Newbie Gear Check - And Advice

Not an item but I am also a newbie and waiting til my skills are better to go to the surf but a class on launching in the surf and landing plus other safety things they teach which I will also be taking soon is some sound advice from the guys on here

In addition to magicseaweed check Forecasts & Reports at windfinder (http://www.windfinder.com/).  It has reports for more locations than magicseaweed, and you may find your exact location.

Do a search for how people make go/no go decisions.

What to watch for:

Wave Period and Wave Height: In general, a wave period of 2X wave height is a good rule of thumb, but a wave height less than 3ft is also an important consideration for rookies.

This is an interesting online tool that helps explain the relationships between wave height, wave period, and wave amplitude: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/volvooceanrace/interactives/waves/index.html

Primary and Secondary Swell: The more the direction of the secondary swell is in opposition to the direction of the primary swell, the choppier it makes the sea.

Wind Direction: If the wind is opposing the direction of the primary swell, the face of the waves will be steeper and boat control will take more attention.

+1 on crash's recommendation of reading the online forecasts and reports and then going out and looking at the sea.  Surely helps get a mental picture of what the numbers mean.

In your list of gear, you didn't mention a hat.  A wide-brimmed hat is better than a baseball cap on sunny and rainy days.

+1 on crash's comment about leashes.  It's personal preference, but when I practiced deep water recovery and reentry with everything onboard and leashed, I stopped using so many leashes.  I don't want to lose a rod, but I have to be there to be pissed about it.  What I still tie down is attached with very short leashes that minimize the chances of me getting tangled in them.

+1 on attaching a flag to you back-up rod.  Cheap and effective.  I fish with someone who attached a flag to a length of a bamboo gardening "pole" and it's held up for three years.  Also cheap and effective.

If you haven't decided on this: don't go alone the first time.  The most important piece of safety gear is common sense.

Lots of good advice. The only thing I'd add is that you want to be sure that your knife is accessible at a moment's notice---I've got mine mounted to the front of my PFD. Of course, you also want to be sure that it won't get snagged on anything when you need to self-rescue.

We don't get very many 3' days here, we have cape influences just like you guys.  Anything between Capes Mendocino and Blanco stands to be bigger.  5' @ 12 seconds and < 10 kts of wind is way fishable.  It won't be glass but we don't get many of those days.  Trinidad is a well protected harbor unless there is a south swell.  South swells give fish lockjaw anyway.

Something else to note-

NOAA forecasts tend to be very conservative, in that they don't want observed conditions to exceed forecast conditions.  Our local guys also don't separate out the wind chop from the wave heights, and there is a big difference between wind waves and groundswell.

Another thing-

In Oregon the Coast Guard working with port captains post bar reports twice a day. They will restrict vessels of certain lengths and close ports with varying degrees of closure.  California for whatever reason doesn't do that. 

Something like this would be nice.

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/pqr/marine/BarObs.php

Check the bar reports for Oregon and if Brookings is green, you're probably going to be making a go decision for Trinidad.  Still learn how to read forecasts and buoy reports.  I've been outside when a port has closed before and it got sporting.  Try not to do that.

If you can find a metal supply store, you can get aluminum rod pretty cheap. 12' of 5/16 cost me about $6. Add a pennant for your favorite sports team and you have yourself a flag.

Would a metal rod be a lightning conductor?

If you can find a metal supply store, you can get aluminum rod pretty cheap. 12' of 5/16 cost me about $6. Add a pennant for your favorite sports team and you have yourself a flag.

Would a metal rod be a lightning conductor?

YEah, that's a deal breaker.

I wonder if those motorcycle/dunebuggy/atv whips would have the same problem.  I like the idea of repurposing an old glass fishing for a flag.  I just went with the yak attack folding flag.  It was $80 at ACK and fits in a rod holder or on a track system.

A spare paddle. Doesn't have to be a nice one. 

Staying within your limits and working to master skills is more important than any piece of equipment.

A spare paddle is a good idea. I'm still deciding on what I want for my main paddle though. I'm definitely going to be even more cautious in the big blue.

If you can find a metal supply store, you can get aluminum rod pretty cheap. 12' of 5/16 cost me about $6. Add a pennant for your favorite sports team and you have yourself a flag.

I have Ace Hardware up here by me and I'm sure there's something in the store that could be used. Thanks for the suggestion!

If I am at a place with lots of boat traffic I just use my extra pole as a flag. Tie on the flag used on yak hanging off tailgate and good to go. Sweet yak I have one still. It has become my duck hunting yak

Even without the extra boat traffic I want to make sure I can be easily seen, even over the passing swells. Using my extra rod is a great idea though. I may give that a try! I'm really looking forward to customizing my Pescador.

+1 on the bilge pump. I never had to use it myself, but during my last outing, i lent it to someone who needed it, as his boat was taking on water. If anyone hadnt brought one, it wouldn't have been pretty.

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i was almost swimming.... my drain plug was out....

I packed mine in the truck right now for tomorrows shenanigans

  I'll be sure to check my drain plug each and every time! I don't want that happening!

Not an item but I am also a newbie and waiting til my skills are better to go to the surf but a class on launching in the surf and landing plus other safety things they teach which I will also be taking soon is some sound advice from the guys on here

I completely agree with you. Practice, practice, practice and experience will be essential. I know there are often classes taught through Pacific Outfitters and I even think my university has some kayak safety classes they teach also. Could be a great investment.

In addition to magicseaweed check Forecasts & Reports at windfinder (http://www.windfinder.com/).  It has reports for more locations than magicseaweed, and you may find your exact location.

Do a search for how people make go/no go decisions.

What to watch for:

Wave Period and Wave Height: In general, a wave period of 2X wave height is a good rule of thumb, but a wave height less than 3ft is also an important consideration for rookies.

This is an interesting online tool that helps explain the relationships between wave height, wave period, and wave amplitude: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/volvooceanrace/interactives/waves/index.html

Primary and Secondary Swell: The more the direction of the secondary swell is in opposition to the direction of the primary swell, the choppier it makes the sea.

Wind Direction: If the wind is opposing the direction of the primary swell, the face of the waves will be steeper and boat control will take more attention.

+1 on crash's recommendation of reading the online forecasts and reports and then going out and looking at the sea.  Surely helps get a mental picture of what the numbers mean.

In your list of gear, you didn't mention a hat.  A wide-brimmed hat is better than a baseball cap on sunny and rainy days.

+1 on crash's comment about leashes.  It's personal preference, but when I practiced deep water recovery and reentry with everything onboard and leashed, I stopped using so many leashes.  I don't want to lose a rod, but I have to be there to be pissed about it.  What I still tie down is attached with very short leashes that minimize the chances of me getting tangled in them.

+1 on attaching a flag to you back-up rod.  Cheap and effective.  I fish with someone who attached a flag to a length of a bamboo gardening "pole" and it's held up for three years.  Also cheap and effective.

If you haven't decided on this: don't go alone the first time.  The most important piece of safety gear is common sense.

Awesome reply. This is what I was looking for. I have plenty of baseball caps, but I'm looking to get a nice synthetic wide brimmed hat for days out on the water. Great suggestion! Sunscreen also! Maybe I can use really short leashes for the rods when they are not being used that way the only longer leash I have is for my paddle. I'm sure I'll get it figured out and learn what I like and dislike as I become more experienced.

And I'm absolutely not going out alone my first time. I'm very comfortable in the freshwater, but I wouldn't even want to go out in Trinidad Harbor without someone for my first time. There's a lot to learn and I know from reading on here just how quickly things can turn sour. I appreciate your input.

Lots of good advice. The only thing I'd add is that you want to be sure that your knife is accessible at a moment's notice---I've got mine mounted to the front of my PFD. Of course, you also want to be sure that it won't get snagged on anything when you need to self-rescue.

I want to have mine attached to my PFD somehow, for quick and easy access. Like you mentioned though, I don't want it to get caught on things.

We don't get very many 3' days here, we have cape influences just like you guys.  Anything between Capes Mendocino and Blanco stands to be bigger.  5' @ 12 seconds and < 10 kts of wind is way fishable.  It won't be glass but we don't get many of those days.  Trinidad is a well protected harbor unless there is a south swell.  South swells give fish lockjaw anyway.

Something else to note-

NOAA forecasts tend to be very conservative, in that they don't want observed conditions to exceed forecast conditions.  Our local guys also don't separate out the wind chop from the wave heights, and there is a big difference between wind waves and groundswell.

Another thing-

In Oregon the Coast Guard working with port captains post bar reports twice a day. They will restrict vessels of certain lengths and close ports with varying degrees of closure.  California for whatever reason doesn't do that. 

Something like this would be nice.

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/pqr/marine/BarObs.php

Check the bar reports for Oregon and if Brookings is green, you're probably going to be making a go decision for Trinidad.  Still learn how to read forecasts and buoy reports.  I've been outside when a port has closed before and it got sporting.  Try not to do that.

I've been keeping an eye on the reports also and it seems like a 3' day is not common. Thanks for that website suggestion. Looks solid. I'm still taking the time to read the forecasts and understand the reports also.

If you can find a metal supply store, you can get aluminum rod pretty cheap. 12' of 5/16 cost me about $6. Add a pennant for your favorite sports team and you have yourself a flag.

Would a metal rod be a lightning conductor?

Good point. I was thinking I could find some sort of bamboo or plastic rod and place that in a small diameter piece of PVC I attach to the rear of my milk crate. I think that should work well and would also be a good point to attach my light.

A spare paddle. Doesn't have to be a nice one. 

Staying within your limits and working to master skills is more important than any piece of equipment.

A spare paddle is a good idea. I'm still deciding on what I want for my main paddle though. I'm definitely going to be even more cautious in the big blue.

I always have a bilge pump and spare paddle inside the hull. You hope you'll never need it. But you'll be glad if you ever do!
Even one of these telescoping jetski paddles would work better than nothing: http://www.amazon.com/attwood-11828-1-Attwood-Telescoping-Paddle/dp/B003DK3GSC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461003352&sr=8-1&keywords=telescope+paddle

I also started keeping a easy to open fold up pocketknife in the pocket of my pfd as a backup to my knife on the outside. If you ever need to cut something tangling u up it couldn't hurt to have a backup.

What I have noticed about me is that once I have all my safety gear plus fishing gear it's a lot of stuff. I try to bring less fishing tackle every time out. I bring an extra pole but leave in inside the kayak. If I bring some " maybe I will use it" stuff. Leave it inside the kayak. Have a buddy help you get it out on the water. An uncluttered kayak is lighter, safer and more enjoyable in my opinion. My number 1 safety item is someone else to fish with. It's nice to Have them be there for you, and try to make good decisions so they never "need " to be there for you

If it hasn't already been mentioned.  Good idea to carry ~8' of rope (3/8" dia. Is suitable) to use as a tow line in the event you need a lift.  Often thought that an old water-ski handle with a brass snap a few down the rope could double as a foot loop to flip a yak & be a tow rope as well.  Multi-use the equipment cuts down on items to carry.

Lots of good suggestions in this thread.

If you're headed out into the ocean, I feel it's very important to have a reliable GPS. If the sh*t hits the fan, you'll want to be able to call out your lat/lon on the radio to summon help.

The compass is also very important, but it won't help you determine your location unless you combine it with a paper chart or map.

I see you're in the market for a fishfinder, too, so I'd HIGHLY recommend picking one that includes GPS. I also keep a little handheld Garmin in my dry bag with some spare batteries.

I often go offshore alone to chase salmon, so I take this safety stuff very seriously.


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A spare paddle. Doesn't have to be a nice one. 

Staying within your limits and working to master skills is more important than any piece of equipment.

A spare paddle is a good idea. I'm still deciding on what I want for my main paddle though. I'm definitely going to be even more cautious in the big blue.

I always have a bilge pump and spare paddle inside the hull. You hope you'll never need it. But you'll be glad if you ever do!
Even one of these telescoping jetski paddles would work better than nothing: http://www.amazon.com/attwood-11828-1-Attwood-Telescoping-Paddle/dp/B003DK3GSC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461003352&sr=8-1&keywords=telescope+paddle

This is a great idea!

 

I also started keeping a easy to open fold up pocketknife in the pocket of my pfd as a backup to my knife on the outside. If you ever need to cut something tangling u up it couldn't hurt to have a backup.

What I have noticed about me is that once I have all my safety gear plus fishing gear it's a lot of stuff. I try to bring less fishing tackle every time out. I bring an extra pole but leave in inside the kayak. If I bring some " maybe I will use it" stuff. Leave it inside the kayak. Have a buddy help you get it out on the water. An uncluttered kayak is lighter, safer and more enjoyable in my opinion. My number 1 safety item is someone else to fish with. It's nice to Have them be there for you, and try to make good decisions so they never "need " to be there for you

I have plenty of small, folding knives that I can use as backup. I'm sure I'll be making lists and loading my kayak up with things I want, only to realize just how much gear there is. An uncluttered kayak will surely be safer, at least for me starting out. And I always try to go fishing with someone if I can.

If it hasn't already been mentioned.  Good idea to carry ~8' of rope (3/8" dia. Is suitable) to use as a tow line in the event you need a lift.  Often thought that an old water-ski handle with a brass snap a few down the rope could double as a foot loop to flip a yak & be a tow rope as well.  Multi-use the equipment cuts down on items to carry.

Fantastic idea! I'll take this into account.

Lots of good suggestions in this thread.

If you're headed out into the ocean, I feel it's very important to have a reliable GPS. If the sh*t hits the fan, you'll want to be able to call out your lat/lon on the radio to summon help.

The compass is also very important, but it won't help you determine your location unless you combine it with a paper chart or map.

I see you're in the market for a fishfinder, too, so I'd HIGHLY recommend picking one that includes GPS. I also keep a little handheld Garmin in my dry bag with some spare batteries.

I often go offshore alone to chase salmon, so I take this safety stuff very seriously.


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I agree. When ever I can afford to buy the fish finder I will get one that also has GPS. My problem is budget.

you will also need a big net and lip gripper.


remember learn to paddle your kayak well then worry about catching fish.

Scubaluis

you will also need a big net and lip gripper.


remember learn to paddle your kayak well then worry about catching fish.

Scubaluis

Didn't forget a lip gripper . I have had one for a couple years that I use. I'm having a hard time choosing a net though. I'm looking for something that will be wide and long enough, but a little shorter in length for kayaking I suppose? Is there a common brand many NCKA members use?

I'm going to spend a lot of time in the freshwater here or the bay with my kayak before I venture anywhere near real open water. Thanks for the suggestions! 

Get the biggest you can handle for Ocean fishing, specially if you will target salmon.
for lakes  get another one.
I use a very big one for salmon and to target sturgeon ( no luck so far)
 but my everyday net is a ego net.

http://www.amazon.com/Slider-Rubber-Landing-Large-22-Inch/dp/B00A46J9DE/ref=sr_1_5?s=sports-and-fitness&ie=UTF8&qid=1461031299&sr=1-5&keywords=ego+net

the large one was a cheap one that I found on Craigslist for about 20 bucks.

look at some pics for past Give me Shelter tournament, everybody carries a large net.

Do not spend all your money in an expensive net, you will need it for your wheelez.