How much warning did you have before flipping? (request for war stories)

It seems to me that there is plenty of warning before some kayak flips, such as when going in and out through surf, but that other flips happen with little or no warning.  For example, one moment you're reaching out with your net, and the next moment you're looking at lots of pretty bubbles.  I'd be interested in hearing some stories about unexpected kayak flips.  Two things made me think of this question:

1.  Somebody sent me a link to a Youtube video which was a compliation of vehicle crashes.  This was fun to watch, but one thing which struck me was how fast many of the crashes happened.  One second a vehicle was driving down a road, and then suddenly another vehicle came skidding across the centerline, or came flying out of a side road, and crunched into it.  Bam! There was often virtually no warning, virtually no way to respond, and virtually no way to predict or avoid the accident.

2.  When the waves are small and the weather is nice, some kayak fishermen take off their life vests, loosen their neck gaskets, and/or unclip the elastic belt around their waders.  If they flip over unexpectedly, these actions could have undesireable consequences.

So post some war stories about unexpected kayak flips!

Here's a link to my first one

http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=7586.msg80644#msg80644

and a link my most epic huli

http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=10188.0

When you exceed your boat's inherent stability you will flip. The quicker forces change the quicker you will flip. Take your boat out and flip it twenty times. See how far you can lean before it flips.

The higher a boat's center of gravity the less lean you will get before you flip. A boat with a lower center of gravity will lean much further over before it flips.

That is the difference between primary stability and secondary stability.

Sent from my Motorola Flip phone.

It was unexpected, so I had exactly zero warning.  Beautiful day, flat water, I would never have dreamed I would go for a swim.

A 20# halibut was on the lip gripper, and she kicked at the very moment I reached back (yes that singularly most dangerous position!) to grab a game clip.

Yes, I had my neck gasket loosened, a latex one loosened with a tube device.  I did get some water down my drysuit, but not enough for me to call it a day.

-Allen

This being my first year kayak fishing, and almost exclusively ocean, surf launches. I have never dumped the kayak while fishing, and full of fishing gear. I have hullied 3 times. All 3 times were with the boat empty, practicing coming in and out of the surf. One time the kayak came in contact with my head. I have had several close calls including an ill adviced surf landing in the dark, or 10 ft breakers on the beach when the surf was only 3 ft  out on the water.
Everytime I have been out on the ocean with someone from this site, someone has dumped their kayak in the surf. Since flipping your kayak is inevitable, it's necessary to practice what to do when it happens. That being said outbacks are almost impossible to flip unless in the surf.

That being said outbacks are almost impossible to flip unless in the surf.

Perhaps impossible to actually flip, but not impossible to fall out of.   

-Allen

I have been known to let a tasty beverage marinate while fishing, so falling out is probably more likely. I worry most when I forget to close my relief zipper.

I worry most when I forget to close my relief zipper.

BTDT!  Even ruined a phone once.  Grrr ....

Or when I don't pay attention to that final "click" you need to get when zipping up.  I was taking some product photos last week, waded into the water to get another angle, then felt this wet spot forming to the left of my stomach, you know, where the zipper ends.  D'oh!

-Allen

I worry most when I forget to close my relief zipper.

BTDT!  Even ruined a phone once.  Grrr ....

Or when I don't pay attention to that final "click" you need to get when zipping up.  I was taking some product photos last week, waded into the water to get another angle, then felt this wet spot forming to the left of my stomach, you know, where the zipper ends.  D'oh!

-Allen

Did the same thing jumping into the Willy off the Sellwood Park dock going after Noah's Mirage drive I borrowed before I had my own.

Oh the dumb things I've done.

We had a member quit kayak fishing, and if I recall correctly, it was because he forgot to zip the relief zipper and had a near death experience during surf landing because of it.

My one serious Huli, I had absolutely no clue or advance notice. To this day I don't know exactly what happened. My recollection was that I was in my mini-x and saw a very small boat wake coming. Picked up my paddle to point the bow into the wake and then I was in the water.

The one piece of evidence I have was that once in the water, I couldn't even flip a kayak as small as a mini-x upright. When the landing craft saved my sorry butt, I noticed the paddle was firmly embedded into the carrying handle. It acted like a 5ft dagger board. I had to place both of my feet on the kayak and pull hard  to get the paddle out.

So I think what happened, and it's embarassing was that when I went to take a stroke, I caught the loop of my handle and when I pushed down to put my paddle into the water I just basically pushed down on the far edge of the kayak. Given the evidence it has to be what happened. But I did sit in my kayak to recreate the situation and it was very awkward to get the paddle tip to insert where the handle was. So that why I'm unsure.

Regardless 100% caught by surprise. Got toasted once trying to launch but so far so good on the takeouts though I've puckered up a few times surging in.


AlaskaKayakFisher.com
Guidesak.blogspot.com
My personal pages...I'm not a guide.

We had a member quit kayak fishing, and if I recall correctly, it was because he forgot to zip the relief zipper and had a near death experience during surf landing because of it.

Care to share more on this story? I'm interested in what could have gone wrong that would be enough to make a guy quit altogether.

We had a member quit kayak fishing, and if I recall correctly, it was because he forgot to zip the relief zipper and had a near death experience during surf landing because of it.

Care to share more on this story? I'm interested in what could have gone wrong that would be enough to make a guy quit altogether.

As I recall he dumped in the surf, deeper than he could stand, suit filled with water. He got separated from his boat and felt he was caught in a rip and was being pulled out to sea.
Eventually he made it back in on his own but was convinced during it that he was a goner. He got home, posted all his gear for sale and vowed never to go out in a kayak again.
I believe he was retired in his early 60's and fishing solo out of Neah Bay. 

Sent from my Motorola Flip phone.

That about sums it up

Dang, that would be scary.  Probably more scary for an old fart. There's this guy on YouTube, Rudy something or other. He has this ridiculously tricked out AI. He is tethered to his kayak.