot a large tiger, they keep their distance, often swimming obliquely toward us and then angling away, never getting closer than 30 feet. This particular 14-foot tiger acted differently. It decided it would rather eat me than admire my form. Swimming straight up from 100 feet, the great eater-of-men never wavered in its path directly toward me. When it opened its mouth 6 feet away, I fired. An hour later, the beast lay on the deck still snapping its jaws in defiance, my spear imbedded in its head between the eyes."

Here is a link to the whole story.
http://www.freedive.net/feature/pickering_record.htm

<=>


ZeeHokkaido

  • Sea Lion
  • ****
  • Kayaking + Fishing = Happiness!
  • View Profile Kayak Fishing Hokkaido
  • Location: Hokkaido, Japan
  • Date Registered: Jul 2006
  • Posts: 2815
Here is a quote from an amazing story by Terry Maas concerning a tiger shark, complete with photos.
 
"Usually, when we spot a large tiger, they keep their distance, often swimming obliquely toward us and then angling away, never getting closer than 30 feet. This particular 14-foot tiger acted differently. It decided it would rather eat me than admire my form. Swimming straight up from 100 feet, the great eater-of-men never wavered in its path directly toward me. When it opened its mouth 6 feet away, I fired. An hour later, the beast lay on the deck still snapping its jaws in defiance, my spear imbedded in its head between the eyes."

Here is a link to the whole story.
http://www.freedive.net/feature/pickering_record.htm

Spearfishing is too cool.. can't wait to get in on it!! :fish2 :smt063

Z
2010 NWKA Angler Of The Year
2008 Moutcha Bay Pro - 1st place
Stealth Kayaks
Kokatat Watersports Wear
Hobie Polarized Sunglasses
Orion Coolers


t-bone

  • Sand Dab
  • **
  • View Profile
  • Date Registered: May 2007
  • Posts: 10
there was that movie about the honeymooners that went diving and got chomped by the monsters. sucks.