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why are a VHF and flares important?


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An hour is a long time to be in the water and the water temp up round there will be no higher that 9c and yes a VHF and flares could have had a happier ending.

Lat/Long :- N50°58.366 W001°26.468

 

I must go down to the sea again

To the lonely sea and sky

I left my shoes and socks there

I wonder if they're dry?

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Tragic loss. Sympthies to the family. I hope the remaining guy recovers and then can live with the incident. Often survivors feel guilty that they have come out of it alive.

 

What strikes me as odd is that there were two kayakers and yet they could not get back in their kayaks between them. It doesn't say whether traditional sea kayak, river tourer (which don't have bulkheads) or sit-on-top. It makes little difference to the bereaved - but it does to the circumstances of the loss.

 

A sea kayak has bulkheads (unless a very cheap polythene one). With one kayak lost, it is still possible to right, empty and get the remaining one upright and one paddler back in - who can then tow the other to shore. It sounds as though they lost one kayak - so did it sink because it was not fitted with buoyancy? Or did it get blown away from them?

Why did they not get the remaining kayak emptied? Was it that they did not know how?

These questions are pertinent. The trouble is, the Police just call a akyak a kayak and very often do not differentiate - it matters. It matters so that others may learn more about dealing with incidents.

 

An hour in the water at this time of year up there is a long time - so it sounds as though they must have been pretty well kitted out - or very tough.

 

The investigators conclusions will be interesting. Please keep us posted Paul.

Simon Everett

Staffordshire.

Fishing kayaks:

White& Orange Dorado

Olive Scupper Pro

Yellow Prowler Elite

 

Touring kayaks

Red White Skua

White & Orange Duo

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Tragic loss. Sympthies to the family. I hope the remaining guy recovers and then can live with the incident. Often survivors feel guilty that they have come out of it alive.

 

What strikes me as odd is that there were two kayakers and yet they could not get back in their kayaks between them. It doesn't say whether traditional sea kayak, river tourer (which don't have bulkheads) or sit-on-top. It makes little difference to the bereaved - but it does to the circumstances of the loss.

 

A sea kayak has bulkheads (unless a very cheap polythene one). With one kayak lost, it is still possible to right, empty and get the remaining one upright and one paddler back in - who can then tow the other to shore. It sounds as though they lost one kayak - so did it sink because it was not fitted with buoyancy? Or did it get blown away from them?

Why did they not get the remaining kayak emptied? Was it that they did not know how?

These questions are pertinent. The trouble is, the Police just call a akyak a kayak and very often do not differentiate - it matters. It matters so that others may learn more about dealing with incidents.

 

An hour in the water at this time of year up there is a long time - so it sounds as though they must have been pretty well kitted out - or very tough.

 

The investigators conclusions will be interesting. Please keep us posted Paul.

 

Simon/Paul

 

Talking to the guys up in our Lendal factory it seems the the Dorus Mor is one of the most vicious tidal races in Scotland & is deemed a challenge by the most experienced sea kayakers. Tragically it seems that these guys were not in any way experts &, although local, probably didn't appreciate the dangers or have the experience to do the rescue spoken about. I'm not sure where it features in the BCU training scheme & I've only ever seen instructors do it when I was at school (we were in dug outs in those days!) It's not a difficult thing to do but one that with sit on tops is fortunately never going to be an issue.

 

I think that any genuine sea kayak would have bulkheads..even the more recreational touring boats have them these days...all our Necky boats do for sure. The lesson for sit on top paddlers is perhaps about the hatches. Wherever they are in the boat a wave taken through an open hatch can seriously reduce the stability & make the boat harder to paddle to the shore to empty out but that is pure common sense not to open a hatch if there are that big waves around...as are most of the safety rules!

 

Sit on tops are inherently much safer - rental operations hiring kayaks are required by their insurers to have a minimum of a level 3 instructor operating the service - no such qualification is necessary for sit-ons. Having been in the marine trade/watersports industry & as a former Inshore Rescue Boat coxswain (IRB morphed in to RIB later..dug outs again!)all my life I applaud the way that Kayak Fishing as a seperate sport is approaching the safety angle - there's some great advice & shared experience happening in these forums - there are a number of contributors who have been good kayakers prior to this but going by the number of boats we sell (let alone the other manufacturers) the majority aren't reading here or at the other places so it would be good to spread the contact information for these whilst on the beach & water.

 

Safe fishing!

 

Andrew

(Johnson Outdoors UK)

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This thread raised a question that I has been rumbling in my mind for a while. I hear how worthwhile having flares on your yak is. However I refuse to buy any as I have young kids and I dislike having anything dangerous around. I am not a moron though when i take my yak out I have wet suit,PFD, VHF radio, and 1-2 mobile phones and ensure someone knows my location & plans. Also I just feel flares are a bit dated, if I was in trouble it would mean I was washed off my yak and floating about away from my yak & flares, however my water-proof VHF radio is attached to my PFD and I could send a message and know help was on the way. If i sent a flare up I have no way off knowing if help is on the way or even if it was seen! So, am i being a muppet or are flares required nowadays.

Let me know your thoughts

 

Peter

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This thread raised a question that I has been rumbling in my mind for a while. I hear how worthwhile having flares on your yak is. However I refuse to buy any as I have young kids and I dislike having anything dangerous around. I am not a moron though when i take my yak out I have wet suit,PFD, VHF radio, and 1-2 mobile phones and ensure someone knows my location & plans. Also I just feel flares are a bit dated, if I was in trouble it would mean I was washed off my yak and floating about away from my yak & flares, however my water-proof VHF radio is attached to my PFD and I could send a message and know help was on the way. If i sent a flare up I have no way off knowing if help is on the way or even if it was seen! So, am i being a muppet or are flares required nowadays.

Let me know your thoughts

 

Peter

 

Peter, have you tried operating the VHF while in the water, it's certainly not easy, ariel needs to be clear of the water. VHF is largely a 'line of sight' transmission and won't go far through water, I wonder just what the range would be when bobbing in a big swell, hardly likely to fall off when it's flat. Flares aren't fool proof either, but the more ways to raise the alarm you can have to hand the better IMHO. You can carry a pack of mini flares in your PFD.

Edited by overrun

2006 Launches: 8

2006 Species: 5

2007 Species: 19

2007 Launches: 42

2008 Species: 21

2008 Launches: 51

2009 Species: 24

2009 Launches: 47

2010 Launches 35

2010 Species 25

2011 Launches 23

2011 Species 20

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As i said in another thread when the coastguard stopped me and my mate off tywyn a couple of weeks ago one of the things they asked if we had with us were flares. they seemed to think it was a good idea to have them and i would agree with them on that and with overruns opinion that the more ways you have to raise the alarm the better.

If your worried about them being around your kids lock them in the boot of your car when your not using them or somewhere similar the kids can't get to easily.

Edited by snakey1
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