Lessons Learned from a Prepared Paddlers Misfortune

SAFETY FIRST!! Please read as no fish is worth dying for.
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shane
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Re: Lessons Learned from a Prepared Paddlers Misfortune

Post by shane »

peatop wrote:Someone mentioned this product in another thread https://www.whitworths.com.au/sfty-o-sig-epirb-g if this was attached by a lanyard or some other way to you or an easy retrievable location on your yak then it could be the first line of rescue.
This one's an EPIRB that's designed to float and send signals for 48 hours. If you can comfortably fit this onto a pfd (it's the smallest EPIRB available) then it kills 2 birds with one stone. Otherwise people are looking at smaller PLB's to carry on them.
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peatop
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Re: Lessons Learned from a Prepared Paddlers Misfortune

Post by peatop »

shane wrote:
peatop wrote:Someone mentioned this product in another thread https://www.whitworths.com.au/sfty-o-sig-epirb-g if this was attached by a lanyard or some other way to you or an easy retrievable location on your yak then it could be the first line of rescue.
This one's an EPIRB that's designed to float and send signals for 48 hours. If you can comfortably fit this onto a pfd (it's the smallest EPIRB available) then it kills 2 birds with one stone. Otherwise people are looking at smaller PLB's to carry on them.
In all honesty i think i would rather a little inconvenience and carry something i know works rather than something that can sometimes only intermittently transmit, however not knowing each product in depth i still need to have a physical look at them to determine the most appropriate application to suit my needs. To me it's not about convenience or price it's about safety, and tbh im starting to feel the PLB is not a good option, somewhat giving a false sense of security. Don't get me wrong, it's still a great life saving device, but far below the standard of an EPIRB, some of this may be wrong, as the only information i have been able to find on the net is the same, and it's just summarized bullshit lol
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bunyip
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Re: Lessons Learned from a Prepared Paddlers Misfortune

Post by bunyip »

I carry a LED flare on the yacht and can attach it to my vest, not a legal substitute for a flare but can certainly get everyones attention.
https://www.whitworths.com.au/ocean-sig ... ress-flare

The downside is the battery, they have a long operating time and I pulled mine apart to see how the battery fitted, the handle twists off and there is a push together connector, I undid this and looked at the handle to see how the batteries went in and realised that the handle is a sealed unit so it is the battery.
Having said that it is brighter than you can imagine and quite blinding when close, has a test function, LED's are visible from all directions and I tried mine and it could be seen from 1km in misty conditions.
A bit expensive but what is your life worth.
CH Smith carry them too.
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laneends
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Re: Lessons Learned from a Prepared Paddlers Misfortune

Post by laneends »

cheaterparts wrote:
Gusting to 29 knots could have been a 15 knot recorded wind remember that gust can be twice the the forecast wind ( something to keep in mind for any new guys out there ) - even 15 knot would have been bumpy on a run out tide there with a WSW wind and would have been fairly uncomfortable fishing but many sea kayakers would take that in there stride
The actual conditions were far worse than that days predictions. I was on westernport fishing FB page at the time when boats were reporting massive seas in real time and struggling to get back to Hastings and Stoney. willyweather and BOM predictions for that day were well within those that we would find doable. A marine radio would have helped give a heads up in real time. There would have been lots of radio chatter.

I was not surprised to hear of this incident, in fact I was surprised there were not other less capable kayakers caught out.

Take away for me is that nature can, and will, exceed capabilities sooner or later. I often think we get too confident going out fair distances and its only a matter of time before nature is going to catch us suddenly before we get time to get back. I know I have had a couple of close calls and I'm a pussy when choosing conditions. Stoney to Tankerton is not a big distance either by most standards

Good point about remounting in rough conditions, especially if it repeatedly happens. The surf is one thing. That is about doing it quickly between waves, but heavy chop there is no calm interval between waves. Panic could set in very quickly. I know I failed miserably trying it on surf day
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