Kayaker found boatless

PAL I wrote if he was paddling for 9 hours he would have to be pretty exhausted - not if he was fishing for nine hours.  There's a big difference between the two.  My point was how did  he have the energy to swim/ tread water for 9 hours afterwards?

How did he have the energy? The launch site and time on the water argue for an angler, as does the sinking and the lack of a PFD and other emergency kit. A touring paddler who launched from Marine St would be an exceptional individual. Yes, maybe the kind of person who could outlast a night in open water. 

I am going from local knowledge of both conditions and use patterns. Strictly from a numbers standpoint, it is far more likely we are talking about a fisherman. La Jolla is my back yard - although I really don't care to speculate any more until we learn more about this incident.

Scott

P.S. - I swear, the next time I read/hear that "My VHF purchase was the best $XXX I spent", I'm going to poke a finger down my throat and induce vomiting. Having your rescue toolkit consist solely of a wetsuit, PFD and VHF is NOT taking the requisite amount of responsibility for your personal safety. Better that first $$$ you spend after obtaining a kayak go to rescue instruction, supplemental flotation, a compass etc...  Expedition kayakers do not rely on VHF, neither should you. Remember, marine electronics fail on a constant basis. Knowing how to keep yourself out of trouble, or how to get yourself out of trouble is much more valuable than a relatively delicate mechanical device.

True. Just pointing out that it was important to me. And don't poke that finger down your throat.. your keyboard is gonna be really hard to clean.   

Z

There’s a lot to this story that doesn’t add up, but I doubt the man would be willing to share what happen to a handful of people who call him a bunch of unpleasant names. 

No one certinly deserves death from stupidity but he should be glad to have made it to get called 'unpleasant names' and learn from it, could've been worst, how he was found.

It makes more sense to me now why Dan was so tight lipped about saying anything about the shark attack on NORCAL- perhaps he didn't want to be attacked a second time by  people. Not only does Dan appear to be extremely physically able to rescue himself from a shark attack,  he appears to be extremely bright  too and knows how to ward off a people attack.

" See, this is why I wanted to remain The Lurker, a reader not a writer"  Dan  http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=2516.270

This has nothing to do with Dan's attack, that was an unfortunately out of his control accident and could have happened to anyone. This guy was pure all the 'unplesant names' I could think of.

I am sure everyone has done something that wasn't too bright.   but is  name calling really necessary or productive?

necessary? YES
productive? It's up to him, we're not his bros, sis, mom, pop, relative, etc... to do anything productive about, are you?

It makes me kind-of wonder if that's the reason why only 50 to 70 of the 900 registered NORCAL members ever write a post on NORCAL. Maybe they want to remain a Lurker, like Dan because they want to avoid being attacked. 

Ahh... ok.

I guess that either makes me really brave for not staying in the shadows, or really stupid for sticking my neck out. Perhaps its a little of both.
 

Your're entitled to your own opnions just like we all are 

Of course we're all glad he made it out, just that we all must learn to respect what we love doing. Some people just need being called 'unplesant names' more often than others to achieve that.

Scott,
You might be surprised how many NCKA'rs are NOT trained (up to the level of "expedition kayakers") nor are they outfitted with such tools as a VHF's, GPS, EPIRB, spare paddle, bilge pump, pool noodles, 18" net, etc.

I certainly am not, but I do my best to avoid trouble.

If  a member reads this thread and it sways him/her to purchase a piece of safety equipment, whether it be a VHF, PFD, wetsuit, or whatever, then IMO, this story/thread served a purpose.

Stuart

If  a member reads this thread and it sways him/her to purchase a piece of safety equipment,whether it be a VHF, PFD, wetsuit, or whatever, then IMO, this story/thread served a purpose.

It's not so much about equipment, it's about skill set and mindset. I guess I was lucky to be involved with kayaking before the advent of inexpensive GPS and VHF. As for PFD and wetsuit, those should be purchased prior to or concurrent with the acquisition of a kayak. With just a bare minimum of thought, preparation, and financial outlay, one would be an order of magnitude safer than the individual down in SD.

Rescue information is free on the internet. A class would run less than $100. Practice sessions are free. A pair of floatbags or dry bags costs about $50. Pool noodles would be even less. Bilge pumps run about $20, but if you paddle in a group, you can empty a swamped SOT kayak in minutes for $0 if you know how to do an X-rescue. I'm going to test this this fall, but I theorize that one could apply duct tape to a macerated kayak in order to slow down  or stop water entry in the case of a shark attack offshore.  A handheld compass is about $20, how many folks would have given a rod/reel setup for a compass when the fog rolled in? Using your hands, and paddling your kayak like a paddle board, you can do about 2-3 mph. So even if you lose/destroy your paddle, you may well be able to make your way down s--t creek.

You don't have to be an expedition trained and outfitted kayaker to be reasonably safe out there.

Regards,
Scott

18" net, etc.

 

18" net, etc.

 

Net's cost $30. How much is a citation, should you run into a warden with a bug up his rear? I'm just askin'...

Using your hands, and paddling your kayak like a paddle board, you can do about 2-3 mph.

dude, you got a motorized long prosthetic arm with big palms? I can barely do that with my paddles for what, 10 min straight?

james

I have to lean twords Scott's view here. I too feel that I was  fortunate to be involved with kayak touring before ever considering fishing from a kayak.  I think the experiences I had & classes I took help me feel more comfortable OTW and have helped me avoid some sticky situations in the past.
  I posted a link in the Elk thread to a rather dramatically written article involving the late Steve Sinclair not only because of the connection to Elk, but also because of Sinclair & Gronseth's views on the booming activity of open water paddling. I have always had similar feelings and thought the article, while dated, had a useful message. I had the good fortune to learn kayaking from some seasoned BASKers (thank you Mr Barnes!) and a great guy in Alaska, Perry Solmonson, who has run Prince William Sound Kayak Center for around 30 years, as well as a having a long time waterman in my immediate family. I couldn't imagine paddling without the myriad of skills they have taught me.
I didn't mean to slam the guy who spent a night in the water, which is why I edited my post. If he truly was clueless he is truly lucky. If this is a bid for attention he deserves flaming. Comparing this to the incident at bean  (?) whatever.
As for GPS & compasses, I was taught that the majority of kayak navigation is dead reckoning-either reckon right or you're dead , so I like to have both. Batteries die, & I don't wanna.
Experience is a tough thing to measure. In many ways I still feel like a noob myself.  Given the right circumstances I could end up swimming too. I think about this a lot, in a healthy way. I look around & think, 'what would I do if...?' To me its just part of being on the water.
Suart is right too I think, if one person reads this & it has a positive impact, that is fantastic.

Excellent comments about safety and ocean preparedness, I would also like to put in a plug for the Coast Guard Aux. boating classes as a way to build a ocean/boating knowledge base. Although the classes are not aimed at kayakers they fill in the bigger picture in a helpful way.
As for the guy in San Diego: I grew up surfing, diving, boating, and fishing on those beaches and his story is "fishy," I suspect other "issues" or at work for this fellow. But, it has sparked some meaningful dialog that hopefully will help all of us that venture out on the water.
Steve (rocketman)

Here's an update on the story.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20070810-1739-bn10kayak.html

By zarathustra on 08/10/2007
what an idiot... how in the hell did he get into UCSD? Must be affirmative action.

 

At one point, a private fishing boat came within a few yards of him. He screamed for help, but the boaters didn't hear him.

“I was so close I could see them drinking beer and wine,” Bolter recalled.

this is where a whistle comes in.

Until a year and a half ago, Bolter said, he didn't know how to swim.

well that's pretty impressive.

Yep.  I have a whistle on my PFD.  And a compass on my bow and a VHF on my shoulder.  All part of the package.

Good follow-up story.  He made a mistake and did a good job of not compounding it.

So many bad stories connected with first boats........  I'm glad nobody died.

 

Bolter, a former Navy seaman, said he remembered his survival training in the military

Do you not need to know how to swim when you are in the Navy?

Doug, My stepdad served 28 years in the navy and was actually shot down in the S. Pacific and treaded water over 24 hours and never new how to swim. that fact always amazed me. Randall