Some valid ideas, but
a caveat.
I’ve seen too many drunk yahoos in small powerboats spend most of their time looking at the two legged things on skis off the back of their boats and don’t watch what they are doing. This isn’t most, but it only takes one to ruin your day. For some, the only way to get their attention (and then you have to rely upon their reduced ability to reason and react) might be to fire a howitzer across their bows.
I’ve seen powerboat and jetski owners intentionally harass paddlers on both salt and fresh water. I saw one paddler find refuge behind a headland where some inter-tidal rocks were hidden under 3-4 inches of water in the calm sea. When the jetski hull passed over these rocks made that individual reconsider his action. I do not know if there was damage. In one instance, after 15 or 20 minutes, the CG arrested a pair of idiots behaving this way in Monterey, so there is that. I once had a whale watching boat returning from the vasty deeps blast something unintelligible over his sound system. I had no idea if he was speaking to me or not, but I assume he was. He then proceeded to make several high speed runs and generate some very nice bow waves. I assume he was trying to induce me to surf for the pleasure of his passengers, but I wasn’t about to turn my back on the deranged fool.
If in waters where powerboats are an issue, visibility is only part of the issue. Once seen, you become either something to avoid/ignore or something more akin to a catnip mouse on the living room floor.
Just a caveat, as I said.
Rick
Agree
I keep a loud, day-glo orange ball cap in my day hatch for high traffic times. I think the most important and sensible thing I do is start my paddle very early in the morning. I’m usually finished by the time the drinkers start getting drunk. Off the water by 1:30 or 2:00 PM is good, I think.
Yeah, I was harassed once by a young guy in a speedboat trying to impress his girlfriend. I think he was embarrassed when his attempt to capsize me, or at least scare me some, failed miserably.
Those deaths have nothing to do with
Being seen in a kayak. If you are concerned with not being run over don’t paddle where high speed boat traffic occurs. If you are paddling amongst high speed boat traffic, ie playing in traffic, get a florescent orange or yellow/green safety vest. Paddle blade movement is not sufficient.
Your judgement is the most important factor, equipment doesn’t compensate for false assumptions.
I was able
to spot waldo in the red boat. The other boats were pretty indistinguishable from the whitecaps and I thought they might be boats.
Surely, paddling a white boat in choppy water is the best possible solution for sneaking up on the Tirpiz and planting limpet mines during broad daylight, but fairly lousy in a rescue situation.
The visibility color test was performed during WW II, which is how they came up with “yum yum yellow” for the Mae West PFD’s of the era. There is still dispute in the scientific community if the color actually attracts sharks.
Rick