Kayaker found boatless

I'd like to reccommend a book to all my NCKA brothers and sisters. It was written by George Groenseth who compiled stories from sea-kayaker magazine regarding accidents and fatalities in kayaking. It's called Deep Trouble and after 10 years of kayaking and doing every stupid thing in the book as well as inventing a few; this book woke me up. It's a scary read but it gives plenty of lessons learned.

I worked as a guide for years in La jolla, taking tourist who never kayaked a day in their life on sea-cave and whale watching adventures. I worked alongside a host of fly by night companies who constantly endangered their clients or left them to their own devices all together. This incident your reading about is one of dozens like this from La jolla. The water is warm and full of people. I can see how some mid-westerner whose never even seen the ocean can get lulled into a false sense of security and get into trouble out there with out guidance. Any one is free to rent a kayak as long as you sign a waiver. It's the responsibility of the outfitter to know their clients limitations and inform them of dangers to the nth degree. I've posted this photo before but here it is again to highlight the mentality of the LA JOLLA RENTER.

Thanks, going to pick up that book,

  Uhmmm,  how did that pic turn out? ........ Danglin

not good bro-not good

The guys in the double have their paddles upside down ... 

-Allen

Thanks, going to pick up that book,

  Uhmmm,  how did that pic turn out? ........ Danglin

I'm guessing that the first kayak crashed on top of the second one!

I think the weirdest entry I've seen was at Loch Lomond. Instead of walking down the launch rap, a woman carried her kayak down the steep stone bank. She then placed it in deep water, stood in the cockpit, and immediately fell into the water. I was polite and pretended I didn't see it.

I left a message with the lifeguard service down there, asking for more details. I'll post anything they have to say about it.

I just got a call from a lifeguard down at La Jolla. No new info; just that the guy was very apologetic about going out so unprepared. Regarding how he survived, the lifeguard told me that the water temp down there is 76 degrees right now!

That looks like a blast

Yep.  I have a whistle on my PFD

Seabreeze! How's the fishing down there?

You reminded me I need to get a new whistle

Last year at Dux a couple of guys who just landed a fish were so mesmerized looking at it on the deck they didn't notice there was a big stick boat aimed at their stern

I stuck a couple of fingers in my mouth and whistled, they didn't notice, whistled again etc until I got so worked up I was blowing too fast or too hard or something and couldn't whistle anymore

Finally I just started yelling they looked up at me I pointed at the boat about ten yards behind them and one of them jumped on the wheel just in the nick of time  Funnier than hell after the fact

Any whistle recommendations?

Any whistle recommendations?

Scotty Lifesaver #1 Safety Whistle  782 
The world's most advanced all-purpose safety whistle. 

  Your Price  Qty     
  $4.99     
 

Detailed Description 
Scotty Lifesaver #1 Safety Whistle. The world's most advanced all-purpose safety whistle. Designed by search and rescue professionals. Newly designed synthetic peas will not absorb moisture or freeze. Works when soaking wet - clears instantly. ABS Plastic will not stick to mouth in cold weather as metal whistles do. Double chambered for multiple pitches. Waffled sure-grip. Meets anti-choking standards for children. Large tooth-grip for hands free use. Lip-seal prevents loss of air in extreme cold

I tried using a whistle last summer on numerous occasions when I was paddling with a lot of different groups.  Every time I used the whistle, no one in the party heard me unless they were  20 feet away, from me or less. 

However, none of the people in the group heard me at all when there were powerboats on the lake nearby us.

I recommend purchasing an air horn which can be heard up to one mile away, and have a whistle as a backup when you run out of air in the canister.

http://www.iboats.com/Air_Horn/dm/session_id.201863292--cart_id.029218918--category_id.236422--list_time.1187378764--view_id.56223


I read something some where that you should get a plastic whistle, because the salt air can effect the ball inside of the whistle from working on a metal one, or maybe it was to get a ball less whistle????? You might want to look into that some more.

Any whistle recommendations?

Fox 40 whistle. 

"The Fox 40 is designed to be heard above ambient noise, the roar of engines, breaking waves and thundering gale-force winds. The chambers are designed to self-clear when submerged in water. There are no moving parts to freeze, jam or deteriorate."

http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html/?me=A1RY74IBSNTQE1


Michael

I don't know if it is the same manufacturer, but the Fox 40 whistles look exactly like the whistles that were attached to the float coat I was issued when I was working on the deck of an aircraft carrier. I can vouch that they were awfully loud whistles with a piercing noise.

Hiya Blue.  How's d'fishin'?  uhhhhhhhh, let me go find a fishing report from someone who has actually felt saltwater recently....... ....work........remodel.......life...........

I have a Fox.  I figure it gives me that one extra layer of protection.......I plug my ears when I blast it......

if you hear of someone getting lost locally, let me know.  i just added thermal imaging to the boat.  it's a flir system (forward looking infrared).  it can detect differences of as little as half of a hundreth of a degree. 

if you hear of someone getting lost locally, let me know.  i just added thermal imaging to the boat.  it's a flir system (forward looking infrared).  it can detect differences of as little as half of a hundreth of a degree. 

That is way cool.  Now how to hook that up on a kayak