@Overstreet said:
I was in the original wing of the historical museum in LaPointe, Madaline island. There was a tour guide, an Objibwa. He pointed to an old bent frame wood canoe hanging up above a door and called it a good safe boat. His ancestors went all over these islands in those boats. Sure you could do it. But you’d pick your weather. And I’ll bet some of the ancestors didn’t make it.
Of course you go to the maritime museum at Bayfield and you can see the map with all the wrecks blanketing the area where ships floundered.
If I can find it there was an experienced kayaker that was paddling around Superior as many have done. He had all the equipment. He had all the experience. He had all the training. They still got a PLB signal on him east of Grand Mairas and they found him dead in his wet suit floating near his kayak. The Lake is the Boss.
I remember the day this happened. Unfortunately, and this is not meant to victim blame, Bob seems to have been a super guy that everyone loved but he did not have all the right training and equipment, or didn’t use it. A wetsuit in early June is a poor choice of wear for western Lake Superior. My understanding from others comments is that his roll was not what (I think) it should have been for such an undertaking, or at least for that day. I don’t know why people underestimate how important that is, but they do, time and time again. Most get away with it and they must tell their friends. I’m sure many people have paddled around the lake without a solid roll, but when you need it there’s no substitute.
Bob apparently did have an understanding of what he was heading into, and he had doubts about it, but he did it anyway rather than waiting for better conditions. 30 knots winds, 4-6 foot waves, 40 degree water. You absolutely need a drysuit, surf skills for landing/launching, and a damn good roll for those conditions. And note that the PLB didn’t save his life when he got in trouble. Being better prepared could have.
I remember the day this happened. Unfortunately, and this is not meant to victim blame, Bob seems to have been a super guy that everyone loved but he did not have all the right training and equipment, or didn’t use it. A wetsuit in early June is a poor choice of wear for western Lake Superior. My understanding from others comments is that his roll was not what (I think) it should have been for such an undertaking, or at least for that day. I don’t know why people underestimate how important that is, but they do, time and time again. Most get away with it and they must tell their friends. I’m sure many people have paddled around the lake without a solid roll, but when you need it there’s no substitute.
Bob apparently did have an understanding of what he was heading into, and he had doubts about it, but he did it anyway rather than waiting for better conditions. 30 knots winds, 4-6 foot waves, 40 degree water. You absolutely need a drysuit, surf skills for landing/launching, and a damn good roll for those conditions. And note that the PLB didn’t save his life when he got in trouble. Being better prepared could have.
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Bryan Hansel wrote a thoughtful article about Robert Weitzel titled “While the rewards may be great, you might not like the consequences.”
The point was that no matter the level of skill, equip and preparedness there is a point of where conditions are above those levels. The “go no go” decision should have been no.
Bob also was very susceptible to cold water in his ears. His only time, that I am aware of, that he attempted to roll in Lake Superior He refused to use ear plugs. He was only maybe 15 feet from shore. The cold water in his ears caused complete and utter disorientation and unbalance. He needed help to get to shore Where he sat for close to a half hour before he could stand. As far as I know…he never attempted a roll again in Lake Superior until possibly the day he really should have. He knew he had this issue and never should have launched that day. In order to perfect your roll a person need lots of immersion time. Always use ear plugs and nose plugs to keep the cold water {and possible sinus infection} out and give yourself time to perfect the roll or rolls. once you have everything dialed in…the speed and efficiency makes both unnecessary …but first you need to spend the time getting it as bombproof as possible. I too believe that a roll is a very necessary tool and should be sought out by everyone that wishes to paddle a craft that was designed for multi- dimensional rotation.
Another thing that is a problem is the area where Bob launched from is known to have storm created rip currents which will suck a kayak out into the storm. Do your research if you plan an trip of any sort on the great lakes…especially on Lake Superior…it is not a pond.
Re Robert Weitzel… as a solo paddler myself these days I can more than agree with a lot of the above. My cutoff point for heading offshore in an area I know like the back of my hand in Maine is considerably lesser conditions than those. Not because I physically can’t paddle in it, but because the potential for things going very bad very fast is much worse than in easier conditions. If I am going to have a bad surprise I want it to be heading inland up a river where I can take my embarrassed self on a long walk to get home if need be.
The cold water in ear thing has a solution - vented Doc’s Plugs, on a tether. With the vented ones you can still hear. I just popped them in whenever I was going to be wet on purpose or might end up capsizing. Like for an entire day in trainings. IMO it is required equipment, not a crutch, if it directly impacts your ability to save yourself. In fact replacing mine is an improvement opportunity along with the laser flare…
On the nose plugs, fresh water needs to be respected and some people (like me) have a lot more trouble tolerating fresh water up the nose than salt. In class 2 WW I used to just pop the nose plugs on ahead of every rapid. For someone with this response, perhaps going out with a likelihood of having to roll becomes a no go criteria.
People tend to think about preparedness in a lot of big ways - spare paddles, ways to re-enter, signaling devices… But the stinking little things that will make a crucial diff for an individual can be just as important.
I have Doc’s ear plugs and a nose clip with me when I paddle though water in my ears or nose doesn’t bother me. Cold water in ears will eventually cause the ear canal to close up. And warm freshwater has that little brain eating amoeba. In my youth I spent a lot of time in a central FL lake swimming underwater and often stirring up the bottom mud in warm freshwater. The ideal way to get them up my nose. I often had water up my nose. So I have to conclude that it is very rare and unlucky to get them in your brain. Still I would not consider doing that now without a nose clip.
@castoff said:
…And warm freshwater has that little brain eating amoebas…
Don’t think there’s many of those in Superior. Those little brain suckers like hot weather, warm water and stagnet water. Think retention pond, farm pond, etc.
Castoff lives in a heat band that starts in Gawga , runs through the center of SC and up into NC.
It contains Fort Gordon, Fort Jackson, and Fort Bragg.
After spending quality time at 2 of those places, I think the Army got the land at a fire sale because normal people didn’t want it.
Clear and cool doesn’t describe any of the water there.
I like overstreet’s comment that native people routinely used canoes to travel among the islands but that they chose their weather. I would guess that many accidents are due to people believing that they had to get on the water to stay on some schedule.
I keep thinking about what else the family might have carried to increase their safety and I found this 4 person self-inflating life raft; the supporting West Marine article suggests that folks consider renting one when they might need it. It packs small and weighs 16 pounds.
Ear issues are usually about hearing loss rather than little bugs. I am more alert to the risk than many because I play an instrument, but the above comment about prolonged wetness causing hearing problems is correct. Maybe not everyone, but if you are vulnerable you often find out when damage has already been done.
I got lucky, a guy that Jim and I were doing 3 star training with had been in the water so much he had otitis and noticeable hearing loss in one ear. He was maybe 50 yrs old. I went to single use plugs right after. but within a few months we found ourselves at a WW center that had Doc’s Plugs. I had one ear that seemed to get more itchy from wet work using the silicone plugs, but after a while of regularly wearing Doc’s plugs that issue went away.
@Celia said:
Ear issues are usually about hearing loss rather than little bugs. I am more alert to the risk than many because I play an instrument, but the above comment about prolonged wetness causing hearing problems is correct. Maybe not everyone, but if you are vulnerable you often find out when damage has already been done.
I got lucky, a guy that Jim and I were doing 3 star training with had been in the water so much he had otitis and noticeable hearing loss in one ear. He was maybe 50 yrs old. I went to single use plugs right after. but within a few months we found ourselves at a WW center that had Doc’s Plugs. I had one ear that seemed to get more itchy from wet work using the silicone plugs, but after a while of regularly wearing Doc’s plugs that issue went away.
Ear issues in Lake Superior is many times related to cold water in the ear causing major vertigo to the point of vomiting…a quick end to any rolling. For learning , ear plugs that stop the COLD are many times very necessary. If your lucky , you have never experienced this. You are less likely to have it happen if you have already done some damage or gotten surfers ear and the water coming in has time to warm somewhat.
I seriously doubt that the water was actually 65 degrees between those 2 islands. When there is any wave action, the cold comes up. More likely closer to 40 degrees.