HMB distress call on Sunday 11/3

First and foremost, props to the powerboater, kayaker (unknown) in a red Outback, and Ichiro--RG for finding and assisting the distressed kayaker.   

Does anyone have any info about the kayaker in the red Revo13 that rolled and couldn't recover?

His rescue was a shit-show because he was panicking, shouting into the radio (unintelligible), and couldn't give his proper location.   By the time I caught up to them, the powerboat had the kayak tied to the stern of the boat, and they were dragging it back to harbor.  It looked like his crab pot was still strapped to the back of the Revo13 and the Revo had taken on quite a bit of water.

I'm interested to know:
1)  What caused him to go over?
2)  Was the pot strapped to his kayak?
3)  Did having the pot strapped to his kayak contribute to the roll-over and/or failure to right himself?
4)  Did he not have a whistle on his PFD?
5)  Were his waders filled with water?

I'm posting this because it's a teachable safety lesson.  I also want to call the kayaker out because he had his son (presumably young) with him in another grey Hobie.  I didn't hear the son on the radio, so I can only assume he didn't have one.  He could have died in front of his kid because he and his son were grossly unprepared to be on the water.

Damn unfortunately just like when ab season use to open there are always incidents like these that could be avoided.

Hopefully this will open some eyes before people that are unprepared go out.

Good post!

Yikes 😱

No bueno. Glad he’s OK.

Oh no no....

It was a father and son (early teens) pair.
I saw the two get reunited on the dock and was chatting the the PB who saved him. We were both fueling up at the HMB dock.
PB said his son was tired so he tried to tow him and somehow capsized. Dont know how, but his hobie  filled with water.
Glad they made it.  Be safe out there.

I did see the a kayak being towed back to the harbor. It was a fairly flat day out there and luckily the water wasn't dangerously cold, and it was pretty warm.  With so many new people getting into the sport, i'm amazed and thankful, that there hasn't been many more incidents.

There is ample safety information out on the internet.
We can walk a horse to water but can't force it to drink.

I'm just glad they are ok. --TLA

Hello Guys,

It was a very calm day with the beautiful blue sky. It was perfect day for the Father and Son doing fishing and crabbing. There were a lot of kayakers in the area and I was dumbfounded that only three people in the radio responding. The commotion was surreal that the son was crying, screaming for help and waving his paddle while watching his father helplessly. It took me about 15 minutes to locate the drowning Father using my binocular. I saw half of his kayak floating while the father was struggling to breathe. His waders was full of water and I was just in time to let him hold my left outrigger. While he was holding unto my outrigger, I was calling someone with the boat to help and finally, the red striped boat were there to rescue and put the father aboard the boat together with his kayak.

While they were helping the dad, I was there to console and calmed the kid. And when his father got in the boat, the kid seems to regain his composure and his strength.

They only have one Radio, the kid had the proper suit and was really brave enough to handle the pressure. After the rescue, both father and son were back in the ocean, looking for me and the red outback guy. I forgot his name though. It was then I saw EELKRAM and told him what happen. It was an emotional meeting with the father after the rescue. Sorry for the long post. Both the red Outback guy and I was in the right place at the right time.

No Waders while kayaking
Make sure you have radio
Make sure you have company or know anyone while otw

My message to all my fellow kayakers, Let's have our radio turned ON while we are on the OTW. Thank You Guys

Ichiro RG

P.S.
Someone asked me if I had a video. In times of trouble, you won't take any chances. If it was in the video, how good was it if the person didn't survive? Sorry Guy I have no video.

Thanks for the info Ichiro.  Glad guys like you are on the water 👍.

No Waders while kayaking

This

I’ve said this many times in the past and it’s just my opinion.


What is your opinion Ichiro as to why you shouldn’t wear waders while kayaking as you stated above?

Thanks for coming to assist in this rescue!

Waders on a kayak - This is a long running debate. I’ve used them in calm protected bays and on the lake. I don’t intend to use them offshore, but that is my personal preference.

Here is an article written by Paul Lebowitz (PAL on NCKA)

From: https://www.wonews.com/Blog.aspx?id=143

“WADING INTO THE WADER CONTROVERSY

Chest waders. Warm and toasty when right side up, scuttlebutt has it they sink like a stone if they fill with water. Would you wear them on a kayak?

A lot of guys do. If any of them have been sucked to the bottom, I haven’t heard the story.

Waders can’t sink. The water inside is the same density as the stuff outside so they can’t drag anyone down.

But wait! Worn improperly, they are indeed potentially dangerous. There are accidents to prove it, nearly all involving swift moving streams and rivers and a decided lack of wading belts and PFDs. Come on, when was the last time you saw a fly guy working a crease with an orange Mae West around his neck? 

Water is a heck of a lot denser than air, so the real problem posed by flooded waders is its weight when it’s time to get out of the water. That stuff is a hefty 8 lbs per gallon.

That’s plenty to make a set of rapids or surf zone into a widow-maker. In calm water, the extra weight could be the margin between getting back on the ‘yak after a spill or chilling out in the drink. In rough water, where dumping a ‘yak is more likely… well, I wouldn’t want to try it. 

The hazard kept me in a soggy wetsuit or paddle pants and jacket combo, while others who paddled by in breathable waders stayed dry all day. Kayak fishing guide Jim Sammons of La Jolla Kayak Fishing was another wader hold-out, preferring to dress for immersion in paddlesports gear.

Lately we’ve been feeling very much alone. Take a look around La Jolla on a crisp springtime morning. Most of the ‘yakkers are ‘styling’ in breathable waders. Are they taking a risk? Sammons and I wanted to know. 

To find out, Sammons collected a kayak, breathable waders, wading belt, and a PFD and toted them all over to his neighbor’s pool. While I shot photos and video, Sammons went for a series of swims in 55 degree freshwater. Ah, refreshment!

First up, the full ensemble. Sammons leapt into the pool with a belt, paddle jacket, and PFD over his breathable waders. Cork-like, he bobbed right back to the surface and easily climbed back on his ‘yak. His waders didn’t fill, not with water nor with air. In other words, no big deal. 

Sammons repeated the test, gradually removing the PFD, paddle jacket, and even the wading belt. The belt let in a little water, but Sammons wasn’t really wet until he cannon-balled in wearing just his waders. Even after swimming a few laps, the waders never filled completely with water. 

“I hate to disappoint anyone, but I’m not dead yet,” Sammons said jokingly after the series of tests. “I wish I’d done this sooner.”

Before anyone draws too fine a conclusion, let’s note a few key points. This was a test in artificial conditions, not the wild ocean. The results could differ in the rough stuff.  Sammons is as skilled a paddler as any fisherman I’ve met; each time he was out of the water and back on his boat in a flash. The average Joe may not fare as well, giving more time for water to sneak into the system. Sammons used soft breathable nylon waders, not the older, rigid and rubbery style.

So here’s my personal risk assessment. Yours could be different, and should take into account your individual skill set. If you have any trouble climbing quickly back on your kayak, waders are probably not for you (and you need to practice, practice, practice until you can self-rescue). Likewise with extreme surf; that’s surfer territory. Those guys wear wetsuits. 

For me, the combination of breathable waders, wading belt, paddling jacket, and PFD is a reasonably safe choice for most Southern California conditions. The PFD should go without saying. The wading belt is another must-have for anyone who uses waders, whether on a kayak or off. Remember, when waders flood it may be difficult to swim or climb out of the water.

Here’s another consideration. When it’s cold, there’s another risk factor. That’s hypothermia, even if getting out of the water is no problem. It’s important to wear clothing beneath the waders that insulates even when wet. Avoid cotton, choosing synthetic fleeces and products such as Mysterioso. They’re comfortable wet or dry.

If you’d like to view video of the wader pool test, visit lajollakayakfishingadventures.com/Videos.shtml and click on video 20, Exploding the Myth.”

Or on YT at:

I’ve personally observed two different individuals who were unable to to re-enter their kayak after flipping with waders. They both needed assistance from fellow kayakers  to get back on.

I think a lot of newer kayak fisherman throw on a pair of old waders so they dont have to invest in drysuit/wetsuit but these same individuals usually haven’t practiced re-entering a kayak which can be a recipe for disaster.

I enjoyed the read! It is nice to know that waders can be used safely(belt/pfd) but I would still be wary in the colder waters up here and in the ocean.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Good read FX, thanks for posting .

the vid is full of shit......again my opinion.   

A lot of these guys that flip over in waders would be better off in a wetsuit or drysuit. Especially if exposed for long periods in the water as this individual was on the original post.

If you are able to pop right back in your yak then no problem as illustrated in the vid. You should be able to do this if out on the ocean. If you can't then don't go out on the ocean until you are comfortable in performing basic self rescue without the aid of others.

Experienced wader wearing kayakers that know how to self rescue know what the consequences are and how to deal with them.

Inexperienced wader wearing newbies need to learn from this unfortunate individuals mistakes.

Without getting too deep into the discussion of waders or no waders I think the underlying issue is not being prepared for reentry when you fall out. There are plenty of stories of people who were dressed properly who were unable to renter their kayaks.

So I think what I’m trying to say is make sure you know how to get back in when you fall out.

I wear some decently snug fitting neoprene waders with a belt and my PFD obviously, and I get plenty of sass from kayakers wearing their shorts and flipflops...  But then again I'm on and Adventure Island, so if I've capsized then some big shit went down.