First time out

I'm fishing the Sound tomorrow...and maybe Saturday too. I'm picking my launch time/site so that I can ride an ebbing tide to my fishing grounds and have a couple hours on either side of slack tide, then ride the flood back.

Windspeeds with single digits are favorable to me.

Good Luck!  I'd certainly join you but I'm down at McChord and will be on the South Sound.

Gordon

he's not in the ocean, he's in the sound. This is  miles from the ocean. or maybe you guys saw a tide chart that said it would sweep you out to japan.
If it was the ocean I would say beware, but it's not.  Tide and wind never kill, drowning will kill, hypothermia will kill. Both of those should be prepared for regardless of where you are going, regardless of what the tide is, regardless of what the wind is.

You guys are giving him horrible advice, (well if the tide was okay then go, if the wind is OK then go). If you can't flip your yak and make it back in it or to shore, you should never go out on the water.

Maybe we should check wave height for the Puget sound, oh wait 1 ft high. Turn around or start watching episodes of Gilligan's island. The boat wakes will be 3ft high. Give me an all around break

he's not in the ocean, he's in the sound. This is  miles from the ocean. or maybe you guys saw a tide chart that said it would sweep you out to japan.
If it was the ocean I would say beware, but it's not.  Tide and wind never kill, drowning will kill, hypothermia will kill. Both of those should be prepared for regardless of where you are going, regardless of what the tide is, regardless of what the wind is.

You guys are giving him horrible advice, (well if the tide was okay then go, if the wind is OK then go). If you can't flip your yak and make it back in it or to shore, you should never go out on the water.

Maybe we should check wave height for the Puget sound, oh wait 1 ft high. Turn around or start watching episodes of Gilligan's island. The boat wakes will be 3ft high. Give me an all around break

My point was he's new and clearly not as comfortable with the same conditions a as someone with experience. I feel it's our responsibility to at least provide good advice about respecting Mother Nature, tides and all to our newer members.
I'm far from being a member of the famed safety police squad, it just makes me cringe to see comments like "wind and tide won't kill you" directed at a newbie. That's a bold and dangerous statement. That's all I'm saying.

Just from personal experience with this sight, I have never had any of the most voicesterous crew ever tell me to go. after the third coat of wax on my yak, then I washed my kayak, ha ha. I went 7 ft waves la push. next time 4 ft hobuck. more people die on the water on sunny days with no wind then all of the worst storms combined.

Just from personal experience with this sight, I have never had any of the most voicesterous crew ever tell me to go. after the third coat of wax on my yak, then I washed my kayak, ha ha. I went 7 ft waves la push. next time 4 ft hobuck. more people die on the water on sunny days with no wind then all of the worst storms combined.

You sound pretty hardcore. Keep in mind not everyone here is as big of a badass as you obviously are.  Starting on a more mild day is generally a much better approach for most people.

Just from personal experience with this sight, I have never had any of the most voicesterous crew ever tell me to go. after the third coat of wax on my yak, then I washed my kayak, ha ha. I went 7 ft waves la push. next time 4 ft hobuck. more people die on the water on sunny days with no wind then all of the worst storms combined.

Where you getting your stats from Dirk?

Also, for the most part, I don't think people here tell others  NOT to go either.  They are just letting others know what to be aware of.

And yes, currents do kill kayakers.  There have been deaths on the sound due to currents.  That's a fact.  And I can tell countless stories of even the most experienced kayakers getting caught in wind conditions that humbled them.  It's not fun.

Not everyone can go out on their first time and challenge the elements.  Do you really want to be that person encouraging another to push the limits when you have no idea what their own personal limits are?  Well, I guess you do.  IMO, that has the potential to be dangerous, beyond the risk tolerance of many here.  And I'd bet a beer that most newbies don't have any idea what their limits are on the water either.

-Allen

what facts pole pole. 7mph winds and .8knot current at peak. I guess he can wait until august.   Facts about the hotter the day the more people die in the water in the northwest. I'm pretty sure that's money also. But over all, do some people on this sight think there's never a calm enough day to go out on the water, that's just my impression.
 I just think that my opinion on fishing salt water is as valid as the next guys.  I also like going out with people from this sight who like going fishing in the salt. So me encouraging someone to go fishing in conditions that are not dangerous at all.
 

while we're checking facts find me one death that was caused by .8 knot tide or 7 mph winds. not hypo or drowning.

finally anyone would go out in 1 ft wind chop, one of the guys asked if he had a pfd.  I think my opinion, levels out  some of the over the top cautious advice that is giving here.


Every time I asked a question when I first joined here, I received fire marshal bill. Why not start a safety section for those very things.

Where did you get your stats about more people dying on sunny days?  It doesn't really matter.  Many people die due to adverse weather conditions.

It's all semantics.  Tides and wind have caused people to enter the water and die from hypothermia or drowning.

Well, you did ask this question not too long ago.

I actually saw 2 guys come in with outbacks right as I was getting out of my truck. They had them trailered. How many of the guys on here actaully go out to the ocean and risk it?

And this one too.

here is a guy who risked to much  http://www.theolympian.com/2013/03/19/2468869/mcneil-island-kayaker-dies-at.html.  One kayaker didnt make it back. I just wonder how often, and how big of seas people go out in.

And it's obvious you learn via trial and error.

I live in Sumner, and i have a 13 5 mirage I love the ocean. I have been fishing since the Reagan years. however I just bought my kayak a couple weeks ago. I have made it out to la push, makah bay, and one failed attempt at westport last Saturday. Oh and I could use some advise on outfitting and a new seat.

You asked the questions.  And apparently you didn't like the answers.  And now you're making a habit of complaining about the people on the site being safety conscious.

And you must know everything.

You can't drill carbon fiber. Good luck modifying it.

-Allen

Internet win^^^

I do believe that you can copy my posts, but I don't believe you answered weather it was safe or not to go out .8 knot tide and 7 mph winds.

If you read the beginning closer you would see that I was called an idiot and criticized. My opinion was called horrible. The thing is its not unsafe, I will guarantee it's not unsafe, if it was I would tell him not to go.

If you would like me to just take that from other people I will, I care less. If you want one side of the spectrum to be represented that's fine also.
 Here it goes, guys if it's blowing 7 mph and there's a .8 knot current hang on to you hats ferries shouldn't  run in those conditions.  utter chaos cat's and dogs living together.

Good times

The question asked was "Is there anything I should be aware of?"

To which people were giving advice.  No one said don't go.  They just gave him some things to be aware of.

Then you said, "you're not going to die from a tide swing. You're not going to die from wind."  You didn't say you're not going to die from a .8 knot tide or a 7 mph wind.  You made a general statement.

And then you followed that up with, "All these guys talk about is why they don't go fishing this weekend."  Hurl some insults while you're at it.

A couple people even echo'd the "go for it" sentiment.

But some called you on the general statement .

And the back peddling began from there.

No one called you an idiot.

-Allen

I do believe that you can copy my posts, but I don't believe you answered weather it was safe or not to go out .8 knot tide and 7 mph winds.

At last years ORC, the current and wind were only slightly more than that.  We had one kayaker get lost at sea in the fog.  The coast guard had to be called.  So you tell me, was it safe?

It was safe for the other 64 people on the water, but not that one person.

-Allen

  you need to chill out dirk1730,

 Being antagonistic ain't gonna get you anywhere with this group. We stress safety to ALL members here.
 Some will push their own limits which is fine..that's part of how you expand those limits.
 Slamming others...mis-quoting others...and getting a shitty attitude toward others that are wanting to help is not a good idea.
 Please knock it off.

 More "disturbing trends".
                                     Mark

You win it's unsafe. The pacific ocean and the puget sound same thing. The 7 oclock news had a guy barely make it out alive from a one acre lake.

It's not a matter of winning.  I posted the following recently.  It's speaks to the lack of absolutes when making a safety determination.  And as you can see, I never said the discussed situation was safe nor did I say it was unsafe.

-Allen

One problem when discussing safety is that there are very few absolutes, rather there are various degrees of right and wrong depending on the situation.  No one likes to be told they are doing something wrong, when in fact perhaps in that situation it wasn't wrong at all, while in another situation it may have entirely been wrong.

Trying to teach safety (or preach safety) is difficult due to this.  In many ways, it's much easy to learn on your own, but we all could learn from others as well.  There are many people here with scars on their back who learned the hard way.  I appreciate hearing their stories, but appreciate the preachy aspect of safety less so.

At the end of the day, it's about situational awareness ... knowing the risks, knowing what could happen, knowing how to prevent them from happening, and knowing what to do when shit hits the fan.

-Allen