Missing Kayaker - Mavericks/HMB

My friends and I were out there on Saturday am.  Forecast predicted 3' swells @ every 16 sec.  When we paddled past the entrance, the swells were close to 4'+.  Wind wasn't a factor.  But the swells were relentless.  Couple of times, I considered turning back.  But we proceeded towards the green can anyway hoping it'll settle down.  Fog was heavy and winds were light.  My buddy wanted to head towards the red can as the bite was slow at the green can though I managed a nice cabbie jigging and the others a few rockfish and croaker.  I didn't want to head towards the red can as I was concerned the swell and wind would start picking up enroute and it was already 11 am.  The swell calmed down a bit then but started to pick up as we headed back to the harbor and we started to get seasick.  This was a bit more stressful fishing session as we had to keep an eye on the oncoming swells more than focus on fishing. 

Glad to hear the outcome was good.

Great news….
Personal takeaway= if I dump it and loose anything that floats and may wash ashore, notify CG or local LE with a description of said items should they actually come ashore. May just prevent resources being used needlessly.

Anyone else with that thought? Or a reason why this may be a flawed idea?

I can speak from experience that it's appreciated when folks call in with this sort of information.  Temper the decision with the question, "Would I be concerned that someone is in distress if I found the items I just lost washed up on a beach or floating adrift?"  There are two ways to contact the USCG for these purposes... easiest when on the water is to hail the Coast Guard on VHF-16 and switch to VHF-22A.  Let them know you are not in distress and want to report some lost debris in the water to make sure it's not construed as a distress signal.  Be prepared to give best possible last known good position (e.g. lat/long or relative bearings a la "1 mile south of Mavericks Beach and 1/2 mile west of the #3 buoy in HMB") and some contact info for yourself.  Another way would be to call them on the phone... USCG Sector San Francisco (415-399-7300) from the SLO/Monterey county line to the Sonoma/Mendocino county line and USCG Sector Humboldt (707-839-6113) from the Sonoma/Mendocino county line to the OR/CA border.   And don't worry about getting it right... call one and they'll make sure the report makes it within the correct area of responsibility.  Even easier, though... contact the local harbormaster directly via phone or VHF.  They'll also notify the USCG where appropriate and they are more equipped to hang onto your lost gear for you should it be found locally.

This makes me feel better about my decision to stay in the car at the HMB launch Tuesday...and then leave. Just didn't seem like the right conditions.  Glad he's ok.

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I was working with the Rangers at Memorial Park when there was a call for the their assistance, .But I didn't hear the location. Was thinking it was near the Bean. Surprised  it was HMB. Some people don't understand the hazards towards Mavericks. guess he learned.