Love it.
I enjoy night paddling, its usually pretty peaceful.
As far as lights, check your state regs. Here we are only required to have a flashlight, but I use a white stern light, plus a red/green bow light, and a bow mounted white light so I can see. I also carry a flashlight.
A flashlight may be the minimum required, but regular nav lights are not a bad idea, since they will clearly indicate your direction of travel. Make sure you have the minimum, but more isn’t bad (or illegal)
down river …
… some years back the nephew and I took a few days down river (mountain river) , fish and camp . This one particular day we perhaps spent too much time fishing and not enough time paddling (a 12 mile stretch) . We had one camp already set up in the forest (along the river) waiting for us to make landing there . We spent the last couple hours in pitch dark running ledges and the usual river obsticals just hoping we didn’t miss our take out .
Take outs are really difficult to see in pitch dark … hmmm , wonder if we missed it !!
We found it OK , but weren’t sure how it was going to work out until that moment …
So I sort of did a repeat a few days ago with leighrobin , just for nastalgia sake … made sure there was just enough light left to see the take out this time though , but still I started to second guess myself for the last 1/2 hr. … we’ve just got back from the river , been out there since last Thurs. just me and her … she loves it .
I got hit in the throat by a jumping …
fish …
We were cruising at top speed on Mission Bay and I had a light clipped to my PFD and the fish must have been attracted to the light … the fish fell down inside my kayak and Tsunamichuck grabbed him and through him back in the water.
San Diego Bay
– Last Updated: Sep-15-10 3:48 AM EST –
1. Was paddling with a friend when there was a lot of bioluminescence. As we went by the bait barges near the sub base a few sea lions started darting around our boats leaving trails of light in the water.
2, Pre 9-11 a Navy Frigate would frequently moor in the middle of the bay and show movies on the bulkhead. No issue with paddlers pulling along side and watching.
I frequently paddle at night and enjoy full moon paddles on Tahoe mid winter
yeppers, beautiful place
not my reading
a red/green bow light with stern white light can also designate a boat under oars and is preferable to staying dark until the last minute if you want to be seen by other boats before your photons hopefully prevent collision. Personally I have not found photons to have sufficient repulsive force and that notifying another vessel of my position and direction with lights relieves me of the task of holding a light while paddling furiously out of the way.
2. A vessel under oars may exhibit the lights prescribed in this Rule for sailing vessels, but if she does not, she shall have ready at hand an electric torch or lighted lantern showing a white light which shall be exhibited in sufficient time to prevent collision.
Thank you
same here
– Last Updated: Sep-16-10 12:22 PM EST –
had a fish about 8 inches or so long land on my spray skirt because I turned on my headlamp for a bit. hmmmmm, and I was with Chuck too when that happened... maybe it's not the light afterall.
one problem with the white bow light
is losing ones own night vision but it does point out the problem with illuminating oneself to be seen from all angles with one light. At some angles the bow light will be hidden by the torso and so will the stern light so it’s a natural solution to use both lights. That’s what I used to do paddling on the edge of traffic, one bright flashlight pointing aft onto the deck and one under the fordeck bungies shining onto the fordeck. Now I’ll use the tek-tite red/green on the foredeck, white on the stern and spare BRIGHT light to shine as needed. All lights submersible and not dislodged during rescues as can happen with a light on a pole.
white light
my solution is a white light about a foot behind me (so I can reach it to turn it on when it gets dark). But since my body blocks this light (good thing for or my night vision would be ruined) I have a headlamp that is only turned on when I see a boat dead ahead of me. I figure the rear light on all the time helps for boats coming from behind.
I’ve seen on this board the objection that a white light always on is a violation for a kayak. I can’t see how that can be given the requirement to have it displayed in a timing matter when needed. What is ‘timely’ especially in a heavy traffic area where there are constant potential threats – you’d just turn it off only to turn it on a split second later. How is that different than keeping it on all the time?
I read the rules once carefully and don’t recall what I do being a violation, but it’s been a while so I should read the rules again.
agree
I think a red/green light has more to do with telling which way the boat is traveling. I don’t care if my white light makes boaters unable to tell if I’m a boat or some fixed object – either way I expect them to not want to run into something and a light says there is something. I’m not traveling fast enough most of the time for them to get too concerned about my direction of travel as compared to the simple fact that there’s something to avoid.
Partial information
You correctly state that there’s a lot of BS on this board. Can’t speak for local state laws in your area, but a continuous white bow light is NOT in accordance with the Colregs International or Inland.
So, your post is technically not correct via those Rules, but may be with some local rules which trump the Colregs. A solid white light could be construed as a vessel at anchor, or a vessel travelling directly in front of you.
Now, will the CG care? Who knows and that varies per region / situation.
The Colregs rule of a displayable all round light to be shone in time is different than a constant light. The regs do allow for kayaks to display nav lights, so there is an option.
Safe paddling
Capt. Salty
I don’t care…bla bla
Typical attitude from another incompetent mariner. F the Rules which you admittedly don’t understand and re-write things so the maritime world revolves around you.
It’s people that dont know what they dont know and combine that ignorance with arrogance and elitism that makes knowledgeable mariners sick and tired.
It absolutely amazes me how folk blantantly dismiss the Rules even when it’s clearly spelled out?
Sea lice.
The problem with the web is that others will embrace that BS and pass it on.
I can’t find the restriction against
the continuous white light… section d(2) below applies to kayaks. It doesn’t prescribe a bow light, but seems to allow a continuous stern light and the statement about having a hand light at the ready doesn’t have any words precluding it being on all the time. What am I missing?
from http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=Rule25
a) A sailing vessel underway shall exhibit:
1. sidelights;
2. a sternlight.
(b) In a sailing vessel of less than 20 meters in length the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule may be combined in one lantern carried at or near the top of the mast where it can best be seen.
© A sailing vessel underway may, in addition to the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule, exhibit at or near the top of the mast, where they can best be seen, two all-round lights in a vertical line, the upper being red and the lower Green, but these lights shall not be exhibited in conjunction with the combined lantern permitted by paragraph (b) of this Rule.
(d)
1. A sailing vessel of less than 7 meters in length shall, if practicable, exhibit the lights prescribed in paragraph (a) or (b) of this Rule, but if she does not, she shall have ready at hand an electric torch or lighted lantern showing a white light which shall be exhibited in sufficient time to prevent collision.
2. A vessel under oars may exhibit the lights prescribed in this rule for sailing vessels, but if she does not, she shall have ready at hand an electric torch or lighted lantern showing a white light which shall be exhibited in sufficient time to prevent collision.
(e) A vessel proceeding under sail when also being propelled by machinery shall exhibit forward where it can best be seen a conical shape, apex downwards. A vessel of less than 12 meters in length is not required to exhibit this shape, but may do so.
actually I do care about the rules
and I can’t find a restriction against a continuous white light here: http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=Rule25
People have stated other reasons beyond the hard law for not having such a light such as not being able to tell for sure you are a a boat or not and THAT is what I don’t care about because the other boaters should behave the same either way – avoid me if they can.
Nite paddling!!!
Fun!!!
Maintaining you night vision is a challenge. A good way to do this is to start the paddle at sunset and let nature do it’s thing. by the time the sun is down and the skies have gone from violet to black your eyes will be perfectly adjusted. While it is advisable to bring headlamps, lanterns, or flashlights, all will instantly destroy your night vision. One solution, a small astronomer’s flashlight. These are usually red LEDs and are made to preserve night vision. They throw enough light to see something in your hand or see the deck of the boat.
One issue you may have to deal with is vertigo. Sounds strange huh? The reduced visual clues due to darkness combined with the movement through the water is sometimes enough to trigger this in some people. If the water is moving, current, swells, etc, can also bring it on. No worries, paddle through it and USUALLY your body will adjust. Turning on a light will instantly cure it, at the cost of your night vision. Or, you could lay back and just enjoy the no cost high.
I get veritgo and it doesn’t stop me from night paddling. Then it again it didn’t stop me from racking up over 3000 hours flying helicopters either. Just don’t put me on a ladder, there, i’m useless.
paddling at night is interesting
never know what you will see. Sometimes the wildlife makes the trip worthwhile. Last year I had to work a bunch of second shifts and did a half a dozen trips out on Umbagog Lake that left me in awe. Ran into more moose than you could shake a stick at.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGvo3rXGBR4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Q5oPdtyZAk
Of course you can’t!
Because you are reading to confirm your assertion and assuming because it “doesn’t say” then it’s OK. Again, classic kayaker mentality. It’s very clear, and believe me, I have been thoroughly tested over the years on the Rules. It doesn’t say you can’t have a purple light either, but does that mean you can? Of course not.
There are reasons for these things and a further understanding of all the Rules would help you understand in context. What would be soo bad about just doing what the Rules ask you to do? Run nav lights!
Oh, I’m sorry, the Rules should allow for kayakers to do whatever cuz they are special…
Capt. Salty
Take along a copy of the CG light rule
Was that rule 25? Take a copy with you so when the tool, I mean law enforcement officer, tells you that you are in violation, you can present him, in a kind and gentle way, with the only regulation you could find.
I got rousted by a LEO and I would love to have had the guts to ask the guy what the light regulation was that I was violating.
Other than being ignorant of the law he was enforcing, he was actually a nice guy. Take a copy of the rules with you and don’t use any form of bow light that could ruin your night vision.
Dave
it doesn’t say I must run nav lights
– Last Updated: Sep-16-10 5:50 PM EST –
It does say I at least need a white light display in time and does not even infer that there is such a thing as displaying the light too soon. Running the red and green ones is clearly stated as optional. One reason I show my white light continuously is for safety in the event of a boat coming from behind at some unknown and potentially fast speed. I do look all around me, but could miss that boat until they are very close and they won't see me at their fast speed until too late.
I guess I still am curious how soon before a potential collision is too soon to show a white light (seems like it would be situational based speeds, etc.). If there's no 'too soon' then I can leave it on.