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Topic: no really, what about floatation foam in your kayak?  (Read 54064 times)

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Marmite

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I agree with Surfingmarmot's admonitions.  The sea is without mercy!  There was an earlier thread (mrsinbad's list)  which touched on safety concerns and some postings minimized the safety items suggesting that going out alone without VHF, GPS, FF and even PFD was OK as long as you were having fun and using common sense.  But common sense doesn't protect you from getting a flat tire at the wrong place and wrong time.  Obviously good tire maintanence and driving can reduce the risk but emergencies are unpredictable by definition.  How does commen sense help you know you are about to hit an unrecognized reef if you don't have a GPS and Map of the area or a FF?

It makes me shiver just reading the earlier posting by Littoral in January:  "First time out, no wetsuit, 50o water and no one saw me go down".  I have examined my hull and see grooves in it that must be at least 1/3 full thickness.  I don't even know where they came from since I have mainly launched from the tame boat launch at Santa Cruz.  But I can see how easy it could be to start taking on water, especially after a brush with a reef that compromised the hull. As a former ER doc, I think about how close Littoral was to succumbing to hypthermia.  I recall the Coast Guard coptering in two fishermen, brothers, whose boat had capsized.  One was lean and one was overweight.  Only the heavy guy made it back alive--because he had more insulation.  (One example where being less healthy saves your life!).  There is the illusion that we are protected by our wet suits, but they can only forstall the onset of hypothermia but won't prevent it if we can't get ourselves back in quickly enough.  You can keep warmer if you keep swimming (as we divers know), but if were imobilized by the accident we will quickly chill.

A number of things could have made the difference between life or death if he had been even a bit farther out: As Surfingmarmot said, inexperience delayed the realization of impending danger.  A hand pump, used early enough would have bought him enough time to get in afloat.  A wet suit would have extended his survival time and a VHF could have ellicited help.  A buddy would have been of immeasurable value.

By the way does anyone know how likely it is to be heard by VHF if you are alone off , say, the southern San Mateo Coast?  I have only been out of Santa Cruz, Half Moon Bay and Monterey so I figure that I could easily be heard by the Coast Guard or the many private boats.  But I wonder how it would be on the more isolated parts of the coast.


surfingmarmot

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Some handheld VHF radios allow for power saving by cutting transmission power. good for concerving that precious battery udring chit-chat. But it  can be a liability. I saw a recent report from New England about two sea kayakers rescued in stormy seas and moderately hypothermic. They had turned down the power of their VHF to 1 watt to conserve power and forgot to turn it up to 6 watts when issuing their May Day. Fortunately a boater heard the weak signal and relayed it to the Coast Guard. Unfortunately, the boater got confused on their location and it took several hours to figure out where they really were.


MolBasser

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This is a good point.  Handheld VHF radios are limited (why?) to 5w transmission power.  Given their antennae and power the range is VERY limited.  I think it is only 5 miles or so.

Flares, radio, cell phone (also range limited), etc.

I would never ever contemplate leaving swimming range from the shore without a buddy.  That is probably the most important ocean safety device, a buddy..

MolBasser
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jmairey

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True, but people are such freaking flakes, if you want to fish sometimes it's got to be solo.
john m. airey


mooch

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True, but people are such freaking flakes, if you want to fish sometimes it's got to be solo.


someone needs a nap.....(see what happens when you don't let the steam out when you miss a nice fish on a gaff :smt002)


jmairey

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what I need a net?  :smt002 you are right, I just ordered the 2006 floating folding promar from hook1. plus some other goodies like a second larger game clip. they gave me the 'picked-on-by-mooch'  :smt010, discount,  :smt005.

and you know what mooch, the net is filled with EXPANDING FOAM! just like a boston whaler,  :smt007.
also makes it stronger.

I stand by my flake position tho. my wife did this, my kid did that, my car didn't work. who cares why you didn't go?
shut up and fish. and fish alone if you have to.  :smt002

J
john m. airey


surfingmarmot

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I cannot find a good gaff that floats locally so I'll just make one (cheaper anyway). But I did get a second H-O-O-P S-T-R-I-N-G-E-R which is what _all_ the dive shops seem to call what you call a "game clip" :smt003 I do wonder though, if you pull a big fish on baord, clip it, and miss the beating so it jumps off still vigorous, whether it could lever the kayak over. Oh well, I guess one or more of us will find out what a 20-poound Ling Cod can accomplish against a kayak :smt001 I should be so lucky :smt011 I'd be worried more about a skinny-beamed Prowler than a corn-fed Marauder though :glasses1: (whoa--yes I have been taking 'smack talk' lessons from Mol and Mooch :smt003)


jmairey

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I think that is why chuckE and others use bungie on their game clips.

marmot, just slide some pipe insulation or noodle over the gaf handle. floats. or order the
beautiful calcutta gaff from hook1, joel's sponsor.
john m. airey


ZeeHokkaido

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Quote
order the beautiful calcutta gaff from hook1, joel's sponsor.
No kidding, that gaff is soo coool! I'll have to order it up someday when I can catch big fish :smt012 until then it's gonna have to be the bright orange fish grip :smt004 :smt004
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pescadore

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This is a good point.  Handheld VHF radios are limited (why?) to 5w transmission power.  Given their antennae and power the range is VERY limited.  I think it is only 5 miles or so.

MolBasser


I'm not sure, but isn't emergency 16 linked to a repeater system?  Does anyone know?


SpeedyStein

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Bringing this one back from the dead.  Great read on a rainy day. 
- Kevin


tedski

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This is a good point.  Handheld VHF radios are limited (why?) to 5w transmission power.  Given their antennae and power the range is VERY limited.  I think it is only 5 miles or so.

MolBasser


I'm not sure, but isn't emergency 16 linked to a repeater system?  Does anyone know?

There aren't any repeaters for the Marine VHF frequencies.  However, the USCG maintains many high sites along the coast.  Like MolBasser notes, though, 5 watts still needs to get you there.  If you have line of sight, you're most of the way there, though.
Hobie Passport 12
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anything