Kayak Safety Article

[pequa1]

reminders for overall boating safety as well.

 

[MakoMatt]

Is it just my tablet, but I can’t read the article it’s all blurry?

 

[longcast]

Is it just my tablet, but I can’t read the article it’s all blurry?

Very small and blurry even on a desktop.

 

[pequa1]

any better?

 

[pequa1]

any better?

but probably not. just asking, but where do you lawnguylanders get your local news and sports ? NY Post comes too late and too shitty oriented, even the LI edition. Fortunately, since I retired 15 years ago and only did national security backgrounds in there, have no need for the shitty except to visit the zoo.

 

[MakoMatt]

any better?

 

[Pangaroo]

I'd only Kayak again if my Kayak had pontoons on each side. Just never felt comfortable fishing in one. Maybe I weighed too much and I was tall. Tippy Canoe and me and my father up on a Lake Upstate and the shock of that made me think twice about Kayaking by myself. 2 guys drowned last week out East after going out at night in a Kayak in rough water. Get the best life jacket possible - a Wearable Type 1 life Vest.

 

[pequa1]

Those two were Darwin Awards awaiting. Pontoons, lol. No wonder you wouldn't fish from one, lol. I don't kayak until the water gets to 60°, never if the wind will be up to 10. Bathing trunks, tank top and always a worn PFD. (Not a type 1, they don't fit on a kayak, those are for boaters.) I don't miss the stinkboat at all.

 

[Pangaroo]

They have Type 1's that are wearable like a regular vest. It was good having the ability to launch almost every where. Maybe if I wasn't so big I'd think different. Have you ever considered one of those folding boats ? You could pull up to a Marshy area and quickly roll that into the bay and putt along with a 3 HP. Each has it's advantages, the stinkboats are more work to get on the water and maintain. Kayaks can be launched anywhere. You can fish where others can't. I used a Kayak for 3 or 4 years. It was fine for paddling , but I never felt comfortable when I was fishing from it.

 

[pequa1]

I had a Fold-a- bote for a long time before i went to kayaking. The last two years I had it, 97 or 98, I put a 4hp mercury on it and fished the bay. Had been sneaking it on a local lake with a battery and electric but preferred a canoe for that. Slid the boat on top of the mommy van, motor and gas can inside the van. But kayak fishing is just so much easier. This time of year with water so cold i just work on my yard

 

[Sc42]

just asking, but where do you lawnguylanders get your local news and sports ?

I’m a Newsday subscriber. Read it on iPad though. I’ve got the News 12 LI chatter on in the background, but can soak up the stories I want to better in “print”

 

[pequa1]

I’m a Newsday subscriber. Read it on iPad though. I’ve got the News 12 LI chatter on in the background, but can soak up the stories I want to better in “print”

I like the sports section and local news and don’t mind the political bias (it keeps me centered.). I like the print and the fact that it comes as early as 5am so it accompanies my honey nut cheerios every day even if hunting or fishing

 

[Sc42]

I like the sports section and local news and don’t mind the political bias (it keeps me centered.). I like the print and the fact that it comes as early as 5am so it accompanies my honey nut cheerios every day even if hunting or fishing

I like the print version too, but my delivery was too late for my morning routine.

Here’s the article content copied and pasted:

Safety tips for kayakers to know before you paddle​

By Ted Phillips


Kayakers should always check the forecast before paddling out, safety experts said, and be especially wary that whatever the weather conditions are, they can change in a hurry...

The experts provided that advice and other safety tips to Newsday after the bodies of two kayakers washed ashore Wednesday morning near Shinnecock Bay. An investigation is ongoing, police said.

The first thing kayakers should check before going out is the weather, said Mike Matty, safety and training coordinator for Long Island Paddlers, a nonprofit kayaking and canoeing organization. People need to pay attention to wind gusts and water temperatures.

“Once you get into 12, 13, 14 miles an hour, and now you’re starting to get some waves in the water, maybe some whitecaps forming, and now you’re at risk at capsizing,” Matty said of the wind gusts. “Once you capsize, you have to know how to get yourself back in the boat.”

Getting back into a kayak is “harder than you think,” he said. And when the water’s cold, the clock starts ticking for survival.

Breanna Boardman, a spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard, said in an email that “Boaters should always check NOAA marine forecasts and local weather conditions before departing and continue monitoring conditions while underway.”

Boardman noted that “Weather conditions on and around Long Island can change rapidly, creating dangerous conditions for kayakers and paddlecraft operators.”

The three biggest safety concerns for kayakers are lack of experience, lack of ability, and cold water awareness, Boardman said. “If winds begin gusting above safe limits for your skill level or storms are approaching, stay off the water,” she said.


Here are some other safety tips:

Dress for the conditions

Kayakers should wear wet suits or dry suits, even in warm weather, because they extend the time that a person in the water can survive, Matty said. There’s not a hard and fast rule what temperature is too cold, he said.

That advice echoes guidelines from the American Canoe Association that says to avoid cotton clothing when paddling because it accelerates body-temperature loss when wet. The ACA also recommends wearing a wet suit or dry suit.

“You need to be dressed for that water temperature,” Matty said. The first thing that happens when capsizing is there’s a reflex to gasp, which can bring water into your lungs.

“You’re going to start to panic. You’re going to start hyperventilating,” Matty said. “Once you have to get your breathing under control, then you probably have — depending on the temperature of the water — about 10 minutes to save yourself.”

The challenge is that the body starts shutting down its extremities to protect core functions, he said.

“You’re just going to lose your fine motor skills that you’re going to need to save yourself,” Matty said. “You’re not going to be able to hold on to your boat.”

Wear a life jacket

The ACA says paddlers should always wear a life jacket — also called a life preservation device — and make sure it fits properly.

Make, circulate a float plan

Making sure that people on shore know your “float plan” is important. The float plan should include the names of everyone paddling, the route including where the vessel is to be put in and taken out, the estimated launch time, and a plan for what to do if the kayaker doesn’t check in as scheduled, including when to contact the authorities.

Have lights at night

Paddling boats traveling at night are required to have lights that are either always on or can be turned on in order to prevent collisions, according to Coast Guard regulations.

Take communication devices

Other things to take include a whistle, a cellphone in a waterproof case, and a waterproof VHF marine radio, Matty said. “The Coast Guard will always monitor channel 16” on VHF radio,” he said. “That’s the hailing and distress channel.”

 

[pequa1]

I am still using a relatively ancient Iphone SE as its the only one that fits in the hatch in front of my seat. No need for carrying my old handheld VHF. I am not sure all my local bay constables monitor and the USCG is 13 miles away. I rarely get much closer. I have a safety flag, phone, reflectors on my paddle, whistle and always wear a PFD. So far so good.

 

[longcast]

I am still using a relatively ancient Iphone SE as its the only one that fits in the hatch in front of my seat. No need for carrying my old handheld VHF. I am not sure all my local bay constables monitor and the USCG is 13 miles away. I rarely get much closer. I have a safety flag, reflectors on my paddle, whistle and always wear a PFD. So far so good.

I am not sure all my local bay constables monitor and the USCG is 13 miles away. I rarely get much closer.

Other boaters in the area?? Lots of saves are by alert boaters in the area, not the authorities.


If I happen to end up in the drink, I want out ASAP. And will use every advantage provided (actually my own rescue plan preparation) to accomplish that goal!

I heard a comment from a Navy Seal somewhere. Two is one, and one is NONE.

 

[pequa1]

I am not sure all my local bay constables monitor and the USCG is 13 miles away. I rarely get much closer.

Other boaters in the area?? Lots of saves are by alert boaters in the area, not the authorities.


If I happen to end up in the drink, I want out ASAP. And will use every advantage provided (actually my own rescue plan preparation) to accomplish that goal!

I heard a comment from a Navy Seal somewhere. Two is one, and one is NONE.

on weekends its a veritable traffic jam. early on a weekday, one is all alone. 911 on my phone and speed dial to the bay constables office is really all I need. If I ever leave my local digs I can lug the vhf along. Judging from my observations of the lack of safety equipment, especially among the paddlers not fishing, leads me to believe that many, if not most other paddlers, would be more of a hindrance than a help.