??? BIG SWELL QUESTION ???

?? ?? If your in the ocean, an the swells are over 3ft.   Is  it safe to be out there fishing with calm winds?? or what strategy to take procautionzz?

3' swells no problem unless they are coming from more than 1 direction. More than swell height I look at the frequency
  10' seas with 12/13 seconds is OK, but 4' seas with 5/6 secs not fun with a south swell added to the mix would make it nasty then throw in a 20 knot afternoon wind and you are in trouble, then add a strong out go  Help Me  .
I'm a newbie to kayaking but I have a lot of experince in the ocean from a 12' skiff to a 27' sailboat and a 22' skippy I don't think anything is more important than time on the water and being prepared. I have seen the big blue go from sunny calm to 15' visabilty, windy and 4/6 foot chop in less than an hour.

I agree with Mike!

8-10' swells are actually pretty fun as long as they are spaced out enough and it is not too windy.

Mickfish is right about boxed swells 6 ft/6 sec period, then mixed has an additive effect when the swells cross, then add wind waves and yak profile/rake, etc. 

Also depends on the hull design of your yak - some are designed for ocean, some more for inland water.  Do you know what water yours is designed for?

As for strategy, best thing probably to start small and calm, go with a fellow yakker (ideally an experienced one), get the hang of it and then build from there based on your experience, athleticism, sense of balance, paddling skills, etc.  Bays are a good intro, having somewhere sheltered to retreat to in case rougher water/wind chases you back.  Learn to self-rescue too, so you stay calm and get back on the yak, should you get tossed.

Yeah 8-10 can be fun, if they are spaced widely on a calm day, but take extra care to stay clear of breakers when near shore/structure (e.g. know the bottom where you are)...  probably overall less fun for a beginner tho, not to mention harder to fish with and then launch and landing is PITA (unless you like surfing the big ones in and don't care if you're pummeled - and stow everything)... 

3-5 ft is usually pretty doable for most beginners I have paddled with, including myself.  Always check wind and swell forecasts and have safety items, compass or GPS, and make sure you note carefully where you launch and how you're drifting relative to there, once out.  Also watch for breakers over reefs/shallower water, keep an eye on the short horizon for rogue swells coming your way.  You'll get the hang of it.

Is a Ocean Kayak Scrambler and a 10ft sit-in-side Wilderness... would this be good for big swells??

also... can you catch fish when the swells are 6 to 8 feet from a kayak?? and what kind of fish should I aiming for??


((( )) ???

From what I hear...  10' WS would be a tad short for ocean swells, better inland yak...  The Scrambler is an old skool ocean yak and will be fine for some swells - the size and frequency is a question tho.  Perhaps some OK Scrambler owners will chime in with their experiences.

4-6' swells should be doable in a scrambler, i think!  Just not much ability to stow gear of course, so maybe leash it and hope you have a protected landing...

6-8 feet, maybe.. if spaced widely... just landing becomes sketchy.  the type of fish, well...anything you want to catch, that's not too big to land on the deck and haul in?  I fish primarily for food, so I fish for stuff i can eat, as most of us do.  You can catch anything in a scrambler I'm sure.

Lots of topics here on techniques, target species, locations, and hookups... 

Generally speaking most people fell if the swell is up, 8+, then rockcod fishing slows down a lot. Salmon, if they ever show up again, don't seem to care as much. Halibut also tend to head to deeper water if the swell is up. Basically if it is 8+ and a shorter period I fish the bay or a lake or bank the WAF.

Swells are only one component of wave size.  Swells alone are usually harmless in open water, even huge ones.  They become problems in shallower when they cause waves that break.  Wind adds wind waves and can cause swell to break in open water.  Add cross swell or waves and higher frequency swell and that will make things worse and cause less predictable waves and breaks and will be more likely to cause sea sickness.     

Swells are only one component of wave size.  Swells alone are usually harmless in open water, even huge ones.  They become problems in shallower when they cause waves that break.  Wind adds wind waves and can cause swell to break in open water.  Add cross swell or waves and higher frequency swell and that will make things worse and cause less predictable waves and breaks and will be more likely to cause sea sickness.     

WHEW!....my screen started to sway while reading this, so i had to LOOK at the HORIZON for a second.