Kayaking in the fog / drift anchors

Hey guys,

Two questions:

1.  What do you guys mount on your yaks in dense fog to avoid being hit by larger boats?  Lights?  Flags?  Use of whistles & horns?

2.  I haven't really seen storm/drift socks/anchors used by other kayakers & members of the board.  Why?  Just wanted anyone's two cents.  I have a couple and have only used them a little bit.  They seem to slow me down drastically when I'm being pushed by the wind.

Thanks for the insight.

I fish monterey bay mostly so in the fog, I tend to stay close to the kelp beds, where most boats dont go.  I also make sure I have my bright colors on, a big net flapping up high, and if I hear a boat, start waving my yellow paddle around.

on the drift anchor I have one and use it on windy days but its kind of a pain if you dont have a long drift.  Again in big wind, I move into the kelp.  Where I do use it alot is in some wind but drifting sandy areas for halibut.

Fog=stay in an area where boats do not go. Have on of those hand held air horns handy.
At least have a whistle. I have one in my PDF at all times just in case.You can wave anything you want but if it is foggy what's the point? If they can't see you they can't see what you are waving.
I have used a drift chute but IMO if it is windy enough to need one it is usually not enough fun to stay on the water.

Thanks for the input.

I use a drift sock for buttes works great for keeping the bow facing the swell keeps the kayak drifting pretty straight when using two rods they don't tangle as much. Nice when you want to kick back for awhile and not drift too far.

Fog sucks. An air horn helps but a boat driver still might not hear you over the engine hum. A lot of drivers( car and boat) will just zone out in the white blind. A flashing light helps, horns can help at the last minute, radioing position to approaching boat, flare gun if clear and present danger.

Drift socks work but they are work. I use them more on lakes than the ocean. Trooching your bait works just as good as drift shoots.

-Brian G

Trooching your bait works just as good as drift shoots.

I have used a drift chute but IMO if it is windy enough to need one it is usually not enough fun to stay on the water.

Ditto that.

As far as fog, I've been caught in it several times as it came out of no where. If I was in a busy area - example, close to a Harbor where there is heavy boat traffic, I'd simply call it day. Best way to aviod getting hit by an idiot going too fast on a boat is not to be there in the first place.

It's also good to carry a GPS but even smarter to carry a compass as a back-up...just in case the battery on your GPS dies on you. The old salts say that you don't always want to rely on electronics to save your life.

Just my 2 cents...

I hardly ever use my drift chute. It usually takes longer to deploy and retrieve it than my actual drift takes. So it seems useless unless you're making a very long drift.

Fog sucks. Never buy a blue kayak if you plan to fish in Monterey Bay. I have a Scotty marine light that gives me peace-of-mind. It can be attached into any standard Scotty mount but it usually resides in the mount on my crate in the tankwell. My huge salmon net sticks up pretty high and has a pool-noodle w/reflective tape on it (flotation and vis). A whistle is good too, as long as its a decent one. 

I made a hot orange flag out of a hunting vest. sewed a coulpe velcro tabs on it and attatch it to one of the longer poles on my crate. Also have a bomming loud waterproof whistle on my vest at all times. If that don't work start shooting at the water line with the magnum !!!   
I always carry a drift sock with me. There have been many times when I'm being blown across like a styrofoam cup. At least it'll slow me down enough to get a line down. I also put a piece of bright colored noodle on the strap along with a brass snap. If I hook a fish I unclip and let it drift while I fight the fish. Two benifits. One it keeps you from getting tangled in it when you play/land a fish, and second it marks the spot where you hooked him. Halibut or rockies. Good chance there is another there  As for deploying it, it's simple to just toss it over. When i'm paddling back I just drop it in my lap.

I use my drift chute quite a bit. on a long line off the bow. paddle up to get it, nab it with your paddle blade, toss in tank well, move to next spot, deploy.