First, you claim to regularly paddle against 30 mph winds. Fascinating but most of us have been in that at one time or another. Fact is very few people make serious progress against much over 25 mph. Staying in land term because you don’t appear to operate in nautical, which would be knots.
Second the capsize concern was fully explained. You did not like the answer and blew it off, then made fun of other paddlers. Some of whom are far better paddlers than you could hope to be.
Finally we went from paddling in 30 mph winds and 5 ft waves to rescuing people, in those conditions presumably, without a skirt.
Many of us in this thread have had rescue training, getting people back into their boats, most in a few feet of waves and some (not me) in bigger waves and very figh winds because it was a required skill for a cert they hold.
Your proposition, that you could rescue someone on the water in 5 ft waves and 30 mph winds in a Tsunami without a skirt is not credible. You don’t appear to realize that.
I never said I “regularly” paddle in those extreme conditions. Yes, I’ve been out in them, mostly playing and surfing, not making long trips. Last time we had some crazy weather, some of the waves were easily 5-footers. We stay close to the mouth of the river, so we can get to safety if things go south.
I’m was being a bit facetious when I said people who have to roll must not be able to stay upright. When I mentioned not wearing a skirt, some people were like OMG, how could you not!? You’ll drown. That ridiculous response deserved a ridiculous answer. In normal conditions, light winds to maybe 10-15 kts, and decent water (smooth to say 1-3 ft), I really don’t see the need for a skirt. I occasionally get a wet lap, but no worries.
It does sound like going skirtless will be an issue with a GP. I’ve already read a few posts here and on other forums, and someone said the drips of a regular paddle are nothing compared to the constant stream of water coming off his GP. No biggie if you got a skirt on, but I can actually stay mostly dry when paddling, so this would be annoying. I ran into my buddy with a GP today, and putzed around for a few minutes with it. I’m sure my technique isn’t close to correct, but still, my shorts got soaked. I also looked at his spray skirt, and it was soaking wet (I’m assuming from the paddle, since the water was calm).
“I don’t really get why so many people like spray skirts. I like to stop every once in a while and pull my knees up and just move my legs around. I don’t have any desire to roll, and I’m not going to dump over unless I get hit by a major wave or a boat gets extremely close. I mainly paddle on Lake Erie, and have played around constant 30 mph+ winds and 5+ foot waves. Not to say that it couldn’t happen, but it would take a lot for me to capsize in my Tsunami 140.”
Lake Erie is my stomping ground. 5+ waves and no skirt is BS. You wouldn’t survive it. Take it from somebody has been in 10 foot lake Erie waves. Capsize a Tsunami rec boat. LOL.
You don’t sound like a greenland paddler. I say stay with euro,.
I know how to ride them and go with the flow. Now if they’re breaking over me, that might be an issue. I’ll occasionally get one that rolls down the deck of my boat, and I’ll get wet, but far from getting swamped. I pump out the water. No biggie.
Come on, Junior, have a little respect for your elders. Just maybe we capsize because we are paddling longer and narrower higher performance kayaks than a klutzy wide Tsunami 140 “day touring” boat (choice of timid tourists everywhere) and because we do it deliberately to practice recovery so it will be second nature when it happens unexpectedly. Which it always will when you expand your paddling horizons beyond the safe and familiar.
I am also calling BS on most of what you’ve dumped on here. Exaggerated experience and fake bravado. Not to mention childish snark aimed at a number of people with way more experience and skill than you are ever likely to have. I say that since all you have apparently done in 5 years is lily dip for short shoreline paddles – nobody who claims to stay dry without a skirt in open water is venturing very far or for long. Nothing wrong with that if that is what you prefer to do, but driving a golf cart around the block doesn’t qualify one for the Indy 500 no matter how often you do it, so back off on the swagger.
Most of us would consider that a typical beginner distance.
There is one person in this thread who has actually circumnavigated Iceland.
And there is one thing, you really need to understand: We are not impressed by someone not capsizing. If you never capsize, you are doing it wrong and will never evolve past the eternal beginner stage.
Just reread last couple of posts and there is another inapprpropriate ref. ET is bending oget backwards to diminish any else’s opinion of him. If a real person I agree w one above, someone else who is underage.
This one has been exhibiting the sort of naive arrogance that makes me (no doubt most of us) cringe. I care less, I admit, about how this kind of stubborn bluster can risk his own wellbeing and that of any companions with similar delusions than I care about a potential offshore outcome, however slight, that would involve eating up the resources and jeopardizing the safety of coastal SAR. And the inevitable news blurb: “The victim was an experienced kayaker…” adding to the public perception that tragic paddling accidents are “unavoidable” and perhaps the sport and access should be restricted or overly regulated.
“Grandpa”! Now that’s a first for me. Talk about not knowing who you’re talking to…
Here is a picture from my helmet cam on a mild 3 foot day lake Erie by the cliffs and your out their without a skirt in your day touring boat. Sure you are.
Dc9mm has shown us an experienced paddler in 2-3’ waves, certainly having good use of his sprayskirt.
I will now show a beginner in 0’ waves, also having good use of her sprayskirt. Not because she has lost her balance, but because she is actively training edging of the kayak while sculling.
In the first photo, the cockpit edge is only barely touching the water surface. In the second photo, it is obviously below the surface, though somewhat obscured by the lighting conditions.
You all are the trolls, not me. A few of you started getting hostile when I said I didn’t wear a spray skirt, then you started questioning my abilities. My response was proportional. If anything, I was being nice. You’re lucky these forums are moderated.
