paddle kayak at the soquel hole Saturday

Saturday I was fishing in a PB at the soquel hole. Lots of radio chatter about a kayak. Saw him expecting an AI, motor etc. Nope, just a plain SOT. This was around 1 pm, winds picking up even though its still foggy. Later a boater on the radio said the guy is heading back to moss landing, asked for a heading. Boater offered ride, but yakker said no. He had no radio, no gps but did have a pfd.

in my mind those are required goods but in that fog, he needs something more than him and his yak to bounce radar off of. Not to mention the number of boats the zip along at 20-30 knots with not radar in 30 foot vis.

That's crazy, and not in a good way...

Geez.  Slayer mindset is there, just maybe not the know-how?  At least he had a pfd and I guess a compass if he wanted a heading, but that's a long way out!  Hope he got a salmon out of it at least.  A lot to risk for no fish. 

Geez.  Slayer mindset is there, just maybe not the know-how?  At least he had a pfd and I guess a compass if he wanted a heading, but that's a long way out!  Hope he got a salmon out of it at least.  A lot to risk for no fish.

thing is I didn't see rods on board, unless he already stowed them. 

Just sounds more like he’s old school

In the 70-80s there was no gps and marine radios cost a fortune and were too big for a kayak anyway

About all the safety gear options a good compass is one of the main things I dont leave shore without, even when I'm hugging the shoreline meaning within a mile or so and depending where i am

On Monterey bay you can always get yourself to land w a compass, he probably just asked for a heading to hit closer to his target

Sounds like a person who knows what he's doing anyway

I admire the spirit, but a VHF is so cheap (and generally useful) that going far from shore without one is not smart. And even the cheapest smartphone in a $5 waterproof case can run a free GPS app.