I think the
“It will never happen to me” is all too common in the kayaking world. A few years back I was fishing on an inshore flat near the mouth of Tampa Bay in my Caribbean 12 Angler SOT. It was mid-November and one of those few really cold days in Florida—about 40 degrees. Although the water temp was still in the 70s, once I got wet the wind and cold was inescapable. An oversight on my part, I failed to drain the kayak after a very heavy rain the night before. It proved to be a big mistake. I had been mostly wade fishing with the kayak tethered to my waist for several hours but needed to paddle through a deeper area to reach another wade spot. While over the deep water, I leaned to one side and there was enough water in the hull to shift the center of gravity dramatically to one side—needless to say I was instantly belly up in the drink. There was no way to right-side the kayak or re-enter until I reached shallow water. Fortunately I was less than 20-30 yards from shallow water. Unfortunately, the wind and tide were against me. It took me some 30 minutes fighting the wind and tide to reach a spot where I could standup. Once I got control of the situation, I walked the kayak ashore to drain it and get my shit together. However in the cold wind, by the time I could work my way back to my vehicle, I was almost hypothermic. In the aftermath I took stock of what I did right and what I needed to change.
What I did right:
I was wearing my PFD zipped up and that made it easy to not panic and make my way safely to shallow water albeit with some effort in the opposing wind and tide.
I was wearing the tether so I didn’t have to worry about separating myself from the kayak. I never get in the kayak without the tether on.
My keys, wallet and cell-phone were in a waterproof compartment although with a less than secure cover. If the cover had come loose, they would have been lost. I changed that arrangement to a more secure compartment and floating container on subsequent outings.
My boat bag and fly rods were secured in the kayak and were not lost. The lid to the boat bag was secured closed so nothing fell out. The paddle was tethered so that wasn’t lost.
What I needed to change:
Two boxes of flies and lures were loose in the kayak. The fly box floated so I eventually was able to track it down and recover it. The lure box loaded with jigs sank like a rock and was lost. Now I don’t leave anything unsecured unless it will float on its own.
I typically carried two fly rods secured in Scotty holders at a 45 degree angle. However, as I maneuvered toward shallow water with the kayak upended, one of the rod tips encountered the bottom and broke off. I’ve started storing them horizontal to the yak to prevent this in the future.
As the cold wind started to take a toll while I got my shit together, I wish I had had some hand/body warmers handy, I didn’t. They are now a staple in my boat bag.
Epilog
Once I got back to the put-in I pushed through to get the heater going in the truck and once I got everything loaded, I found the nearest source of hot coffee. It took at least an hour before I felt like I was shaking off the chill. It was a morning to remember and one where a few lessons were learned.
“Eventually, something potentially perilous will happen on the water” No one is immune—be prepared.
