As Lull Wrote
Good judgement comes from experience. How do you get experience? From making bad judgements. 
Love paradoxes.
sing
15 minute swim
kwikle, February in Lake Michigan, Iām guesssing water temps in the 30ās? Please tell us how your body reacted. Iāve heard varying reports on how long it takes to loose muscular control vis-a-vis water temps. Many factors involved in hypothermia, so yes it is individual specific. But setting aside factors such as hydration, fitness, body fat, fatique, etc., were your hands and feet covered in neoprene as well, did you loose fine motor control, were you doing a re-entry, have you switched to a drysuit yet? Thanks, thatās one experience I hope never to have.~Heidi
Last thing. Invest in an EPIRB.
Lotās of great advice and if I missed someone else suggesting this then sorry! Invest in a good EPIRB unit just in caseā¦ As you must already know, things can change fast where you paddles. Gets dicey rather quickly sometimes.
how cold is cold
kwikle, February in Lake Michigan, Iām guesssing water temps in the 30ās? Please tell us how your body reacted. Iāve heard varying reports on how long it takes to loose muscular control vis-a-vis water temps. Many factors involved in hypothermia, so yes it is individual specific. But setting aside factors such as hydration, fitness, body fat, fatique, etc., were your hands and feet covered in neoprene as well, did you loose fine motor control, were you doing a re-entry, have you switched to a drysuit yet? Thanks, thatās one experience I hope never to have.~Heidi
---------------------------------------------
Well the tricky part is that the suit I was wearing didnāt even start making me warm until I was out of the water. I basically threw the paddle in the boat and swam for shore as it was surf break about 200 yards from shore that ejected me from the cockpit and caused me to swim. I didnāt even try re-entry because of how cold I was and how big the surf was. This could have been just panic and not hypothermia. I only remember feeling that I just couldnāt swim fast enough to get to shore. After about 10 minutes I couldnāt feel anything, and my hands and arms were moving on autopilot. I got on shore and my wife ran up and started the car so I could get warm.
My wife who saw the whole thing from shore told me later I caught a few free rides on waves into the beach.
Now I do own a drysuit, but more importantly I have a very good roll. I havenāt had to swim in surf for over a year. But I also donāt go in for all three extremes at once. Cold water, big waves, and being alone. I will do one of the two alone, but not all three. Sort of my own personal rule for paddling alone. So in other words. I will go out alone in calm conditions on really cold water. Or I will go out alone in surf in warm water. Those are my rules, not necessarily right for everyone. The really stupid one was the ice shelf if you ask me, because I was warm and dry when I decided to launch off of a 4-5 foot drop-off and then somehow thought I would be able to get a loaded boat off the water on the ice by myself. I was lucky that time too, a wave came by and pushed the boat on the ice for me. But I got hit in the shins by a chunk of ice the size of a dinner table that was three feet thick. I managed not to break my legs by falling back and rolling with it. But then I was trapped underneath a giant block of ice in two feet of water. So I had to wiggle out from underneath. Like I said not bright.
updateā¦
Thanks again for the feedback. It has helped me focus on what I need to do, in order to comfortably take the occasional risk of paddling alone in my local ocean.
Over the weekend I posted my desire to find people able to paddle out of the Santa Cruz harbor on weekdays, to the western sea kayakers email listserv, and got enough responses so that I should have many more opportunities to paddle, without having to head out solo. I also found out that the only local regularly scheduled pool classes for learning to roll, happen on the same two Sat. every month that I work. Apparently the pool is not available to kayakers at other times. I may have a few private lesson options with two other outfitters, but that will take a bit more research.
Interestingly enough, one of the posts on this thread mentioned how the safety issues also come up when they paddle with others, because not everyone has the skill and judgement they have. I have started to watch myself become much more cautious lately when agreeing to paddle with others over long distances, and in the ocean. I have to respond to emergencies on a regular basis in my work, and appreciate the value of prevention, practice and skills for when things do go wrong, and a calm and efficient attude when things go wrong. Truthfully, I donāt want to put myself in a sitation where someone elsesās ignorance, or denial puts either one of us at risk. I suspect there may be some group paddles that are less safe for me than paddling solo for this reason. Itās important to make sure our paddling partners also have the skills and judement needed to make the trip a safe one, if things go wrong.
Self rescue.
Hi,
We all swim sometimes. Solo ocean is another thing. If your comfortable with the thought of self rescue and possible death ,by all means go. Set up a paddle plan with Coast Guard. Gear is a must.Weather conditions,tides,currents need to be thought through. Suggest VHF radio. Check with local Marinas for one. Dress for survival. Hyperthermia kills. Canāt paddle well ,when your shaking and turning shades of blue. Been there and back again. If in dought go to shore. Have fun. Learn.Learn.Learn.
Mudrivers
youāre way ahead of the game
besides midwives are angels.
Paddle Plan
I also give one to my wife with my expected time of return with margin for some delay.
I have read of other folks filing a float plan with the Coast Guard. How real is this? Do CG routinely take float plans from kayakers? I would think they have enough to do than to take responsibility for tracking a solo kayaker out there.
sing
Some areas require float plans.
Some federal harbors and water ways require it. Just pick up the phone and find out. They would rather know your out there than search for your body later. Most harbors have CG stations. And along the ICW. Its your choice. I have called them after group member displaced shoulder and we were exhulsted from towing. Remember to call them when you return as well. You are in a water craft.
To Sing
Sing,
As much as you say you paddle,think about ,1 your safety,2 the safety of others. Your in Boston and I understand the large $ FINES YOU CAN GET FOR A MISTAKE IN THE HABOR. If you get hurt or sick. Remote chance Joe snuffy will come to your aid. Thats why we can utilze float plans.
Thank You For
ā Last Updated: Feb-02-04 12:38 PM EST ā
you concern. I do file a float plan with my wife. I trust she, more than anyone else, will followup if I don't return within the allotted time. The float plan outlines my trip route (which I don't deviate from). So, yes, my body would be found sooner or later (always have on a PFD) if I blew it out there. One of the first things I do getting off the water is to let her know I've landed.
Any local folks know the scoop with filing float plans with CG?
sing
P.S. I believe rescuees SHOULD pay for their rescues. This may encourage folks to think a little more about planning before going out.
Find More Partners!
We have some history on this subject, I know, but I would strongly encourage you to find more partners so you donāt have to go alone. That would be the best solution. There must be others in your same situtation in SC.
As a far as going alone on the ocean, my greatest concern would be getting separated from the boat or paddle with no one to chase it down for me. I would stick with the Scupper Pro for solo trips. A paddle leash helps with both concerns. I think you use one already. Stay close to shore where you are confident in your ability to swim to shore if you must. The ERIP would also be a good idea.
It was you that made me think about the potential dangers of going out alone, and I have not been out alone on the ocean sinceā¦
Hi Cuda,
I am talking about paddling out to Seal Rock, or possibly Capitola and back, most of the time. The reason I posted this question is because all year long I have struggled with trying to find people to paddle with on a regular basis, and have found it difficult, except of the periodic pnet paddles on the weekends. Itās not enough for me,and I am getting tired of the slough. I also want to be in shape for longer paddles, when the opportunity presents itself.
You do know how careful I am. I always check weather, can always see the shore from where I paddle, and hopefully have a few more folks that may be able to paddle with me now that I posted my request on western sea kayakers listserve.I carry the safety equioment mentioned and can take my husbandās VHF radio if alone. (For those of you that donāt know me personally, I am married to an experienced sailor who is a gear-a-holic:)
Truth is, I find it frustrating to paddle the scupper, but will probably stick to it for solo paddles should I decide to go that route, from time to time. Maybe I should start looking for a used tarpon and sell the scupper? I could probably keep an SOT at our boat slip in the harbor, so weight wouldnāt matter much.
I Think I Understand
You have to pass up so many trips because no one is around during the week. I am sure you will be OK. You have good judgement, you are fit, and you are developing good skills.
I am sure I would be taking some trips by myself in your situtation.
I think I posted my thoughts on the Tarpon somewhere this morning. I would try it first. It has greater potential top speed, but it may not be as easy to paddle at lower speeds for long distances.
One Of My Instructors Suggestsā¦
that a re-entry and roll is a valauble skill to have in the kind of rough conditions that you find in the ocean. I am certainly in no league to comment as this kind of paddling is way over my head, but he made a lot of sense to me.
Lou
Is there 1 Person Life Raft?
that could be stowed when all else fails? As I said before, itās unlikely that I would be out on the ocean, but if such a thing existed, it might be good for a solo person who did want to paddle on the ocean. I could see this and an epirb or vhf some flares and smoke as reducing the risk considerably.
Lou
Paying for rescues
We already pay for them. Itās called TAXATION.
How About Thisā¦
Iām gonna stay away from that loaded āTā word, lest I get dragged into a political debate about liberals vs. conservatives, elephants vs donkies, etcā¦ 
Letās call it an additional, specific āuser feeā or a ādummy fine.ā When I am drifting in the water, my boat and paddle having floated away, my fingers blue and trembling, holding on to the VHF, Iāll have to decide whether I should call for help and pay the fine, or drift literally and figuratively into that blue abyss. Am I worth it, am I worthyā¦
sing
I see your logic
and emotionally might agree on some level - but in reality must soundly reject it.
I simply canāt be persuaded top pay double or extra for something, especially something anyone on the water would do without hesitation or though of compensation.
More often than not - private vessels are first on scene. If you were one of those captains - would you charge for helping someone? NO - itās just what people do on the water, they render assistance regardless of reason or cost. What is the other option - leave them to die? Try to get compensation after the fact? You canāt voluntarily render aid and then decide to charge later. No contract. No case. On the other hand, you can be sued for not giving aid if in a position to do so.
In addition to not charging, private vessels engaged in rescues are losing money by being off their normal operations too. They eat any losses. They know that they may need others to do the same for them some day.
The rescue forces are getting paid to do it full time. I was USN for 8 years. Worked with Coast Guard folks too. Plotting SAR areas was part of my job doing weather (time, wind, currents, drift rates, etc). Rescues are a normal part of the job, are the best training, and are in effect already budgeted. It was also always a great feeling to have been able to help, and frankly a nice diversion form routine daily ops. Gave us a sense of actually being useful that training scenarios never could.
With the resucues we had while I was on ship - small private vessels and such - US and International - no one hauling the unfortunates out of the water was bitching about them being irresponsible, etc. OK to use those terms for BS chat like here - but out there a life saved is a life saved - smart or stupid. Code of the Sea and all that.
Iām Glad Youāre
"sound" and rational in your thought process over the cost. I am not. Iām just expressing as you accurately pointed out ā my āemotionā, feeling, thought, whateverā¦
I did smile to myself when some unprepared folks, rescued in the White Mountains, got slapped with a ārescue fee.ā I was glad for their families that they were rescued. I was also glad that they were charged for being rescued too.
sing