Ocean Kayaking alone?

Hey all.  First post to what looks like a super forum.  I live in Alaska and I have "evolved" finally into Kayak fishing.  Unfortunately all of my other fishing buddies are still progressing through the "canoe -river boat- Ocean boat" phase of their lives so I go kayaking alone.  I have flipped my kayak before and learned the hard way what proper attire is and what it isn't.  I know its heavily discussed by I am definitely an anti "wader and jacket" guy.  Picking up a semi-drysuit as we speak.

So is it entirely insane for me to be out in the Ocean by myself? I fish out of places that have regular boat traffic and rarely venture more than a few hundred yards off shore but that's probably a few hundreds yards more than I would like to swim.  I have a malibu mini-x which is short but stable, plan on upgrading to the supernova semi drysuit, vhf, cell phone, signal kit, whistle, of course pfd. 

I know it probably comes down to experience and comfort level.  I don't have kayak experience but I do have "doing crazy things in Alaska" experience and I feel comfortable doing the solo kayak thing.  Even when I couldn't self rescue due to a bonehead rookie move, I never felt panicked and eventually made it out alive.

I guess the question is do any of the more experienced folks go out solo here?  Or as you get more experienced, is that  why you don't go out solo anymore? 

I hope to be able to contribute a bit more as the season progresses.

Welcome Kardinal_84!

You hit the nail on the head with "I know it probably comes down to experience and comfort level."  Before I had any of the standard safety gear (except for my surfing wetsuit) I was fishing solo offshore.  I, like you, stayed within a comfortable swimming distance of shore.

Now that I have a few more safety items, especially the waterproof VHF, my solo ventures take me out a lot farther.  I think that as long as you've given some good consideration to dealing with failure modes and have identified a means of rescue, solo ocean fishing isn't something to avoid. 

Some things to keep in mind when venturing farther out:
- Request a radio check before and after you make the slog to your fishing spot.
- Know the weather forecast and tides for the area you're fishing.
- Check your gear twice before paddling out.
- Listen to that little voice in your head.  When it says to skip a trip or head in NOW, do what it says.

-Spot-

What Spot said!  I have never, EVER regretted "chickening out" and heading ashore or down-mountain when that little voice said "really, dude?"

Yes, it's insane, and yes, myself & others do it. Spot's post above pretty much sums it up, experience, comfort, and planning are key. I do a lot of solo paddling, and it does require a whole new level of awareness for all your actions. Consequences for minor mistakes can be severe, sometime fatal. Lots of training, lots of preparation, and be brutally honest with yourself & your abilities.

I've already made two hour and a half drives to the big water this year only to find when I got there I didn't feel comfortable with the conditions and had to bag it.

 Drowning or having to be rescued are not high on my priorty list. What I would suggest if possible is the inland fall back plan. I usually bring fresh water gear just in case I need to play it safer and stay off the the ocean but just head to a nearby inland lake.

So is it entirely insane for me to be out in the Ocean by myself?

Insane is... well... a relative word. 

Spot pretty much summed it up for sure like the other guys said.

The Mini-x is a pretty sweet boat.  I have one and feel it works really well for small water.  I would be very hesitant to take it far off coast though.

Know yourself, your equipment, your limits and your surroundings.
        Are you dressed for the conditions. Will you be ok if you spend extended amount of time in the water.
        How confident are you of your self rescue technique. This answer HAS TO BE 100%!
        How fit are you? How far can you paddle in a strong head wind? Strong current?
        Which direction is home? If heavy fog comes in can you get home?
Be prepared with a plan for possible situations that may arise and what you can do to stay out of those situations. 
        What is the forecast? Wind? tide? swell? How likely it to change during the day?
        Where are breaker forming? Are there submerged pinnacles that could allow a breaker to sneak up on you? How far out is the surf?
        Where are the major shipping lanes. If you get caught in nasty wind or current what is plan B? C?
If something does happen stay calm and work through your plan.
Know your personal difference between unpleasant and dangerous.
If you are unsure ... crack a cold one and watch from the beach there will always be more days to fish if you wait.

These are just some of the things to think about if you are going to solo in the ocean.

Be safe and have fun

Thanks to everyone!  Good stuff.  I've already gone out a few times alone and have been in two situations that I have learned from.  Neither was life threatening though one time I did spend about 20 minutes in the water in Alaska even though it was summer.  That was simply a decision to swim to shore with my kayak since I weighed too much for a self rescue with all my wet clothes and partially filled waders (yes, with a belt).  The other time was getting caught out on the water a lot longer than I expected due to high head winds and all I had was a cell phone...which is now at the bottom of the ocean.  Rightfully pissed off family when I show up 4 hours after I was supposed to be back.

Though the advice for trying inland waters is good advice, if I flip a kayak, I'd rather do it in the Ocean where I fish versus most of the lakes I fish since there always seems to be boats and people around, where inland lakes, I am usually the only person for miles.

Insane is a relative word.  It might not sound like it, but the most insane thing I have done is snowmachine out to camp by myself after a huge snow fall 30 miles.  Like a kayak, what you ride in 5 minutes is more than you can walk or swim all day.  Got stuck several times but maintained enough composure to make it out.

So it sounds like people do go solo with an extra emphasis on ability to take care of yourself.  I will say that so far, the craziest thing for me Kayak fishing and learning from sites like this is I can't believe people use multiple hooks, especially trebles when kayak fishing.  Once on land, I released a king salmon that had a hook in its tail I didn't know about that caught my hand.  Had I been in a kayak, that king would have pulled me right over board and possibly down.  I've caught fish to 10 pounds in my kayak and they were a handful bringing them in. 

Will try to be active participant in these forums as I progress in my kayak fishing endeavors.  I will definitely be utilizing the expertise that is very apparent here in these forums. Thanks again.

So is it entirely insane for me to be out in the Ocean by myself?

Insane is... well... a relative word. 

Spot pretty much summed it up for sure like the other guys said.

The Mini-x is a pretty sweet boat.  I have one and feel it works really well for small water.  I would be very hesitant to take it far off coast though.

Why wouldn't you take the mini-x out farther?  Is it only because speed is a good thing when trying to outrun weather or a problem?  Though it's short, it seems wider and more stable than other kayaks I have been in.  It won't win any speed races but it seems like I am able to take it for several miles at a leisurely pace trolling. 

welcome kardinal 84

thanks for the post it makes for a good safety reminder for all of us.

one thing i would like to add is make sure somebody knows you are heading out and when you plan to return.

To me kayak fishing is inherently a solo sport.  Even when I fish with others, we're often times not close enough to help out if need be.  Get comfortable and skilled with being solo.  It's part of the game.

-Allen

Why wouldn't you take the mini-x out farther?  Is it only because speed is a good thing when trying to outrun weather or a problem?  Though it's short, it seems wider and more stable than other kayaks I have been in.  It won't win any speed races but it seems like I am able to take it for several miles at a leisurely pace trolling. 

It is wider than most kayaks in fact.  I believe the beam on that thing is 33.5"(not exactly mini!  ).   It doesn't feel like a long range boat by any means IMO.  Like I said, I really like that boat, but like a lot of boats out there, it has its downsides.  Given that it doesn't track very well, it isn't a good boat for long paddles.  However, it does track better than many boats of the same size since it has those grooves underneath.  It is stable, but I feel it needs to have better speed and tracking for it to be a long distance kind of boat. 

Once again, good stuff.  I like polepole's point of view that it is a solo sport in many ways and I am sure the safety aspect is the first thing one should put on the "act like you are going solo" list.

Rawkfish.  Ok, I think I get it.  So basically its a good kayak for any distance I feel comfortable paddling.  Unlike when I lived in Ocean Shores, WA, here in parts of Alaska if you can paddle 100 yards out, you are in 600 feet of water.  So the distance to travel is basically all potential fishing grounds. It could be psychological but I don't seem to have any problems paddling several miles while fishing but making an end of the day paddle without the fishing seems to take ten times longer and 100 times more effort.  I also plan on getting some generous rides from my friends who are in the Ocean power boat stage of their lives.    I guess I don't ever anticipate paddling more than a few miles out in any direction from a support vessel or shore.

Great stuff.  Thanks.

If you're comfortable with it, that's all that really matters I suppose.     I'd love to see some reports from your area!

Once again, welcome!

Kardinal, welcome to the forum.  When you say "ocean" do you in fact mean open ocean with ocean swells and chop, such as the WA and OR coast, or are you referring to more benign, protected inland salt water such as Puget Sound?