# kayak hell



## uncdub13 (Aug 9, 2003)

I think that if you've lived a bad life and you die in your kayak, you probly go to kayak hell....and today we took a visit . Figured i'd post this since we kinda sorta learned a lesson and maybe someone else can too.

Decided to sneak in some fishin before the weather went sour and the front pushed through this weekend. Mistake #1, checked the marine and wind forecast but not the radar and headed on out. There was a little bit of cloud cover building in the sky but nothin too much. Launched in the very back of a tidal creek about an hour or two before the low tide. It's normally a spot i fish at high tide in the flooded grass for reds but decided to try it on the low tide for the first time to hit some holes and docks further out the creek. Had about a foot or so of water on the way out which was enough but not much to spare, just had to hope it didnt drop out much more (hint hint ).

Had a friend of mine come along in a borrowed sit-inside. He'd never been kayak fishin before and had been wantin to come along. We paddled on out and started fishin, i picked up a barely legal throwback flounder and a small redfish pretty quickly. Made the decision to paddle on out the creek a good ways further to some docks that usually hold fish in the low tide. Finally got there and cast a couple times to hear thunder rumbling. We turn around and the sky is gettin dark. CRAP.

I called up a buddy and ask him to check the radar. Turns out a pretty lookin line of storms was headin straight for us. At this point we had two choices, sit under a dock and ride out the storm or paddle like hell and try to make it all the way back up the creek to the launch before the storm got here. We chose the latter since my friend said the storms looked nasty on the radar...turned out he wasnt lying.

So we started back up creek, against the tide and against the building wind and also facing back into the storm. Started seeing lightning all over the place and i think i sped up even more every time..thought i was gonna paddle my kayak up on plane for a while there. Nothing like sitting in the middle of the water with 7' graphite lightning rods. I could tell my friend has havin a hard time keeping up so i kept having to slow down and wait. Still had a good ways to go and the water was gettin skinnier. And then the rain came. Heavy rain. Lightning. Wind. You get the picture. Water still gettin skinnier. With about 1/2 mile still to go, i bottom out in the mud. My friend is behind me 75 yards or so. I start doin the ol' paddle and dig thing, barely dragging myself along. Still rainin, still lightning . Stuck my foot out to see if the mud was firm enough to get out and walk, but i already knew the answer...sank down to my shin without hardly any weight on it. CRAP. 

So here we are grounded out in the middle of a creek at dead low tide in a severe thunderstorm with a good 1/4 mile to go back to the launch and the water is only gettin shallower and muddier. Meanwhile, i have a first time kayaker in a sit-inside with me trailing behind.

I was finally able to start inching myself along by holding half of my weight across my kayak and barely push myself through the mud with my feet. This straight up sucked. Many obscenities and lightning strikes later, i made it back..very wet and muddy. I turn around and my friend isnt there. I wondered if i'd have to turn back and get him. Finally he pops around the corner. Turns out his ordeal was even worse than mine. He tried to get out and walk and sank down to his chest in mud. Said it was pure adrenaline kicking in was the only way he got back into that sit-in kayak. We both kinda just sat there in the rain for a while in disbelief of how much that just sucked. By far the worst experience i've ever had in my kayak.

So uh, there's a lot of lessons to be learned here and i think they're pretty much self explanatory but what the heck:
-check the radar before you go
-know what the tides will do and dont assume you'll have time to wait it out
-dont paddle too far with a first time kayaker just to put him on some fish
-dont be stupid


Could probly add a bunch to that list. Sorry if the story is nothin but a bunch of rambling but maybe it will help somebody out.


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## SeaSalt (Apr 29, 2002)

ryan, nice post. I can imagine you guys being afraid for your lives. No fish is worth your life. If you had to do it over again, would you have stayed at the dock?

I wonder if your friend wants to go out fishing again?

I've been reading this book that is a collection of 20 real life kayaking accidents. Its pretty good because the author goes over each story what they could of done to avoid danger.


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## redgrappler (Nov 18, 2005)

uncdub13 said:


> Turns out his ordeal was even worse than mine. He tried to get out and walk and sank down to his chest in mud.



   

Never leave your friend behind!


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## uncdub13 (Aug 9, 2003)

SeaSalt said:


> If you had to do it over again, would you have stayed at the dock?


definitely. it just didnt click in my mind when i decided to head on back that the tide would be that low.

my friend was just like yeah let's pick a better day next time . 

i never really got too far ahead of him, the creek winds back and forth a bunch towards the end and with the rain and wind i couldnt hear if he was there. plus by the time i started into my "crawling" mode i was barely moving let alone turning around to check my 6 very much because, well, i couldnt. i was having a hard enough time staying out of the mud myself. definitely definitely sucked.


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## SeaSalt (Apr 29, 2002)

man... you are going to look back at this day and laugh... what memory...

glad you and your friend made it back safely...


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## Railroader (Apr 13, 2005)

Ryan,

Thanks for having the NUTZ to post your experience, and admit you should have prepared a little better. I've had the same experience in my bass boat, but not the 'Yak.

From what I've seen so far in my 'yakking career, little details that would make NO difference on the land or in a real boat, can come together and make things in a 'yak go to crap pretty quickly... 

We all need to read SeaSalt's book, I'm sure there is a lot to learn.

Salt, how about passin' it around?? You send it to me, I'll send it to the next one, and so on....What cha think??? It's gonna be a long winter....


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

*Great read*

Glad all turned out well.


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## Fishbreath (Nov 11, 2004)

Great story Ryan and I'm sure, lessons learned. Like RR said, something similar to that happened to me in my bass boat years ago. That helpless feeling sucks!!! Glad you guys are ok.


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## lipyanker (May 31, 2006)

glad you are around to post the experience

LY


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## LEADDRAFT (Oct 9, 2001)

*uncdub13*

That was a nice lil storm yesterday...
Glad too hear your all right, I'm sure it was a "hair~raising" experience.....
I'm sure some of the ole plankers can tell you some stories about "flippin coins" too see who'll will watch the king rods on the end of the pier when a T~Storm would blow up.....
 
I was one once....
Never again..........


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## SeaSalt (Apr 29, 2002)

Railroader said:


> We all need to read SeaSalt's book, I'm sure there is a lot to learn.
> 
> Salt, how about passin' it around?? You send it to me, I'll send it to the next one, and so on....What cha think??? It's gonna be a long winter....


great idea... i'll pass around the book as long as whoever has it will promise to send it to the next person at their cost. We can keep a log of who had it.... 

who wants to read it next?


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## Railroader (Apr 13, 2005)

SeaSalt said:


> great idea... i'll pass around the book as long as whoever has it will promise to send it to the next person at their cost. We can keep a log of who had it....
> 
> who wants to read it next?



I DO....I'll PM you my address!

This thread can be the log....or we'll start a new one, prolly a better idea, and Ryan can sticky it!


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## mack52 (Apr 26, 2005)

*wow*

GLAD, you guys made it back, it could have been much worse. 

hobiemack52


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## emanuel (Apr 2, 2002)

Got stuck in a similar situation a couple years back trying to paddle back from Little Tybee. Outgoing tide, 15-20 NE and dark, getting tossed around and sucked out. Not fun.


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## Grommet (May 16, 2005)

Heh. I can relate to the mud. First time I took my son we put in off a dirt road next to Crab Creek because the lot was full at the 'real' launch. Knew there was access, fished from shore there before...at HIGH tide. 

Put in after high tide, took the boy out and paddled Pleasure house Creek and Bay. Came back and it was dead low. About 200ft of mud between us and the launch and the boy wouldn't get out. So I had to pole myself across and walk back grab him and his Ripper and drag them back to the launch through calf high mud.

Fun day, that was. But I think you've got me beat by a mile.


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## fisherman (Feb 20, 2002)

Spend enough time in the 'yak and you eventually learn these lessons - the hardway. Welcome back to terra firma.

R


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## Caught Myself (Sep 14, 2004)

Good to hear you're both okay! I had a similar experience. In Back Bay, calm waist deep water. I saw the storm coming and told the wife "Let's head back". About a mile back to the launch. What I didn't know was it was moving about 40 miles an hour. Then I heard the thunder and saw lightning right overhead. Went from dead calm to 40 mph wind and 3 foot waves in less than 5 minutes! Full blown thunderstorm. We were heading for shore - any shore. Problem was I kept losing sight of her. That really sucks! She got turned sideways while trying to tighten her PFD and flipped. I paddled (surfed, actually) over to her, she climbed onboard my kayak and I went into the water and held onto the stern handle while we watched her yak being blown away. Ten minutes later, it was over. Back to blue skies, calm wind. Recovered her yak and headed back to the launch. Passed a swimming snake. Must have scared the heck outta him, too. It can go from kayak fun to kayak hell in a hurry.


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## tw (May 1, 2003)

Goes to show GOD looks after wayward Kayakers. Lessons lived and passed along are those never forgotten. Glad all's well and I'm sure one day your grand kids will roll their eyes thinking to themselves not the "Thunderstorm and Kayak" story again. 

Makes me wonder, without all the technology how we ever made it......

Thanks for sharing the experiance, Tim


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## thebeachcaster (Aug 7, 2006)

Whenever taking out a first timer, bring a line/tow rope. It gives the stronger paddler the chance to help the other. Connect the line to your waist/side (but never to the stern.) And the other end to the newbies bow. This is only necessary if bad wind/current picks up. The reason you want it on your waist (not the stern) is because you can come out of it if without worrying about reaching your stern. Now you can tow and not worry about loosing your friend and never have to look back. UNCdub13, you probably know all of this but it is one of the most common mistakes I've seen people make when taking out a rookie. Sorry you had such a bad time, but sometime the bad times help us realize how good the good times are.


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## SeaSalt (Apr 29, 2002)

ryan, no pictures? you always have pictures...


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## uncdub13 (Aug 9, 2003)

sorry, i forgot..


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## can't fish today (Oct 8, 2003)

*This post should definitely be....*

...in the short list for post of the year. Thanks for the post. Makes for great reading.


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## bstarling (Apr 24, 2005)

*The Picture*

Ryan,

Was that a picture of the great ZOT from the sky? That is truly awsom. I think I recall that storm. That bolt was really near you when it hit as best as I remember. I recall the hair on my neck raising up just before it came in. Man you are lucky to be alive.


Bill


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## can't fish today (Oct 8, 2003)

> With about 1/2 mile still to go, i bottom out in the mud. My friend is behind me 75 yards or so. I start doin the ol' paddle and dig thing, barely dragging myself along. Still rainin, still lightning . Stuck my foot out to see if the mud was firm enough to get out and walk, but i already knew the answer...sank down to my shin without hardly any weight on it.


A friend of mine just told me of a similar experience. What a mess!:--|


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## ccc6588 (Jun 20, 2003)

I stood up to take a leak. I lost balance and fell in the water last week. 

That was the first time I tried to take a leak on a kayak. Surprisingly the water wasn't all that cold. 

I learned my lesson. Prior to last week, I took care of business before launching the kayak. Next time, I won't have so much coffee and if I need to take a leak, I'll be a bit more careful or take a big cup.


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## redgrappler (Nov 18, 2005)

ccc6588 said:


> I stood up to take a leak. I lost balance and fell in the water last week.
> 
> That was the first time I tried to take a leak on a kayak. Surprisingly the water wasn't all that cold.
> 
> I learned my lesson. Prior to last week, I took care of business before launching the kayak. Next time, I won't have so much coffee and if I need to take a leak, I'll be a bit more careful or take a big cup.


I had the same exact accident.


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## Grommet (May 16, 2005)

redgrappler said:


> I had the same exact accident.



Why were you peeing in his 'yak?!?






If y'all see me on the water, you'll notice I always have a liter Mt.Dew bottle so my fat butt doesn't have to attempt standing.


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## fisherkid (Jun 30, 2005)

*I'll be next*



Railroader said:


> I DO....I'll PM you my address!
> 
> This thread can be the log....or we'll start a new one, prolly a better idea, and Ryan can sticky it!


If we get this going


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## BrokenRod (Sep 6, 2004)

Ok litre bottle takes care of the leaks, what happens when ya have to drop the kidz off at the pool?


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## ccc6588 (Jun 20, 2003)

"If y'all see me on the water, you'll notice I always have a liter Mt.Dew bottle so my fat butt doesn't have to attempt standing."

That sounds like threading a needle with a 50 lb test monofilament. I might need a little more room if you know what I mean.


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## Grommet (May 16, 2005)

ccc6588 said:


> "That sounds like threading a needle with a 50 lb test monofilament. I might need a little more room if you know what I mean.



Errr...you're not trying to impregnate it, just, um, line things up for a quart of temporary storage.


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