you all ever go out SOLO?

I'm new at all of this.  I like the buddy system.

the buddy system fails when he (the buddy) backs his kayak bed extender into the post in front of the house he has lived in for two decades, and snaps it off.

trip failed right as I was rolling out of bed and checked my text messages.

I checked my lakes and they are under a head advisory...nope. 

I went back to bed and woke up and unloaded my truck.  went jogging instead.    the entire jogging time I was pondering the intelligence  of going out for rockfish solo. 

thoughts?  there is no guarantee I show up and there are 6 guys out..

I go out solo all the time. It depends on the location, conditions, and my familiarity with it. Santa Cruz, HMB, Doran, the Bay, Monterey, and even Fort Ross or TC. But I showed up to a new-to-me Muir once and it was a total Nope. I did have some sea kayak training back in the ‘90s. But everyone’s comfort with risk is different and being uncomfortable alone is a red flag.

I'm with Joe - it all depends. I've fished and crabbed solo at Pacifica plenty of times, and was out at Richmond the other day solo. But ... I have pretty firm limits for wind and swell and I take heed to a lot of the advice here regarding safety gear and best practices. PFD, wetsuit, radio, etc. Knowing your own limits and knowing your equipment is critical IMO.

My schedule is very erratic, so if my fishing day lines up with the weather, I'm going. If I waited for a buddy everytime, I'd hardly ever get to go fishing.

If I waited for a buddy everytime, I'd hardly ever get to go fishing.

This is the reality.

IMHO, location is the key factor, assuming that you’ve got all of the safety gear (a second radio being highly recommended). For example, earlier this year, I launched from the SC harbor on a morning when there were no boaters/kayakers, it was raining, and the prediction was 10’ swells at 10 seconds. On the other hand, launching from a beach up the coast or even from Moss Landing, the conditions would have to be very good (whether going solo or not).

Good question and good answers here.  It's all about your familiarity with where you're going, combined with your comfort level with the whole idea of taking that extra risk.

The basics on this will boil down to how dedicated you are to not just following suggested safety guidelines (loved reading the reco to have a 2nd radio), but also in developing your own repertoire of safety gear, routine, forecast studying...etc.  The more you do this sport, the more you learn about limits regarding conditions, your body, what can be accomplished in a specific window of time...etc.  I come from abalone diving, and over years of doing it I got to where I wanted to do it alone.  Granted, I was younger then, but the dedication to safety parameters was paramount to my considerations about go/no-go as well as individual moves while on/in the water.  Every single thing you do must be part of a big picture, where one false move could kill you.  It's that simple.

I will say this:  being alone five miles off the jetties of Humboldt Bay in thick fog and choosing to only use your compass and your senses is a confidence builder, and when you get back to safety/on land, it's immensely exhilarating.  I will give Bon Jovi credit here:  "I don't wanna live forever; I just wanna live while I'm alive!"

All the time …. 7 miles out of SC as the sun goes down is epic…. Just be prepared and keep it simple ….

I go out solo and always have. I’ve always kept an InReach satellite communicator with me so I can call for an emergency rescue. I went out of Albion last weekend and every time I called for a radio check I got no response. I think my radio works but there just wasn’t anyone on the water that could hear me. I am in a Wilderness Radar so I’m very comfortable even in sporty conditions. All the same, I know if I go in the water and I’m unable to self rescue I’m probably not going to survive. I’m ok taking the risk as long as I’ve done everything reasonable to mitigate it.

Pack a USCG approved flare kit. Anyone within 3 mi. should see it.

I go out solo and always have. I’ve always kept an InReach satellite communicator with me so I can call for an emergency rescue. I went out of Albion last weekend and every time I called for a radio check I got no response. I think my radio works but there just wasn’t anyone on the water that could hear me. I am in a Wilderness Radar so I’m very comfortable even in sporty conditions. All the same, I know if I go in the water and I’m unable to self rescue I’m probably not going to survive. I’m ok taking the risk as long as I’ve done everything reasonable to mitigate it.
[/quote]

One has to know their physical limitations when going solo. A few years ago when in my 70's I had no problem  launching off of the coves like SWN and going offshore. I felt like I had the energy to deal with a water mishap even if it took several tries to get back in the kayak. A decade later I know I could do it once but repeated attempts would get dicey for me. Less energy reserve. Tomales and Doran I fish solo. Not far from shore there. When my son is here we go together off the Fort or Stillwater and all is good and I feel OK about it. We tend to remember ourselves as if we were still in our youth and in our prime but that memory does not work well for iffy offshore situations. Gotta take stock of where we are now physically and decide to do or not to do on that.

I have a "fishing buddy" who regularly awakens me at o'dark 30 with a "hey man, *insert freak, nonsensical, clearly made up event here* happened and I'm not going to make it after all" text.  So much so that its become a bit of a running joke, but its also forced me to just get up and go alone. Honestly though, rarely are we truly alone on the water. How often have we ever arrived to a totally empty parking lot at a launch? Even if you aren't fishing right alongside a fishing partner, there are other folks on the water who should respond to a radio call if you get into trouble.

My $.02 ... just know your own limitations and stay well within them when you're out there "alone." But use the times when you do have a fishing partner to push your comfort zone some and extend the goal line a little for those moments when your buddy does flake in the future.

Thanks you all.  I’ll work up to it.  Baby steps. 

I’m an (over) thinker for the most part.   I like working problems before they become real. 

I like flare gun.  2nd radio etc.

I'd prefer to fish w/ a good and experienced friend for added safety.  I have also been fortunate to make friends here on NCKA and try my best to motivate others to go out with me when the conditions look good.  But that is understandably not always the case with work/family life, and I've gone out solo quite a few times.  I don't think I'd be fishing much at all if I always waited for others.  Definitely not as much as I'd like to...

There's something quite enjoyable about going out alone I must admit...  So calm, peaceful, and relaxing.  I set the pace, there's no rush, fish exactly where I want to, and just take it all in while quietly listening to my cheap AM/FM radio. 

I know the risks, the kids are all adults, the wife always gives me the thumbs up, and the living trust will has been completed.

Not exactly what was asked in this thread, but some stuff that should get repeated often here. 

Things that help me be prepared for the worst:

1.  I always dress for immersion, wear my PFD, and keep a radio and knife on my person.

2.  If I get in trouble, I will call for help sooner than later.

3.  I don't carry flares on the kayak, but if I did, I would save a couple for when I can see or hear rescue assets on scene - flares are more to direct rescuers to my location than to signal that I am in distress.

4.  If I fall off my kayak and can't get back on, I'm going to stay with the kayak.  It is much easier to find a kayak than a person in the water.

5.  If I can't get back on the kayak, I'm going to try to use it like a big kickboard to get back to shore.

6.  I stuffed about 10 pool noodles in each kayak, just to ensure that it won't sink if I spring a leak.

7.  Know which radio channels are for what.  The Coast Guard listens 24/7, 365 on marine channel 16.  They have towers all along the coast, and can hear literally everything out there, even a tiny hand held radio.  I will include some other channels below.

8.  Be aware of any gear tied to your kayak, and what impact that will have if you are trying to flip it back over.  When I rescued a guy last year at Berkeley, he had all kinds of stuff tied to his kayak, which made it nearly impossible to right.  There was NO way he could have flipped it back over on his own.  He had rods, an anchor, a big crate with solid sides that filled with water, tools, etc...

9.  I keep one gunnel clear of stuff so that I can re-enter without obstructions.  I also find it is a lot easier to land fish with one side clear too.

10. I don't carry an EPRIB/PLB/Satellite device.  If you do - REGISTER it with NOAA.  The first thing the Coast Guard sees when the beacon goes active is the registration information.

11. I used a P-Touch label to put my name and phone number and my wife's number on my kayak, easily seen. If I fall off and get separated, I want someone to see that and call me.  Either I am OK, and can coordinate return of my kayak, or I am in trouble and don't answer, and they call my wife, who recognizes that I am in trouble and calls for help.  P-Touch labels are very sticky and very waterproof, BTW. I label my crab buoys with them too - no issues after several seasons.

12. I have a firm limit of 5' swells (for beach launch at Rockaway - dock launch can push that a little if period looks OK) and 10 kt winds.  I study the forecast closely the night before using windy.com, tides4fishing.com, and NWS marine forecast.  I also evaluate conditions when I get there.  If conditions I see don't line up with what the forecast was, I take a little closer look and evaluate more carefully. 

13. I also pay close attention to the afternoon wind forecast, especially for places in SF Bay or the delta, where the wind can blow you away from the launch point, and currents can absolutely rip.  If the afternoon forecast is more than about 15 knots, I make sure to get off the water in time to miss that.

14. Finally, I always tell my wife where I am going, how far I plan to go from the launch, and when I intend to get back to shore.  That way, if something does happen, she knows to call for help at the right time, not several hours too late, and can send them directly to the correct spot if they are searching for me.


Coast Guard Sector San Francisco Search and Rescue Phone: 415-399-3530

Radio Channels:
9, 11 - often used by harbor masters and port police/harbor patrol
12, 13, 14 - Vessel Traffic Service channels, for large commercial ships to coordinate entry/exit of SF Bay.
16 - international Hailing and Distress - Coast Guard Search and Rescue channel
22A - Alternate Coast Guard channel
68, 69 - working frequencies for harbor operations, tug/pilot/ferries, rec vessel traffic.

I go solo out of Santa Cruz a lot and usually don’t feel too lonely. You can hit reef without going too far and there are usually kayaks or motor boats around the fishing areas near the harbor. Used to feel pretty comfortable going alone in Capitola as well in calm waters, but I’ve gotten away from beach launches due to a love of ease and comfort.

I like the flare kit idea. Also I have a self rescue ladder attached to my kayak. If my big kayak was to capsize I’m not sure I could flip it over. By throwing the ladder over the hull and pulling from the other side and pushing with my feet I can flip it back. Also the ladder might help climbing back in, but I’m less sure about that because kayaks tend to flip when you put weight on a ladder that way. Thanks for the flare idea.