Kokatat T-3 Angler Suit Review

Wow. There's a dude on his way from PDX to Anchorage right now via kayak. If he lives, he should write a book.

I'm not sure if he's crazy or suicidal, and I wouldn't call him experienced. Should be interesting.

J

I'd say "suicidal." Current buoy report offshore from Westport is 18 feet at 13 seconds. And its building to 24 feet by tomorrow.  What's with these nimrods starting trips out into the big gnarly blue this time of year? First that couple from Kingston on the 25' Coronado heading out into 15' seas for Hawaii a couple of weeks ago, (no longer with us), and now someone is heading up the coast? Reminds me of the time we went out to the end of Cape Flattery surfing the protected reef at Warmhouse Cove one Nov with huge SW 18' - 20' swells out on the ocean and a Pineapple Express raging. We found some dude from Denver there trapped on the beach by the huge swell. The surf was only 6 to 10 feet at the break, but big enough outside to keep that argonaut shorebound. He had a 12' sea kayak of his own construction, and a bag of brown rice. Planned to supplement that with fish. Launched from Tacoma 2 weeks earlier. Was heading down the coast to San Francisco. In late November. We told him late Spring would have been a better launch time, and offered to give him a ride back to wherever, but he declined, saying he was waiting for a break in the weather. We never heard anything about him again.

I should probably start a new thread for this. It's pretty interesting.

I've done everything but tell him not to go. He's been camped behind our shop for about a month "practicing" and "waiting for a break in the weather" that won't come again until July. Call me rational, but my first trip in a kayak would not be from here to AK in November alone with no back up plan.

Part of me envies him and wants him to have an epic adventure, but every time I talk to him I'm reminded how little he knows about the sea and kayaking. That doesn't mean he can't do it, but man, talk about a learning curve.

I've presented alternate routes & ideas to get up there, but he was set on doing it. I've been trying to get him to get a ride to bellingham and ride the ferry to AK. But he's pretty much a homeless guy with no ID/passport and is worried about getting on/off the boat. I've even thought about calling the coast guard to inspect/hold him at the columbia bar. But it IS his choice to do it, and I believe that anyone can do whatever they want, no matter how stupid I think it is, as long as it doesn't affect anyone else.

Last I heard his plan was to paddle straight from PDX to Neah Bay without stopping/sleeping. That made me wonder if he was terminal and just going for the viking funeral.

Keep your ears peeled for CG news. And keep an eye out for a faded yellow valley knordkapp with junk strapped all over the deck and a crazy guy paddling it up the coast for the next few days.

J

Its massive 18'+ whitewater junk nearly all the way to the horizon here, and still getting bigger. Nobody in kayak could survive out there in that right now.

I sure hope that fearless argonaut had the sense to pull in somewhere and hunker down for the duration.

Did he have a good suit? He would need the full on dry suit with a better neck seal for a day like this. I don't think the Kokotat T-3 Angler Suit sounds like it would keep him dry in that merciless washing machine.

Sounds like someone took Into The Wild too seriously! 

I sure hope that fearless argonaut had the sense to pull in somewhere and hunker down for the duration.

If he didn't, does it qualify as evolution?

I should probably start a new thread for this. It's pretty interesting.

I've done everything but tell him not to go. He's been camped behind our shop for about a month "practicing" and "waiting for a break in the weather" that won't come again until July. Call me rational, but my first trip in a kayak would not be from here to AK in November alone with no back up plan.

Part of me envies him and wants him to have an epic adventure, but every time I talk to him I'm reminded how little he knows about the sea and kayaking. That doesn't mean he can't do it, but man, talk about a learning curve.

I've presented alternate routes & ideas to get up there, but he was set on doing it. I've been trying to get him to get a ride to bellingham and ride the ferry to AK. But he's pretty much a homeless guy with no ID/passport and is worried about getting on/off the boat. I've even thought about calling the coast guard to inspect/hold him at the columbia bar. But it IS his choice to do it, and I believe that anyone can do whatever they want, no matter how stupid I think it is, as long as it doesn't affect anyone else.

Last I heard his plan was to paddle straight from PDX to Neah Bay without stopping/sleeping. That made me wonder if he was terminal and just going for the viking funeral.

Keep your ears peeled for CG news. And keep an eye out for a faded yellow valley knordkapp with junk strapped all over the deck and a crazy guy paddling it up the coast for the next few days.

J

Jason,
I'm with you on this point. However, I also have friends in the CG and it might be their butts on the line during a rescue/recovery effort. Let's hope common sense becomes a bit more widespread.

Jay

Jay... maybe contact your friends and let them know about this guy and see if they can get to him before the weather gets to the real dangerous stage.

just a thought   

SG

If he made it out over the Columbia bar, its already too late, unless he made it into Willapa Bay, or all the way to Neah Bay by Wednesday evening. Surf started coming up late Wednesday night.  Was only 2-3 foot on Wednesday afternoon, sunny skies, and looked like perfect ocean paddling conditions just outside the surfline. Woke up Thursday morning to sideways rain, heavy gusts, and building swell.

Now the rain has stopped...looks like a good time to go beachcombing! I'll put my running shoes on.

Jay... maybe contact your friends and let them know about this guy and see if they can get to him before the weather gets to the real dangerous stage.

just a thought   

SG

Thanks Marilyn, a good idea but they aren't local CG. They're down in San Diego.

Jay

had anyone even thought about calling the local gendarmes and reporting a mentally disturbed person who is attempting to harm himself or commit suicide??

is it too late, ya think?? nanook, is he still camped there??

Just saw him walking down the street. Appearantly he's been reading some book and realized he doesn't have the skills. I love it when people have a eureka moment on thier own about stuff you've been telling them for a month.

He's annoyed everyone on the island so much here, I'm thinking our owner will happily pay for gas and let me use the van to take him to bellingham.....and I'll take a few days to fish.

He stands a shot of survival if he stays inside from bellingham.

Lemme know if/when you make it up to my neck of the woods!  I'd love to go out with ya...

will do. I've been jonesing for SJ's since Sept.

If you guys go to the SJs let me know.  I've never been and would love to check them out.