Newbie Dances with Bean

While certain other members were wrestling with sharks, I had my own little adventure that day which pales in comparison but still bears repeating.  There's lessons to be learned from it.

The morning started out great, meeting some of the folks here, putting faces to the names, checking out everyones setups.  I knew that I was pushing my luck by going out without a wetsuit or VHF, (both on order last week), but I was going out with 10-15 other yakkers...  what could go wrong, right??

I was nervous about my first beach launch, but just followed the first group out, no problem... although seeing breakers and largish swells outside the hollow is a bit scary for a first timer.  I started fishing, following everyones lead and the first lesson was learned pretty quickly...  As I reached into my vest for a knife to cutoff a snag I sliced the end of my finger pretty good.  Lessons 1 and 2:  Never keep a knife loose in your pocket without a sheath, and always carry at least duct tape.  No big deal, as Craig I think it was had a bandaid, (although it didn't stick and soon enough it stopped bleeding after dunks in the cold saltwater- which is kind of scary given the shark attack the same day).

Everyone sort of split up into groups or went out on their own after awhile.  I was going from group to group for awhile but soon the groups were spread out pretty far, and after catching a pretty good fish and getting several snags I found myself completely alone.  Where we had been fishing, lined up by some houses, I could have sworn hearing someone say "We don't normally fish this far north of da bean", and by that time I was getting kind of cold and tired, it was maybe 10:30?  So I let myself drift south, and I see the Queen of Hearts way down there, along with a kayak which I figured must be with our group.  I figure that would be a good place to fish, sure enough I snag a small rockfish and send it back down... 30 seconds and a ling gobbled it.  Quite an adventure having a toothy 11lb ling in your lap for the first time... He was quiet and still so I figure if I'm real quick maybe I can get him on the stringer... but no, he wakes up and goes apeshit, and soon I've clubbed my knee as well as the ling, and my boat is a mess of tangled fishing line and leashes and stringer.  I get everything squared away, but at this time my body decides it doesn't want the gator aide and pb&j that I ate earlier and I'm soon puking all over, (I suspect this may have acted as shark repellant).  By thistime I'm down past the frigging lighthouse... No kayakers in sight, QoH is gone... And I'm not sure where Bean Hollow is at this point....  I must have missed it coming south.  It was kinda hazy going out and I didn't look back to get a lay of the land.  Lesson 3:  Know your surroundings.
I paddle north again, but I know I'm lost, how can this be?  I see a power boat and paddle towards them to get directions, tried to signal them with my paddle but no dice, and soon they power up and are gone.  By this time I'm starting to notice my boat is a little sluggish, even popped the front hatch to check for water but didn't see any.  Figured it must be just the way it rides in the ocean.  By this time it's around 1pm, I'm tired, sick, and hungry.  Lesson 4:  Always bring more food and drinks than you think you'll need.  I've thrown up my only food.  I called my buddy at home to confirm that Bean Hollow is indeed north of pidgeon point and I'm not going crazy.  No phone coverage...  So I paddle and paddle north, not getting very far very quickly.  Finally I see a guy on a Zodiac out further and I paddle for a half hour to get to him.  He confirms I am way far south.  So I continue on north, barely making headway, finally I come back to the houses we were fishing and I remember someone saying those were north of BH.  Try the phone again, nada.  By this time it's 3pm and I am starting to worry a bit.  Not a boat in sight.  All the beaches I can see have huge surf and rocks all around...  and I'm pooped out.  Cramps, getting sunburned...  It's 3pm now. 8hrs on the water. I drift/paddle south again and move in close to check for possible landing spots.  I see one very small section of beach at Pidgeon Point that looks like at least I won't die if I beach there... I stow everything and paddle in, nervous and tired...  I make it to 3 feet of shore before a wave knocked me sideways and dumped me.  I pulled the yak on the beach and look around.  Found a couple nearby who were willing to give me a ride to my truck, and I gladly traded them a nice black for the lift.  I come back with my truck and go to lift my yak and realize man, this thing is heavy, that took a lot out of me, then I notice there's about 4-5 gallons of water inside the hull.  No wonder I was so tired!

If anyone is reading this thinking of going into the ocean for the first time, know that a lot of small, seemingly insignificant events can add up quickly to become a very real problem.  Don't be like me, thinking there's safety in numbers, or that you're only going out close to shore so nothing bad can happen.

I wonder if Bill can consider making a new heading on the forum for safety issues.  I don't know if NCKA has a mission statement but if they do, I hope it includes promoting safety as well as successful kayak angling.

This thread illustrates how alluringly simple kayak fishing may appear to the novitiate.  I know that when I first contacted NCKA, I was warmly invited to join the group at the Half Moon Bay derby.  The only advice I got on going out was, "head out to the green bouy" and then turn right."  I went to the harbor mouth, shrouded with fog, and a green bouy was nowhere to be found.  About 7-8 kayakers, waiting at jaws, then took off straight out.  I figured they must know what they are doing and followed them out.  Later, I found myself fishing where Chuke, Freddie and Allen were fishing.  I didn't know who they were at the time.  Only later, upon returning, did I learn about all the shallow reefs I passed over, and that that big wave that kept recurring to my left, was Mavaricks!  (I kept paddling down wind (south) from there, not realizing that the current kept taking me north.)

Conflicting information can even be worse than lack of information. I have seen Newbs advised not to learn surf launches at Bean Hollow at the same time that others say "go for it!"

If there is a formal section on Safety issues, then Newbs can be confidently directed to a specific source of reliable information.  As it is now, advice regarding safety issues are scattered all over the site and a Newb would be at a loss to find them. 

Since Bill has offered shirts for authoring articles, maybe some can be enticed to write articles about safety issues and others can write about specific launch sites and include all aspects such as parking, topographic information, cautionary info regarding the site--e.g. which end to launch from depending on wind/water condition--etc.  Over time this data would be constantly updated and added to and would become a very valuable source of vital information

Well Said,

And with that I nominate YOU...

Your well spoken and clear thinkin, and
 
IT WILL GET YOU FREE NCKA GEAR!!!!!

 Excelent points and should be done......

Thanks for sharing EricB, I hear ya, been there,   Still there ...Danglin

Eric, wow, I didn't know you had such an experience!  Glad you thought and articulated your lessons learned.  From your story, I might add another one - if you are going out when fog and haze may obscure your bearings, or where you don't "know your surroundings," then have a GPS or other such locator system with you.  I have been out at Muir when it's totally fogged in, with dead GPS batteries, and got to within 100 feet of shore (cliffs) without knowing where I was.

Yea I agree too, Doug has some good thoughts there...  I think we already have some of that info but it's not quite aggregated in one area, which he suggests... Like a forum such as "new to to yakfishing" or "new to NCKA" with some basic info provided by veterans, or articles (or quick links to existing ones) specifically addressing certain "newbie must-read" topics, so those new to the sport/NCKA won't need to search all the forums for everything (some of which they might not even have identified the need to know yet). 

I don't know if we could (or would want to even try to) document all the reefs, holes, etc. that are fishable from all the launches we use, but perhaps general, graphical frames of references for popular places, or places that present special safety issues, might be doable?   Maybe a forum with a compilation/listing of Google Earths with notes, or something like that?

EricB~

Thanks for the post. I hope it is an eye opener to the less experienced.
Glad you finally made it back safely.

Wow Eric, I'm really glad you are OK! I'll confess, after having guided trips I was trying to keep everyone in sight, but with so many of us out there it quickly became impossible, so I just concentrated on my immediate companions.
That is one spooky story, and I am thankful you managed it with aplomb.
 
Sean

Good report Eric,

I was contemplating about getting a GPS/FF and glad I got one; just for those occasions when you don't know where you are. At the HMB event it was so foggy so most of us newbies stayed close to the harbor opening where we could here the sound. I also have a radio,and proper attire to go out in the deep blue. Since I still need the practice I am usually launching in Monterey Bay.

Doug the wiki is the place for safety info we have an entire section for it 

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/wiki/index.php/SafetyInformation

I think that is a much better resource than a forum where things will tend to get lost in the shuffle. Thornley has done a fairly good job starting the section. Please add to it so it can grow.

Oh.  Wiki.  So THAT's what that is... yeah, it looks good!

It would be a really good resource to point newbies to, but helpful for everyone else as well.  Thanks!

My first rule is never go out if it is foggy.  No matter how many times I been out there on a clear day.  Boats can not see you and you can can see anything.  I wait until is lifts.  The Bean may not have the boat traffic but it deos have the breakers, waves and  rocks.

Ken kickfish