The Ditch Scenario

If you're worried about this stuff at all, the line to the nose of your yak should be on your short list of "survival" gear

First thing I do when things get shitty is pull it loose and get it on my wrist  Standard gear on the old dive yaks, and the habit comes from bobbing around on the ocean without yak a couple of times


Not knocking the ditch bag idea, just trying to connect it with reality

That bowline tip is a good idea. Thanks! I would probably attach it to my PFD.

I started this discussion to get people to think not just about what equipment they should have, but how it should be organized and what the critical decisions might be. What you decide to bring with you depends on your skill, where you are fishing and your swimming ability. I fish in very remote locations and miles from shore. I am in good shape for my age but realize that swimming further than 1/2 mile at sea is not something I am capable of. In the ditch scenario, I would activate my EPIRB and try to not die of hypothermia before being rescued. I think the ditch scenario is pretty unlikely but so is being attacked by a GWS. Oh yeah, I have a shark shield too. 

In the ditch scenario, I would activate my EPIRB and try to not die of hypothermia before being rescued.

Damn dude. Swimming/moving towards shore however slowly is what I'm thinking. If the windchop is big enough that might not be do-able though. Yakuza, I know from some unpleasant experiences, surfboard leash snapping and swimming in to retrieve it, that swimming in rough water is really different than swimming in flat water. So without goggles/mask, fins, and a snorkel with purge valve how big of windchop can you swim in while wearing a pfd and not be gulping water every two seconds? jim

I carry a pump on deck and that's sorta saved the day once..........the problem is sometimes they don't pump fast enough.  So I started carrying (inside the hull) one of those bailers your make out of a gallon plastic jug - where you cut the top portion off.  Usually folks make them for dingys  and such.  Now that has saved my ass more than once - because you can move a shit-load of water with one once you get your wind up.

I was out with some folks a few years ago and the guy's brand new boat nearly sunk - bad scupper hole.  It started going down like the titanic - except for stern first.  We bailed the crap out of it (with us swimming) with the gallon jug thing.  His girlfriend (in another boat) strangely had some chewing gum that we stuffed in the failed weld of the scupper hole.  It worked  and we were able to paddle back to the harbor, about 45 minutes away.

I carry a knife and compass on my PFD and really nothing else.  I'm not a good safety person - which is probably why I end up paddling alone so much 

Ditch bag.........isn't that what someone called me once?  No, the first word was different 

You do whatever you have to in a pinch

+1

-Allen

I was out with some folks a few years ago and the guy's brand new boat nearly sunk - bad scupper hole.

That's why I don't trust scupper hole carts. I have no empirical proof, but it's got to put a lot pressure on the yak. Sorry to threadjack

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using Tapatalk

That's why I don't trust scupper hole carts. I have no empirical proof, but it's got to put a lot pressure on the yak.

The weird thing about this one was that this really was a brand new boat.  It was a rental out out the Noyo outfitters in Noyo Harbor.  We unwrapped it out of the box the day before. .  . . . It had never been in the water or on a trailer.

  Together with both our weights, island fishing gear, and water from the foul weather, we were sinking when he tried to mount me.  
We were taking wind waves and swell over the deck too. It was so romantic.     
I could not talk on the radio because I was paddleing for both our lives and he had to just hold on to the back of my seat and kick like hell.

LMFAO

I am of the opion the Tarpon is a great yak, its fast, and light. I think its probably the best fishing yak for punching through the surf.

Its one fault is it has a low weight capacity. The tarpon 16 has a weight capacity of 375,  I think thats why ryan and bob had such a rough time on the rescue.  Bob +Ryan + island gear >> 375 LBs.

As for sinking, teh density of HDPE is ~.95, so it is lighter than water so it should not totally sink, unless you fill it up with say a bunch of Irons, and a fish finder battery... a pool floaty should counter those.

As for ditching( which this thread was about) , I check weather reports, keep a pump handy, and stay with friends rather than prepare to ditch. particularly as the ocean current moves alot faster than i can swim. I'd try to get the yak  floating again with a pump and a friend than ditch.

There are only two instances I can think of where it would be a good idea to INTENTIONALLY ditch. 1 is landing in big surf, 2 is a majorly breached hull. An inspection upon launch should prevent that. Ive heard of 4 or 5 instances and all were on  new (faulty) Yaks.

 I ditched my yak an swam to shore 2 pages ago 

I piggy backed a guy in once, Having 200 pounds hanging off your yak is a pain." 
Thanks Jason

My name is Tim and I'm the mythical piggybackee. For the record I weigh 225lb.

My yak was a Hobie OB. Locations was Trinidad Head. I was having problems with a scupper hole leaking on previous trips, so I took the yak to the dealer and had the hole repaired under warranty. On its maiden voyage post repair I went out alone for a day of fishing. I was wearing a 3mm farmer john wetsuit, 5mm booties, 1mm gloves, and a pfd. Seas were around 5ft at 14 seconds, no wind, current was <1 mph.
After peddling out for 10 minutes I felt what was a slight roll to my yak.  I opened my hatch and immediately knew the S.S. Minnow was in trouble--she was 1/3 full of water. I deployed my high capacity bilge pump, but could not keep up with the amount of water that was coming in via the scupper hole.  My next thought was I knew I could swim the 200 yds to the head, I just didn't want to lose all my gear and yak so I stowed what I could and began a retreat back to the beach a 1/2 mile away.
Now I'm peddling with the swell which makes my yak even more unstable. I peddle 50 yds and see another guy on his yak fishing  150yds away. I wave my paddle at him to come over so I could unload my gear to him.  He just ignores me (later, he said he thought I just wanted to show him a fish.)
1 minute later my yak rolls, and into the drink I go.  Now the guy who shined me on is calling his two yak buddies on his radio to help out.
As I  surface I make sure I'm free from all lines and begin to gather the gear that is floating.  A minute later Jason and Gregg arrive to offer help. I ask if someone can give me a lift back to the beach--Jason doesn't hesitate and says "Climb on the back!"  Jason is all that is man! He is paddling an Old Towne kayak that from my vantage point looks like a coffin, and is paddling for all that he is worth.  Meanwhile, Gregg and friend manage to bilge my yak enough to tie a line to it and tow it to shore. Along the ride in Jason and I laugh and exchange yak ditching stories.
Along the way in we meet an elderly gent in an inflatble yak without a pfd wearing  blue jeans and a shirt. He asks how I'm doing and I reply "just chilling". The gent then remarked that he was unprepared for disaster and headed in with us.

I thank Jason and Gregg for their help that day--they both stepped up.
The dealer and Hobie acted in good faith and did what was right--a new yak.
I didn't squabble about what gear I had lost--that's the chance you take. Life is precious--get out there and fish.
Tim Carey

And Tim forgot to mention he bought me lunch an also helped me to get my first taste of diving, Thanks Tim  . And that was something I did'nt mention the kayak me an tim turned tandem that day was a SIK, A sit on top would have carried us both much better.

I ditched my yak an swam to shore 2 pages ago 

Good one. 

So without goggles/mask, fins, and a snorkel with purge valve how big of windchop can you swim in while wearing a pfd and not be gulping water every two seconds? jim

I don't generally fish in conditions which IMO are unswimmable. But since I can swim in pretty nasty conditions, my water competency is not a limiting factor.  Anyway, with my new PRK blasted eyeballs, lacking goggles isn't that huge of a deal anymore.     Different tune if still wearing contacts.

I ditched my yak an swam to shore 2 pages ago 

too funny

So without goggles/mask, fins, and a snorkel with purge valve how big of windchop can you swim in while wearing a pfd and not be gulping water every two seconds? jim

I don't generally fish in conditions which IMO are unswimmable. But since I can swim in pretty nasty conditions, my water competency is not a limiting factor.  Anyway, with my new PRK blasted eyeballs, lacking goggles isn't that huge of a deal anymore.     Different tune if still wearing contacts.

I ditched my yak an swam to shore 2 pages ago 

too funny

see yakuza avatar...fuckin' wacko!