A Disturbing Trend

Another good thing TO remember is to always wear clothing that does its job wet.  And dries quickly. I get wet as hell out in the puget. Nothing worse then sitting in cold denim or sweats. Hahah. Commonsense is the best partner

I saw one genius this Saturday fishing over the rail on the bow. He had no flotation, and the boat was 10 meters from a huge rock. The swell was 5-6feet near Cape Flattery. Not to mention he wasn't catching squat for all his exposure. The careless or ignorance is not bound to new kayakers. I wonder if the entire crew on that boat was stupid and or inebriated.

You have a very valid point, I have just joined this organization and have purchased a Hobie Pro 12 after 5 years of kayaking a smaller narrower kayak on fresh and salt water.

It would be easy to assume that a new member may not have the experience to boat safely, especially in the salt.  You better understand and know how to re-enter your kayak and have appropriate clothing and protection. Especially here in WA State as our water never gets above 53-56 degrees and hypothermia is always a concern.

Thanks for your concerns and hopefully those new to kayaking will take the concerned words of warning to heart.

   

   To anyone going for their "First Time Out" ......please read this thread. And many others concerning safety.

    Try to keep tragic events at a minimum-------- because life is already too short.

Long time kayaker, but mostly in the spring/summer in Texas in a lake with tons of people within earshot.  Got a Hobie recently (first SOT), flipped it the first day out.  Made me think safety up here in the NW is a bit more important

Seems like three options to me:

* Waders & dry top (seems clumsy / reliant on getting the fit just right)
* Dry suit (too expensive)
* Wet suit + dry pants w/ socks + dry top - idea being if you're too hot and don't have the top put together, still probably ok if in a group / not too far out.

N00b questions:
* Does that last combo sound workable?
* It looks like Kokatat is the brand to beat at least on pants, any other solid choices?
* Can non-gym-enabled people wear wet suits?  I kinda thought they were pretty specifically fit.
* Is throwing a wool coat in the front of the boat for just-in-case cold trips back to shore going.... overboard? 

Waders plus s dry top seal a lot better than you would think. I'd suggest starting there and skipping the wetsuit.

For years I paddled with a 3 mm farmer john,  booties, and a paddling jacket.  And for many, it is still standard attire.  I'd sometimes put some rain pants (not dry pants with builtin socks) just to cut down the evaporative cooling effects.  The key here is to know how your body behaves if you were in the water in that outfit.  Looking back, I'm not sure 3 mm was enough if I was in the water more than 10-15 minutes.  It would have allowed me to get back on the kayak and keep fishing though.

I then went to the waders and paddling top.  Didn't spend much time there before quickly graduating to full dry suit.  It just didn't feel right to me.  I even wore my wetsuit under it for a bit, before deciding that was just plain silly.

-Allen

My experience is almost exactly what Polepole's is... 2004-2009 wet suit and paddling jacket, 2010 brief period with waders and dry top.   2010 -present  dry-suit.  I think many of us that have been fishing SOTs for awhile have gone through the same progression.

Ok, in looking at prices, there are a few dry suits out there the same price as getting the parts individually... how about this?

http://www.amazon.com/ONeill-Boost-Drysuit-Black-Large/dp/B001MTEPHC

Ok, in looking at prices, there are a few dry suits out there the same price as getting the parts individually... how about this?

http://www.amazon.com/ONeill-Boost-Drysuit-Black-Large/dp/B001MTEPHC

Yeah, I only experimented with the waders thing because I already had waders.  I don't think I would have bought them specifically for this purpose.

-Allen

My experience is almost exactly what Polepole's is... 2004-2009 wet suit and paddling jacket, 2010 brief period with waders and dry top.   2010 -present  dry-suit.  I think many of us that have been fishing SOTs for awhile have gone through the same progression.

+1

W

Ok, in looking at prices, there are a few dry suits out there the same price as getting the parts individually... how about this?

http://www.amazon.com/ONeill-Boost-Drysuit-Black-Large/dp/B001MTEPHC

Just saw a sizing chart... something to keep in mind for anyone looking for a full suit, might be awkward if you don't fit the 'normal' body type (short/long legs/arms/torso).

Looks like I'll have to stop by some shops this weekend and just see what I come up with - but sounds like dry pants + dry top over some smart layers will probably be just fine for close-to-shore salt with a group (like ORC).

I have short legs and a long torso.  The legs in my suit are a little long, but once it's on I never notice. 

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

I guess I'll weigh in with the other "well you guys probably consider me one of the noobs" people - I'm new to the board, relatively new to kayak fishing, not new to the water or to fishing.

I want people to keep safe kayaking, mostly because I don't want yet more unnecessary regulations due to preventable deaths. But I feel like the initial tone of this thread is more like "Oh noes! Lots of people are doing what I like to do, and they're dumb!" I'm not pointing any fingers, I'm just saying that's the impression I got.

Everyone has different limits and goals, and as others have mentioned experience is the best teacher (with a good mentor being a close second). You might think I'm reckless because I fish in a farmer john wetsuit in the salt, and I might think you're reckless for fishing in a camo kayak that a boat captain will never notice as he bears down on you. But we're both taking the precautions that our research and experience have suggested will work for us.

I really arch my back at anyone who wants to assume they know more than me for whatever reason they've decided is a good one. Have a conversation as equals? Absolutely! But don't just assume because I have different goals or limits or because you have twice as many hours on the water as me that you're in a position to tell me I'm not being safe enough.

There always seems to be a balance in sports that are growing between internal pressure (what we're talking about here) and external pressure (i.e. regulations). Let's keep encouraging people to be safe, provide suggestions and advice based on our experience, and welcome newcomers. The sport will grow whether you want it to or not, the best we can do is start a conversation with people and share ideas as equals.

  Shameless---------- but ( I hope) timely bump.