Needed a CG Rescue Yesterday at Doran Beach

. I have made that paddle with the wind several times. I used to launch a Doran and let the wind take me to the Estero Americano then go up the estero all the way to Valley Ford.

I've done that going the opposite route, such a cool paddle to get through the estero and then suddenly there you are at the ocean.

FWIW, I'm keen to paddle an Abaco as well when i upgrade from the T140. They look like a great design.

Those are the predominant winds at Bodega. Not to be ingnored or prepared for. Ive seen them go from nothing to 20+ MPH in minutes. A four mile paddle facing into 30Knot+? Ive paddled my T-15 for four miles into a 20+ at Monterey and loved it. The Trident pushes up and over without a lot of spray. IMO thats the boat I want to be in. That day the Revos were taking water over the hull.

If you had an AI you would have been gold man. Now I really want to paddle an abaco to make sure.

Glad you're both OK

Glad everybody is safe. It reads like an advertisement though.

Thanks again and a Happy Independence Day and fun 4th to all!

I wish I could say I learned great lessons out of this but it was mostly just another day without a bite for me.  The reinforcement of protocol is clear and I'm guessing there's a lesson or 2 for less experienced and newer kayak anglers.  Dressed to stay warm for a long swim, charged radio and phone in dry bags at hand, PFD (I even had a rare, extra PFD on board), taking a look at the freshest forecast (I use Swellinfo.com), launching onto clean water with a respectable fear of that forecast, filing a float plan with Michelle, knowing Shasta had a phone and no radio and knowing the limits of the boat I'm in that day...for starters, there are a lot of lessons there.

Sincoast, thanks for that, I'd like to address my contributions at NCKA. 

I appreciate that a small percentage of members don't like any advertising here and everyone draws their own line on what is acceptable to them as promotions.  Lots of members have hitched their wagons to industry brands at NCKA, I'm just the latest.  I strive to make a quality contribution in my posts free of "shameless" promotion.  Ravensblack and I have distinctively different posting styles.  I believe that taking the opportunity to promote his brand and discount a competitors model here lends even more to the "advertisement" tone of the thread.  Publishing the first kayak fishing forums in 1997, I've been through a lot of growth in this area of networking the sport and feel  it would be inappropriate to post that way.  A small percentage of readers are always going to take exception to the promotional tone of my contributions.  The bottom line is that I hope the majority of readers find the quality of my contributions to the NCKA forums outweigh the "shill" effect of their content.   

Sincoast, thanks for that, I'd like to address my contributions at NCKA. 

  A small percentage of readers are always going to take exception to the promotional tone of my contributions.  The bottom line is that I hope the majority of readers find the quality of my contributions to the NCKA forums outweigh the "shill" effect of their content.

Did you take a poll?  I'm not trying to stir it up but you are painting with a broad brush on what people feel about your contributions. It's probably better to ask than assume.  I doubt SinCoast was alone in his feelings.

I'm happy you guys are ok. 
Calling a "Broken Arrow" to the Coast Guard is gnarly when you grab that radio.
They see it all, in the worst.
Thank you Coast Guard. 

I appreciate that a small percentage of members don't like any advertising here and everyone draws their own line on what is acceptable to them as promotions.

You are the one in the minority of people who shamelessly plug your product after a near-tragic incident. There's a time and place for promoting...doing so so soon after someone could have died is neither the time nor place.

 

  Adam, bro, PLEASE put Ella back up in your avatar!  She's way cuter than you! 

I never thought this thread would lead to damage control.  Had I thought my post read like I was trying to profit by shamelessly plugging my product with a near-tragic incident, I never would have posted and apologize to everyone who got that message. 

This was no more a "near tragic incident" than most days fishing.  Had I given Shasta another hour or 2, he'd a probably hit the beach between the golf course and the first estero.  A bigf part of the message I tried to make clear in posting is to make the best call.

I didn't take a poll but, I do have longer experience with kayak fishing forums than anyone on the planet and I do make mistakes.  One of them here was using the wrong terminology in "small percentage", I should have said "minority" that I believe to be true.

The quality of my contribution here is very important.  I figure that many folks probably don't want to publish their support or criticism and I invite anyone who will take the time to PM me with your opinion of my overall contribution at NCKA, positive and negative.  For guest readers, email me at Spike@Kayakfishing.com.

HaahahAHAHHAHAHh We all like ya Spike... Well hold on, I'm being to general here. The majority of us like ya.... well, not to speak for anyone else... Ok, I like ya Spike and promoting a newish player  (RTM)  in the kayak market is ok by me. Especially when you first offer demo boats and castoffs to us here @ NCKA at a killer deal... For those that are offended... I came to this web site to learn more about the sport and equipment used by others. Seeing some of the incredible layouts on a Kayak I'd be proud to have on my powerboat was amazing and Eye opening... Now with 9 Kayaks in my flotilla hearing more about the RTM and it's performance is great. Hearing how Hobies stand up to sharks, OC innovations I might have seen here first.... Reviews that are real and from people I Have met that use stuff HARD like I do. Is a priceless resource to me. Ya, Ads can be payed for on site to promote... using product names in your post tastefully (and it was done tastefully IMHO) Cool. BUT the RTM iS tooo heavy and I like The TARPON BOATS FROM WILDERNESS SYSTEMS  Keep on rollin Spike and others making products of us end users that can't make one (S C Raptor SOT is the Bomb!!!) Did I miss anyone? Oh, Take your New boat to Glen and have him help you set it up, simply amazing work

Thanks for sharing your experience with us Spike. I don't know what is scarier. Needing to call the coast-guard or talking about it on this forum. I think you made the right choice on both counts.

I'm glad your buddy is okay. 

I've read and re-read your story a couple times to make sure I got this right, and you can correct me if I'm wrong here....but did you really ditch your buddy after hailing the coast guard?  Thats business as usual with no lessons learned?  Why not stick with him to see him back to shore since he had no vhf, the calvary was already on their way anyway.

In regards to the rest of your posts, you really should run back into the archives and start to reading and familiarizing yourself with what ncka really is all about before commenting on the opinions and culture of our family.  You may well have the longest running kayakfishing forum....as you've mentioned several times.....but the reality of the situation is that you're still pretty new here.  We didn't get this way by accident.

Along with Pat, Morgan and Howard, I'm in the alleged minority of posters who are rubbed the wrong way by your Billy Mays style "contributions".   Your participation here really has been based on selling some product or another, starting with shark shields and now on to kayaks. You're post history is there for all to see if you need a reminder.   

I also feel like the "hitching wagons to industry brands" comments were a little out of line.  Of the half dozen or so people that are "sponsored" here I can't think of any that regularly pitch their sponsors products the way you do.  I've seen nothing but class from our long-time members who've earned a sponsorship. I've had more disagreements with craig than probably anybody else but you pretty much challenged him and everyone else with the claims you made in your original thread.   

A couple weeks back I proposed that each of the sponsored guys and paddle shops write a full review of their kayak line-up to provide a reference for new paddlers, to semi-contain the soft advertising and stop the sniping posts that we're now starting to see. 

The quality of your contributions would probably grow immensely if you confined all the advertising in some comprehensive reviews in the RTM sub-forum and just be an average joe throughout the rest of the board. 

JMO.

Sorry spike--I didn't mean to turn this into one of those threads. I was just pointing out what you probably already knew, as noted in your second post when you pointed out that it sounded like an ad for rtm.

Advertising and promotion are a reality. When I joined NCKA there was no advertising on this site and now it is all over the site. Where are the complaints about that? A couple of things to consider:

1) I have paddled the RTM and agree with Dennis that is a fine swell and wind yak. In fact equal to the P15 and Tarpon 16.0. It has a low profile and is really stable and doesn't wind cock too much. Knowing it handles well in really bad conditions isn't necessarily promotion, but fact. Not to say that it would fit my needs but a consideration for many others.

2) Comparing Spike to a TV pitch man, is not a fair comparison. Dennis is a pioneer of kayak fishing.

3) Agree that Fish Hunter's advatar is disturbing. 

Let's move on guys.

Scott