Well
Some advice I got a few times from Verlen Kruger, Steve Landick and Valerie Fons during their 3-year paddle trips was… KEEP IT MOVING!
A boats design is best performed when the boat is MOVING.
Another: Stay away from shore or breaks where the water/waves change etc. In other words you are better off FAR out from land than near it where waves will break and or become erratic.
Verlen told me about when they paddled from Florida across open ocean to S. America they got caught in a hurricane during a 60 mile crossing. They were CATAMARAND together which obviously made the difference. They used sea anchors, kept paddling, day and night…i think the pulled a 30 hour paddle day but basically rode it out. Bottom line…ENDURANCE. comes from the word…ENDURE…learn to build it up and increase it. It will rank right up with determination.
Been in that situation once
In the ACE Basin on the coast of SC. (ACE standing for the three rivers that dump into it creating a normal "washing machine") The rivers being the Ashpoo, The Combahee and the Edisto.
We (my wife and I) were on our way back from exploring an Island and could see the storm coming in the distance.
The area is normally very squirrely anyway during an incoming tide, meeting the three different river currents, but when the storm hit, it was horrendous. to use the word "washing machine" was putting it mildly.
There were four and five foot breaking waves and they were going in every direction with one hitting from the front, the next hitting from the side, and still others hitting from the rear, and the lightning was all around us.
We just headed for the closest beach, and lots of times couldn't see it due to the blackness and heavy rain.
The few things that I can say if you get caught in a similar situation is:
1. Just keep paddling
2. Don't raft up. If we did that, I am sure we would either have had our arms torn apart, or broken from getting smashed between the boats, and I also think that the continuous bracing individually is the way to go.
3. Just tell yourself that if the Man upstairs is going to take you he is going to do it under any circumstance that He so desires and you won't have any say in the matter.
When we finally got to the beach we were also lucky making it through the break without a mishap.
Two people with rain gear on came running down the beach from a cottage, and invited us up on their porch with their family to sit out the rest of the storm.
They told us they had been watching us with field glasses as soon as we came into sight, and were contemplating calling the coast guard if we dumped.
Snce then I have always listened more carefully to weather reports and planned our trips accordingly.
Cheers,
JackL
A couple years ago Barracuda, Kathy
Typhoon June and I got caught in a snow storm after a day of sledding. We rode out the storm in SIERRA TRADING POST’s outlet store in Reno.
Best way to ride out a storm
I have been in that situation, both as a power boater and a kayaker.
In either case, the advise is the same.
Don’t raft up, keep moving into the wind (waves). Your kayak is much more stable when under way rather than just sitting there.
If someone goes over, they should stay with their kayak and hang on. Most of these types of storms are short but violent. When things smooth out, the ones left upright can help the ones in the water. Rafting up is a great way to get hurt. No-one will be of any use with a broken wrist.
HOLY SH!T, mushroom clouds???
I think you have more to worry about than being struck by lightning??!!
Paddle easy,
Coffee
Jericho…
But kayaks weren’t relevant in he plains of Kansas.
check the weather forecast
before you go.
jeez
If possible, Don’t .
If you learn to follow the weather - not just in the media, but by developing your own skills to recognize developing local conditions, you will be much less likely to find yourself in a situation where you have to ride out a storm.
The summer before last, we were paddling our twin Loon out to Caladesi Island in the Gulf. We already had a significant headwind and some chop that occasionally washed over the bow. We were within 1/4 mile of the second-rated best natural beach in the country when I heard a slight rumble of thunder in the distance behind me. I looked back and saw a summer thunder storm slipping up on us from the north and decided to turn about. I had the good fortune of having spent most of my childhood in Florida and knew how quickly the storm would be upon us. We made it back to the beach just before the storm hit.
This event inspired us to move to sea kayaks with spray skirts. Last summer, we finally made it to Caladesi Island in our new boats. If we had pushed through to the island the previous summer, we would have either been swamped on the way, or stuck on a flat beach in a thunder storm. It’s worth it to be safe - always.
I’m reading Chris Duff’s excellent book, On Celtic Tides,in which he paddles around Ireland. It’s remarkable how often this professional paddler makes the judgment to wait out a storm on the shore. Among the remarkable things I’m learning from his example: good planning and judgment are essential keys to surviving on the water.
33 Knots is the worst wind I’ve done
The Weather radio said 10 to 15 knots all day was expected. When I started there was less than five knots of wind.
All you can do is hunker down and paddle to safety. On other occasions all I could do was paddle to flatter water, set the anchor and lay down in the boat. I have been really happy I brought an anchor on a few occasions.
while most of your replies
are telling me to check the weather forecast and head to shore I was more interested in REAL and FIRST HAND experiences from sea kayakers that actually were on the water (riding out a snow storm in Reno while shopping sounds terrific though… not).
While trying to educate me with common wisdom it’s just stating the obvious I want sea kayaking experiences.
Thank you jerrysmith for identifying that.
Your reply is the one I can learn something from 
Gnarlydog
best way to ride out a storm
watching TV
Curious about this
Re the following from your post above - “… it has happened on a couple of occasions that I would lead a group of paddlers that are qualified according to the guidelines set by Australian Canoeing (National Body)… I am not sure if the participants on the trip can…Most of them do not practice in surf and have no skill with big waves”.
I just looked up the association’s guidelines and award scheme, and am guessing that you are leading paddlers who are at the introduction to sea kayaking level? It appears that those at this level are likely swimmers if it is bad, and yeah there is a point of seas where rafting up could just cause more problems. So you could have swimmers and maybe boats well scattered by the time you can get to the rescue part of things.
Do I have this part right, about? And if I do, what is the ratio of guides/skilled/can do rescues types to the ones likely to be in the water? Your post makes it sound like you would be the only rescuer in the bunch. If there are more than you, it may open the door to some other ideas on how to handle the situation.
On Masonboro Island
one Saturday many moons ago just before noon. Everything looked great weather wise, lots o'kinis on the beach, party boats all over with three sheet crews and captains.
Seemingly out of no where it hit, I say that because I may have been too busy checking out the sites and they may have been too drunk to care. Next think you know lightning is popping all around, the wind kicks up, and a mass exodus ensues in a panic. I was already on the Wrightsville Beach side in the inlet heading home and had motorboats coming from all directions as fast as they could go thinking either the lightning is going to get me or I am prop meat.
All I could do was put my head down and paddle as fast as I could go, home.
Can't say I've ever had the desire to be around that many revelers whilst in a kayak or not.
Best thing I know to do is paddle my butt off and pray.
my question
People have recommended listening to the WX weather channel. Does Australia have one that you can access with a VHF radio? I was surprised to learn that in England they do not. Nor do they have a state supported Coast Guard. Two more things Michelle Obama can be proud of.
all replies welcome
Your latest reply sounds kind of like you’re discouraging replies other than “REAL” and “FIRST HAND” experiences, and that you didn’t appreciate replies that stray from that rule. Hopefully, you didn’t mean it as harsh as that, but it might be worth pointing out that all topics are here for the benefit of all board readers, not just the person who started the thread. All replies are welcome.
As far as getting real and first hand accounts, you’ll have the most success if you actively seek these on your own, and use boards like this one as sources of ideas for where to look. Obviously, only a minority of people who have been in such incidents are going to see your posts, but many more may have already shared the info online.
Did you locate the book “Deep Trouble” mentioned earlier? That is one fruitful source. Another would be to google the authors names, both alone and with the addition of “safety” and “sea kayaking”, and follow the links this reveals. Both of them are very active in sea kayak safety issues and in collecting the type of info you want. Another source is to google “sea kayak accidents” both with and without the added phrase “incident reports”.
In a quick test I did, these methods produced another 20-30 stories of deadly accidents at sea, most of which are weather related.
You may already be doing this type of searching - if so, it would be helpful to the readers here is you might post back a summary of some of the releveant stories you find, and links to the info already online about the incidents.
More from Australia info
Leaving politics to another board (please)… I found this under the Australian Marine Authority site. In general Australia seems to have a system that is really thought out to support motorized and non-motorized boaters, albeit with some of the characteristics of the systems in Great Britain.
“The maritime authorities in the States and Northern Territory provide safety communications services for small craft. A network of 9 HF voice Limited Coast Radio Stations have been established at: Darwin, Cairns, Gladstone, Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Adelaide, Perth and Port Hedland. These stations keep a watch on 4125, 6215 and 8291 kHz.
Navigation Warnings and Sea Safety Messages are broadcast on 8176 kHz as required and at scheduled times. Details are available from each State/Northern Territory authority. Each State/Northern Territory also monitor Channel 16 VHF from various locations and broadcast weather and warnings on channel 67.”
There is , IMO, a cultural difference between countries when you start talking about SAR. In GB, maybe because many of these services have always been all-volunteer, they established a system that put a huge onus on individual paddler prep and a club system to make sure that paddlers got out to sea in a way that mitigates most of the risk. By the way, the boats that they developed for their CG service are the models for those used by many other countries because they are so good.
In the US, in paddling as in hiking the high peaks of the Adirondacks (where the SAR is all-volunteer), we see people go out and try things because they can. Then they call for a rescue because they aren’t even minimally prepared. There are regularly paddling equivalents of the woman who got to the top of one of the major peaks in platform shoes and summer clothing on Columbus Day weekend, then had to call for help to get down because she couldn’t handle the trail or the light snow that started.
So yes, having a paid full time Coast Guard to go out and rescue people from decisions that Ma Nature makes a mess of is a great benefit. But this also means that taxpayers foot the bill for the really foolish as well as better considered actions on the water, and from the statistics it appears that there are more of the first than the second.
Of course as a US citizen I am acclimated to our system and would happily take advantage of it if needed. But I think it is worth considering that the attitude towards individual responsibility is different elsewhere, and the other mode(s) have merit.
Best way to ride out a storm RULES !
This is not a subject that should be settled by asking for opinions. The rules are clear, and can be found in any authorative book on safe boating (Chapman’s, USCG, Power Squadron, Sea Scout Manual, etc.)Thes rules apply equally to canoes, kayaks, and power boats up to 1000’ or more.
Stay in the boat, do not raft up, head into the wind, maintain headway. (This does not mean full power, just enough power to maintain your heading.)
People have been living and dying by these rules for thousands of years, there’s no point in revising them now.
See my post above.
If you paddle long enough, you don’t have to read the “rules”.
common sense should just come naturally, but it is nice to know we did the right thing.
cheers,
JackL
disagree
I disagree - there are many differences. As just one example, suppose 2 groups of people 3 miles offshore in sea kayaks stocked for a day trip and in a 75-foot sailboat stocked for weeks at sea. A point of land lies due west, with hard sand shallows near shore, and starting a mile to the north the land recedes rapidly further west, and there is no other land for hundreds of miles. A heavy storm blows up from the south, with 35-knot winds and 6-meter waves.
The kayaks should head due west, using the crests between the waves to make headway to land, and run ashore wherever possible. Reaching land is imperative before being blown out to sea, even if it had meant crashing into rocks, but the hard sand beach is better. The sailboat must avoid the shallows at all costs and would prefer to get out to sea as quickly as possible.
Your statements have a good bit of merit in principle, but I think there will be dozens of cases where practical circumstances require different actions by different types of vessels.
Maybe more info from gnarlydog
I disagree that paddle hard is the only thing to do when you are paddling in a situation where you can anticipate a questionably skilled group of paddlers being caught out in a squall. Yes, in the moment that’s what you do and, from the sounds of it, expect a swimmer or two.
But there all all kinds of things that can be set up beforehand to make the recovery less risky, and I can’t tell if any of this is within gnarlydog’s question. You can set up ground rules on how to try and stay in sight of each other in such an event, regroup after such a storm, bail-out points to head for, match paddling buddies, incorporate the use of VHF or other radios for signaling etc. None of this alters the moment of paddling into things, but if you are leading a group it could have a huge impact on how well the group recovers.
Perhaps gnarlydog could clarify if the question was only in the moment or included the recovery part.