Coast Guard searches for missing kayaker in OC

From the article http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/orange_county&id=8291423, "A family member told the Coast Guard that he almost never wears a life jacket when he goes out on his kayak."

Hope he's found.

Experience yaker that never wears PFD in the ocean? What do outrigger canoes and boating experience have to do with safety when you aren't prepared?

" A three hour tour".

They could not find the guy, nor his kayak.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/concord/ci_18639361.

Damn, sad.  Family is left wondering . . . !  Don't get complacent out there, thinking everything is all figured out and in hand. 

#1XL

Very sad. We all make our own choices at sea, which is a large part of the allure, so I can't fault the guy. However, for most of us, we have attachments to things on shore that could be devastated if we left them.

Here's my tiny reminder:

 not that a pfd will always save your life, but if you aren't wearing it the probability that it won't goes up dramatically.

Yes, they can look dorky,
and yes, they can be too warm sometimes,
and yes they might chafe at times

that is why (back when I had to sell stuff like this) I would always go for the line "try on a number of different models, find one that fits well, and then get the coolest looking one that fits well". I used that to sell helmets too.

If only 1 person takes this and learns something from it, then the loss of this paddler will have done something positive.

 RIP fellow waterman.

Sad.
Yeah most of my friends don't ever wear their PFD's on their PB's
I think they think that you are a pussy if you wear one.
I just tell them FU I'm wearing mine
and I swim better than all of them

Bummer they never found him, and especially sad for the family. 

Early on in my kayak fishing life I had an Extrasport Osprey PFD. I found it to be uncomfortable and began to find myself unzipping it or taking it off on the water because it was uncomfortable. I spent some time looking at other PFDs and trying them on to find a better one for me. Now even on hot days, on flat water, with no powerboats for miles, I never take my pfd off or open it up. Most of the time I forget I have it on. That single purchase of a comfortable PFD is the best money I have ever spent on kayaking. 

I wonder what kind of kayak it was? SOT or SIK?
No signs of man nor kayak makes me think there is more to this story than the obvious conclusion.

I wonder what kind of kayak it was? SOT or SIK?
No signs of man nor kayak makes me think there is more to this story than the obvious conclusion.

I was wondering that too. Did he even make it to the water?

I wonder what kind of kayak it was? SOT or SIK?
No signs of man nor kayak makes me think there is more to this story than the obvious conclusion.

I was wondering that too. Did he even make it to the water?

"He is an experienced boater. He has done outrig canoeing before," said Lt. Anastacia Thorsson of the U.S. Coast Guard.

I believe he was on an outrigger canoe. Most OC paddlers I know don't like wearing PFD's cause they "get in the way" of the paddle stroke. Most OC paddlers now use the inflatable belt pack PFD cause it's required during competitions. I know of some who prefer to leash themselves to the OC rather than wearing a PFD.

i wonder if the landlord got to him