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Post by kingfish on Feb 3, 2010 22:15:59 GMT
I really take my hat off to you guys that use paddles, particuarly taking into consideration the distances you travel and having the wind and tide to contend with - thats when things are normal ...but if things turn for the worse and you have to get back quick i sometimes wonder if enough attention is given to making a safe return if you have to.  |
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Post by chris329a on Feb 5, 2010 8:38:53 GMT
I really take my hat off to you guys that use paddles, particuarly taking into consideration the distances you travel and having the wind and tide to contend with - thats when things are normal ...but if things turn for the worse and you have to get back quick i sometimes wonder if enough attention is given to making a safe return if you have to. On this trip I had factored in the tide turning, the westerly wind assisting me back and that the wind was due to get to F4-5 at 3 pm. Having known this, as soon as one of the variables changed somewhat, it only accounted for 1/3rd of the total journey and I knew that I'd still make it back easily. As the swell picked up I started for home and was making 4mph all the way back. I also make sure that I have not exhausted all my energy so I could use it for the return journey, and I checked with the coastguard that the weather was as predicted when i set off and I listen to the renewed weather on VHF. I hope that explains that us "yakkers" do take this all very seriously and that not all of us make these sorts of trips. Those who do are members of the "self preservation society". There is always a plan B......... |
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pipes
New Member
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Post by pipes on Feb 5, 2010 9:11:52 GMT
Re plan B. Consider that although a kayaker may be 6 miles from their launch point there may be many safe landing sites within 1 mile of their actual position, which can be used in extremis.
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Post by yd on Feb 5, 2010 11:37:59 GMT
I think that most if not all kayakers know we are very vulnerable being so close sat on the water that we take more care than others do in their boats and yes as already stated a plan B and sometime a plan C, and there is always the other option of going home without launching at all, I have aborted twice in the last 3 years and I don't see any shame in it. I would be more ashamed if I had to call out the RNLI to rescue me
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Post by richi on Feb 5, 2010 18:33:17 GMT
I think that most if not all kayakers know we are very vulnerable being so close sat on the water that we take more care than others do in their boats and yes as already stated a plan B and sometime a plan C, and there is always the other option of going home without launching at all, I have aborted twice in the last 3 years and I don't see any shame in it. I have aborted a lot more times than that YD and despite studying the tides and winds for the whole week beforehand have aborted due to pure gut feeling that something wasn't right.I've even paddled out 100 yards and turned round and gone home.  Kayaking is a very safe sport in comparison to other water sports,we have on average four deaths a year and they mostly occur on rivers.Kayakfishing as a sport has been going for around five years in this country and we have yet to have our first fatality,,,,,,,I wonder how the other fishing codes compare over the last five years?  |
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Post by sailorboyrob on Feb 6, 2010 1:33:48 GMT
Four deaths is still four too many!
How many yakkers are there compared to regular anglers?
I know a fair few os us kill ourselves by doing silly things, like rock fishing in the dark and wet but surely you cant compare sitting on a kayak in the middle of the oggin with standing on a beach, especially in safety terms!
Im not doubting that you do everything you can to make yourselves as visible and safe as possible, but there are inherrant risks in everything we do, but kayak fishing seems to have more than its fair share of em.
Fair play to you guys for doing what you do, but you wont find me out there!
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Post by richi on Feb 6, 2010 7:38:17 GMT
More deaths and injuries are caused in Britain by pillows, telephones and flowers than by all forms of kayaking put together. It is so difficult to get hurt while kayaking that including extreme white-water and "drunken non-swimmer in borrowed kayak" incidents, there are typically only 4 kayaking deaths in Britain every year and very few serious injuries. Compare that with riding a bicycle, for which the annual toll is 150 killed, 2,200 seriously injured, and 14,000 with mild to moderate injuries.
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Post by coastaldriverhire on Mar 11, 2010 20:02:46 GMT
 well said richi, i know i'm vunerable in a kayak but due to this put alot more thought into a trip than i do with my boat. having owned a boat for over 20 yrs out of keyhaven i have pulled back in all sorts of idiots , and with allthe organised events in kayak fishing and safety courses i think i'll be ok.
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Post by richi on Mar 12, 2010 20:44:22 GMT
well said richi, i know i'm vunerable in a kayak but due to this put alot more thought into a trip than i do with my boat. having owned a boat for over 20 yrs out of keyhaven i have pulled back in all sorts of idiots , and with allthe organised events in kayak fishing and safety courses i think i'll be ok. I've pulled 4 kayakers out of the water in the last 4 years and one of them was an instructor at Hurst Hole ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D |
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