NorCal Kayak Anglers

Kayak Fishing Zone => Safety First => Topic started by: mickfish on February 19, 2018, 11:29:37 AM

Title: kayakers often make the mistake of not heeding weather forecasts
Post by: mickfish on February 19, 2018, 11:29:37 AM
From the Press Demo Today.

Two sets of kayakers got into trouble in Bodega Bay this weekend, including a woman who fell into the water and was rescued by firefighters who swam out with a board to get her.

The first rescue occurred Saturday night, when though it was windy, a man and woman went out on kayaks without wearing a life vests.

Apparently, “a gal and her boyfriend wanted to take a romantic moonlight cruise in their kayaks,” Bodega Bay fire Capt. Justin Fox said Sunday. “She fell out of the kayak into the harbor and was unable to get in and her boyfriend couldn’t get her in.”

The two yelled for help and after about an hour or so someone heard and called 911 at 9:07 p.m.





Firefighters from Bodega Bay and Bodega responded. Two Bodega Bay firefighters trained as rescue swimmers went after the woman who was clinging to the boat’s side, drifting a couple hundred yards from shore. The man, still in his kayak, stayed with her, Fox said.

The firefighters got her onto the board and paddled her back to shore and a waiting Bodega Bay ambulance. She’d been in the ocean more than an hour, was exhausted and beginning to suffer from hypothermia, Fox said. She was taken to Sonoma West Medical Center in Sebastopol.

The second rescue occurred early Sunday afternoon when two men in kayaks struggled with gusting winds and needed help after becoming stuck south of Doran Park.





“They were beat up by the wind and blown into rocks at Pinnacle Gulch,” Fox said. “They weren’t injured, just exhausted. They couldn’t paddle against the wind.”

Fox estimated sustained winds Sunday afternoon at 20 knots with gusts to 30 knots. Someone onshore watching the kayakers fight the wind called for help at 1:24 p.m. The U.S. Coast Guard sent a boat and guided firefighters to their location and the two were told where to find a nearby trail to drag their kayaks out, he said.

The names of the four or their home towns weren’t available Sunday.

Fox said kayakers often make the mistake of not heeding weather forecasts, and out‑of‑towners often don’t know the area and wind patterns, heading out early when winds are calm then getting blown south as afternoon winds increase.

“They need to pay attention to marine and (National Weather Service) forecasts,” Fox said. “Anything over 10 knots causes kayakers to struggle.”

You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 707‑521-5412 or randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter@rossmannreport.
Title: Re: kayakers often make the mistake of not heeding weather forecasts
Post by: PISCEAN on February 19, 2018, 01:55:16 PM
Those are 4 lucky folks.

play safe out there!
Title: Re: kayakers often make the mistake of not heeding weather forecasts
Post by: Tote on February 19, 2018, 02:02:05 PM
And the Darwin award goes to........................
Title: Re: kayakers often make the mistake of not heeding weather forecasts
Post by: Eric B on February 19, 2018, 05:27:11 PM
Such a shame because you know that woman is convinced kayaks are death traps and will never go out again or let her future kids go out.
Title: Re: kayakers often make the mistake of not heeding weather forecasts
Post by: SlackedTide on February 19, 2018, 05:32:28 PM
He failed n couldn’t save her.... not gonna last long .
Title: Re: kayakers often make the mistake of not heeding weather forecasts
Post by: Eddie on February 19, 2018, 06:09:24 PM
He failed n couldn’t save her.... not gonna last long .
Can you imagine?  Oh....we'll be ok...I'm with my superhero romantic brave guy and now.... he is dry in the boat and I am dying, freezing, and almost drowning...wouldn't the adrenaline of true love haul her into the boat...I'm sure the circumstances would correct my view, but sounds more like a murder novel....
Title: Re: kayakers often make the mistake of not heeding weather forecasts
Post by: SlackedTide on February 19, 2018, 07:12:58 PM
He failed n couldn’t save her.... not gonna last long .
Can you imagine?  Oh....we'll be ok...I'm with my superhero romantic brave guy and now.... he is dry in the boat and I am dying, freezing, and almost drowning...wouldn't the adrenaline of true love haul her into the boat...I'm sure the circumstances would correct my view, but sounds more like a murder novel....
I was kinda thinking the same thing. Just doesn’t seem right.
Title: Re: kayakers often make the mistake of not heeding weather forecasts
Post by: crash on February 19, 2018, 07:18:33 PM
I imagine that either he is super old and/or she is super fat.
Title: Re: kayakers often make the mistake of not heeding weather forecasts
Post by: Archie Marx on February 19, 2018, 07:31:08 PM
I imagine that he is super old and/or she is super fat single.

Fixed it.
Title: Re: kayakers often make the mistake of not heeding weather forecasts
Post by: LoletaEric on February 19, 2018, 07:43:33 PM
Stupid people make the rest of us look bad.  IMO, everything we do as a club to promote and normalize the notion that safety is absolutely a requirement of our sport will serve us in the long run.

Stupid people - sorry if that's insensitive, but I say call it out.
Title: Re: kayakers often make the mistake of not heeding weather forecasts
Post by: crash on February 19, 2018, 08:01:29 PM
Stupid people make the rest of us look bad.  IMO, everything we do as a club to promote and normalize the notion that safety is absolutely a requirement of our sport will serve us in the long run.

Stupid people - sorry if that's insensitive, but I say call it out.

I called them old and fat.  I apologize for missing stupid.  I meant  to say it, and any flak can come at me rather than Eric cuz I agree with him.  Those peopel are either fat and/or old and/or stupid.
Title: Re: kayakers often make the mistake of not heeding weather forecasts
Post by: crash on February 19, 2018, 08:06:36 PM
I imagine that he is super old and/or she is super fat single.

Fixed it.

As a divorce attorney, I can say that you underestimate the capacity to forgive.  By a factor of a bazillion.
Title: Re: kayakers often make the mistake of not heeding weather forecasts
Post by: Archie Marx on February 19, 2018, 08:16:32 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G5Nro9VtvI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G5Nro9VtvI)
Title: Re: kayakers often make the mistake of not heeding weather forecasts
Post by: Hojoman on February 19, 2018, 10:04:11 PM
Remember when a former NCKA member took a first-timer out on Tomales Bay (?) under less than ideal conditions? First-timer and his kayak had to be rescued by the Coast Guard and the former member declined a ride in. Which one was more stupid?  :smt009
Title: Re: kayakers often make the mistake of not heeding weather forecasts
Post by: SmokeOnTheWater on February 20, 2018, 03:51:43 PM
Stupid people make the rest of us look bad.  IMO, everything we do as a club to promote and normalize the notion that safety is absolutely a requirement of our sport will serve us in the long run.

Stupid people - sorry if that's insensitive, but I say call it out.

I totally agree, but I notice there are a few on here who like to disagree and say its all relative.  Rather make fun of us who preach safety.  I'm not sure why preaching to be safe is a laughing matter but I'm sure they will chime in here shortly.
Title: Re: kayakers often make the mistake of not heeding weather forecasts
Post by: Widgeon on February 20, 2018, 04:39:41 PM
I was there this weekend (definately not kayaking) and saw lots of people with kayaks near Doran beach....I just shook my head.
Title: Re: kayakers often make the mistake of not heeding weather forecasts
Post by: TrialandError on May 11, 2018, 08:39:19 AM
Is there a channel on the VHF radio that broadcasts the weather?  I used to be a pilot and we had multiple ways of getting weather reports, in real time.  I seem to rely on reports up until I'm on the water than all on my own for 9 hours floating around...
Title: Re: kayakers often make the mistake of not heeding weather forecasts
Post by: crash on May 11, 2018, 08:46:54 AM
Is there a channel on the VHF radio that broadcasts the weather?  I used to be a pilot and we had multiple ways of getting weather reports, in real time.  I seem to rely on reports up until I'm on the water than all on my own for 9 hours floating around...

Most if not all marine radios receive WX stations.  Up here it is broadcast on 162.550 MHz which is pre-programmed in my radio as WX1.
Title: Re: kayakers often make the mistake of not heeding weather forecasts
Post by: bigtuna on May 11, 2018, 08:48:37 AM
channel 1
Title: Re: kayakers often make the mistake of not heeding weather forecasts
Post by: yatzmail@yahoo.com on May 11, 2018, 09:25:58 AM
I imagine that he is super old and/or she is super fat single.

Fixed it.
if we can’t say something nice we shouldn’t day it ;)
Title: Re: kayakers often make the mistake of not heeding weather forecasts
Post by: crash on May 11, 2018, 09:30:00 AM
I imagine that he is super old and/or she is super fat single.

Fixed it.
if we can’t say something nice we shouldn’t day it ;)

lol