I’ve been thinking about visibility. Since we are low in the water and our kayaks allegedly difficult to see, maybe the emphasis should be starting at the top. It was the first time I had worn that purple hat and in retrospect, it wasn’t bright enough. Normally I wear a coral hat but switching to fluorescent neon green. Some of the local surf ski guys wear shirts of that color and they’re very visible. I also see highway workers wearing vests of that color.
My drytop has reflective piping but I don’t know if that shows up in sunlight.
I guess I could also add some sort of reflective tape to the back of my PFD, but not sure if there’s any waterproof tape like that. Something to look into.
Did add prism tape chevrons to the front of my paddle. Yesterday there were two instances when power boats were traveling fast in my direction. I started moving towards shore, but they did too. Would be nice if power boats had turn signals and used them. In both cases I raised my paddle high and waved it until they changed course.
No way will I carry a flag pole and flag on my stern. Just not going to happen as I think it would affect performance and if I capsize, I don’t need a flag pole impeding getting back in my boat.
Now, what I do think might be fun is attaching a brightly colored shiny mylar balloon filled with helium to me or my kayak. That would sure be noticeable. If I paddle somewhere crowded over the July 4th weekend, I just might do that. Otherwise I’ll stick to northern Lake Michigan, as it’s rare to see anything but sailboats in the distance there.
In the central and lower St Johns river, Florida, kayaks often mount light weight poles with flags usually from the bicycle department at Walmart on the stern of the boat so the air boats can see you over the marsh grass. They do the same.
The older power boater with the inboard needs to keep watch a little better. What’s he going to do about logs, timbers, beer bottles, and crab pot floats. All of those can hole his boat or foul his prop. Either way just thank him and proceed on.
I wear a lot of orange or “loud” green tops. It can’t hurt. I also stay out of channels, paddle in shallow water and avoid populated water on weekends. On holidays I limit kayak trips and power boat trips to stay away from the crazies. In Florida, in summer, it is so hot you want to be off the water by 10 am. That is also the time most jet skis, skiers, and party boats go out. Smart kayakers and fishermen are returning to the dock by then.
If you have waterskiers, you have swimmers. Your lookout should be vigilant in a powerboat in that situation, and really any situation. Kayakers are not hard to see if you’re looking. (You should be looking out for things much less noticeable.) They’re just easier not to notice than something bigger if you’re not paying attention. The difference between hard to see and easier not to notice is not an insignificant difference if a person is honest with himself after running someone over. If a person is being honest with him/herself, they should be noticing things much more subtle than a paddlecraft. From a paddlers perspective, first, dead is dead. 2nd, the interpretation of the situation by the law may have little to do with what actually happened and who was truly at fault if a powerboat runs over a paddlecraft. So I often figure none of that holds much relevance to me as a paddler in a very real way. My question is whether or not a practical-sized flag will actually make you harder not to notice by a person not paying attention. I have to believe there’s at least some potential both ways. But I’m pretty sure I personally am not going to start mounting a flag on my kayak. Everything can always be made more visible than it currently is, and a paddlecraft with flags undoubtedly could still get hit. And the person who ran someone over can always tell himself, and be re-assured by others, that the flags could have/should have been bigger, brighter, taller - that the paddlecraft had no business out where powerboaters were, etc. But I figure the guy was startled as a result of not paying close enough attention, and right or wrong, figured in the moment to at least verbally place significant responsibility on the kayaker. I hope, in reflection, he’s able to re-evaluate everything.
I hope everyone has a happy and safe paddling summer!
@Rookie said:
I heard a powerboat coming up on my starboard side while paddling to my take-out. I looked backward and saw it was an older gent and his dog in a 22-ft inboard. He came to a stop and hailed me, asking if I could hear him. I nodded and said yes. He told me that I was difficult to see and should carry a “small flag” because he didn’t want to run me over. I thanked him for taking the time to stop - and for not running over me.
At that time I maybe a quarter-mile off shore, having moved in because the boat traffic, water skiers, and joy riders had increased as the afternoon progressed. This was a large inland lake connected to Lake Michigan and I was watchful of the traffic.
It was a cool 66F and windy so I was wearing the top of my purple/gray/black Radius as a drytop, a purple hat, bright yellow PFD, my kayak is red and has two strips of highly reflective prism tape on each side, one at the 10 & 2 positions and one where my knees are. At the time I was using my Werner Cyrpus, which has both Solas and sparkly prism tape on the back of the blade, but not the front.
While I could easily see other kayaks half a mile away, I know we’re hard to see by power boaters. I’ve seen flags on fishing SOTs but can’t imagine attaching a pole four to five feet tall with a flapping flag to the stern of my kayak for a number of reasons.
I’ve added prism tape to the front of my Euro blades and more on the back; nothing I can do about my Lumpy stick, which I used while paddling into headwinds going out. I can switch to a neon-green ball cap which I know has higher visbility and I would have worn a brightly colored rashguard had the air temp been warmer (water temp unknown, but survivable).
The wife and I have lately started using florescent yellow or orange jerseys and have received comments on our visibility. We live in “bass boat” country and virtually all of our close calls have involved them. I have began to suspect that before you can legally buy a bass boat you must first prove that you have failed an intelligence test.
Kayakers have a history of being a bit fast and loose with the rules (such as carrying, and using, an EPIRB in emergencies when it is technically a violation). Still, fixed or strobe red/green lights (bow and stern) should again, not be a difficult or expensive adaptation to make (if you are so concerned about visibility - note: I’ve never added lights to my boats, but then, I don’t paddle in areas of large scale boating or shipping). The strobe concept is a valid one, IMO, and since most LED light systems can be toggled in or out of that mode, I see no problem with turning lights or strobes on if one suspects some yahoo in a powerboat has you in their sights. The worst that might happen is that someone will mistake it for an emergency signal and respond. You could then, justify this by saying you believe that being run over by a drunken sot in a powerboat IS an emergency.
I was not suggesting that someone run a strobe during normal paddling. Lights, especially strobes, that are strong enough to be visible from a distance, would probably interfere with one’s vision. I’ve used a strobe while cycling at night on expressways with good effect. I had a light I could toggle from fixed to strobe strapped to the back of my left arm that I used on rainy nights when commuting. It worked quite nicely and definitely improved my visibility to drivers.
I have a flag that I will put on the boat ONLY when I paddle New York Harbor. That, along with my VH radio that I announce myself to all the ferries, power boaters, cruise liners and merchant ships that ply the waters of the Hudson and the harbor.
@Monkeyhead said:
Well, at some point, he obviously did see you. I wonder how close or far that was. When I first spot other kayakers, it’s almost always the up and down of their paddles that draws my attention, not their coloration. Combining both, my spare paddle which I keep on the foredeck has the tips (the last 14" or so) spray painted with neon orange, and a line of SOLAS reflective tape running down the middle.
I’ve wondered the same and yes, it’s always the action of the paddles that I notice first.
Have read that SOLAS is excellent at night when a light is directed on it, but has little to no reflectivity in day/sunlight. Cover my bases by having both on my paddles.
Lights are for night and almost invisible in the day.
Most DIY lights you can use are illegal by Coast Guard regs.
I use a flag, but when the wind comes up, the flag acts as a sail that I must fight.
In the end, common sense is the best thing. Paddle a bright-colored boat, wear a bright colored PFD, use bright blades on your paddle. “Well your honor, he was in a tiny green boat wearing a cammo pfd and low in the water, of course I didn’t see him.”
Also paddle closer to the shore where you have to fight echo waves but are out of the speedboat lanes.
YES, by law the powerboat MUST give way to paddlecraft. They must also cut their engine as they pass us but really, the sheriff doesn’t even obey that reg. And as I tell my kid, “a 50# bit of plastic paddled by a 150# girl moving at 2-knots vs a drunk college kid gunning a thousand pound speedboat moving at 30mph = no contest” NEVER insist on the right-of-way and always assume that the speedboats are not paying any attention.
@rjd9999 said:
Kayakers have a history of being a bit fast and loose with the rules (such as carrying, and using, an EPIRB in emergencies when it is technically a violation).
Could you elaborate on that? Why is it technically a violation?
(I assume you are referring to the PLB type of EPIRB.)
As to flags, the issue came up with the Coast Guard about 10 or so years ago here in CT. The local sea kayaking club got in on the discussion, and we added a couple of points as to why flags are not a good idea. Mostly around a capsize situation - the flag could potentially snap off, and either hole the kayak’s deck where it mounts, or stab the paddler when the shaft snapped.
Mirrors and reflective tape on paddles or bright colored paddles are just as good, if not better, than a flag IMO.
Before starting kayaking back in the late 70’s, I read all I could about the sport. Hutchinson, Dowd, and several authors I read all cited the regulation stating that EPIRB’s (at least at that time) were not sanctioned for use by paddle craft, only aircraft. The coast guard could fine one for unauthorized use. This did not stop kayakers from using same, however, and I never heard of anyone being cited and fined for said use.
All that said, however, there may be more modern versions of EPIRB devices (many of which may be cheaper) which are now legal for use by others. I do admit that I haven’t kept up with the regulations on same.
Times have changed, thank goodness. The nice thing about the PLB is that it can be used on land or water, as it’s registered to the individual, not to a particular boat as the EPIRBs are.
The Coast Guard will happily send a rep to your kayak club to talk about safety and laws and the like. They do it for free.
I have been trying to get the local kayak club to invite the USCG to a meeting for years so we can all BE safe and legal but the prez always refuses.
@rjd9999 said:
Before starting kayaking back in the late 70’s, I read all I could about the sport. Hutchinson, Dowd, and several authors I read all cited the regulation stating that EPIRB’s (at least at that time) were not sanctioned for use by paddle craft, only aircraft. The coast guard could fine one for unauthorized use. This did not stop kayakers from using same, however, and I never heard of anyone being cited and fined for said use.
All that said, however, there may be more modern versions of EPIRB devices (many of which may be cheaper) which are now legal for use by others. I do admit that I haven’t kept up with the regulations on same.
Rick
Sounds strange. I can’t say that you are wrong about how things were, but they are certainly different - actually opposite - now:
A “pure” EPIRB (not a PLB) is specifically for maritime use and nothing else. They are not used on aircrafts.
An aircraft uses an ELT.
Both EPIRB and ELT broadcasts on the 406 MHz band to the Cospas-Sarsat satellites, so they are technically very alike. They will also both be activated automatically (if the ship sinks or the plane crashes).
There is a special variation of an EPIRB which is called a PLB. This device is a personal device which is usually carried in one’s PFD and is activated manually. The PLB is used more widely than the EPIRB, though both are maritime devices. In some countries (including USA, I think) they are even permitted for land use. I suppose that some pilots will also carry a PLB as part of their personal rescue kit, but I don’t know.
The PLB is the device that a kayaker will usually wear, and it is fully permitted. When I got the VHF call sign for my kayak from the Danish maritime authority, I am pretty certain that I also received a digital call sign for both a PLB and and an EPIRB.
To reiterate some, flashing lights, flares and smoke “bombs” indicate someone in immediate distress who requires assistance. Reported to the CG it triggers a whole protocol of confirmation, tracking of coordinates, requests for nearby vessels to assist, etc. Such signals are not taken lightly and must not be used to indicate that someone got too close to you. I travel the US east coast and that kind of CG radio traffic is nearly nonstop.
A horn may be useful but 5 blasts are the appropriate signal for danger. To anyone who knows the rules, 1,2 or 3 blasts mean something specific and misuse could result in miscommunication and dire consequences.
Paddled boats do not intrinsically have the right of way over other vessels. A CG FAQ refers one to Rule 2 but, paddled craft are not specifically mentioned in the pecking order of vessels. Due to their maneuverability some argue that paddle craft are considered power boats under the rules. It would be foolhardy for anyone to even remotely assume they have the right of way. Rule 2 pretty much applies to everyone under every circumstance whether you believe you are the stand on or give way vessel.
For boaters who keep a proper lookout for smaller things in the water they’d rather not hit, kayaks are pretty visible under most conditions. I’m looking for logs, crab and lobster pots, buoys, etc. so I usually see things as gigantic as kayaks from a 1/2 mile or so with little effort. Bright, contrasting colors and paddles flailing away do well. However, there are many boaters who do not keep a proper lookout. I can’t recall specific instance but I don’t think kayaks give very good radar echoes. There are larger vessels like sailboats that don’t show up well either. So paddling in fog might not be a good idea.
Professional fishing folks are pretty considerate but if engaged in fishing or have gear deployed will be preoccupied and not looking out the front windows so much. They are out there earning a living and I give them a wide berth. Recreational fishing tend to be the most clueless, oblivious, self-entitled boaters. Watch them as you would drunken party boats, jet skis and skiers.
Back to the OP, I don’t really think a flag will do much. I think the power boater may have actually been keeping a lookout, saw you as he should have but, was nonetheless surprised to see a kayak out there. Observation is contextual. We prioritize things we can see according to risk of danger and proximity. I’ll see the rocks and the freighter farther away before I see the kayak that is closer. Just my thoughts.
I live on the water near a boat ramp. From what I observe on a daily basis you could install lights, billboards, regulations, fog horns and loud speakers on your kayak and some operators still won’t see you. They just don’t have a clue. They power up on the mud bar, attempt to power up. They come screaming in after dark with no lights. Jet skis operating after legal hours. They come out of the mooring area with bumpers hanging in the water. They power up and gear blows out of the boat. They will slow down for small craft, but not enough to lower the bow and lower the now larger (high bow low speed) wake.
Of course I got a great camp seat, a few bumpers, and fishing gear from the departing boats.