Hope everyone has a safe 4th of July weekend, wouldn't want you to become a part of this thread.

New experience this week almost dying...was going at a fairly high rate of speed (3 mph?) and had to perform evasive maneuvers to avoid slamming into this obstacle in the dark. Had to stop, breath in a bag and drink 3 beers to settle down. Thinking this panga was abandoned in/near this weeks XL surf and eventually flipped and floated out. Drugs or humans...? Jorge might know...I'M JUST SAYING.

My cousin Joaquin decided to not take my pool noodle advice.

This last Saturday launched the kayak at DP. About two miles off shore it seemed real sluggish and started to lean to one side. Opening the hatch I discovered a large amount of water inside (Hand pumps stink BTW). Did make it back in, although very slowly.

Seems I forgot to screw the rear plugs back in from washing the yak out last time.

I almost DIED!!!!!

I was thinking that if you forget to put those rear plugs back in, you will have a real problem. glad you ok. Bet your heart was pumpin!

I've removed the plugs on my PA twice, one of the two times I almost forgot to put them back, I think I remembered the next day. Now, if I wash the inside of the kayak I just scoop up the water with a large towel. I'd rather go through the extra work than to have something happen on the water because I forgot to put my plugs back in.

Glad you made it back OK. Sh*t can go south in an instant.

Damn. Glad you made it back ok. I've had similar instances where I've forgotten the plug, luckily I was only fishing in harbors.

That is a bad place to be to get a realization like that. Did you jump in and screw it back up?


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[QUOTE=YakDout;264683]That is a bad place to be to get a realization like that. Did you jump in and screw it back up?

Would have. Didn't actually realize the problem until I got the kayak on the trailer and it drained for about 10 minutes. Thought I had somehow cracked the hull or something.

Tow it home. Free boat!

I find it hard to believe that we haven't had any 'I almost died' stories in over a year.

Maybe guy's are better educated on kayak safety now. Or else all us old guys have learned the hard way.

I'll take this over the alternate any day.

Here's to hoping this thread stays quiet for a long time....

:cheers1:

Here's one from awhile back...

Was participating in a contest that ended at 4:00pm out at DP. I headed way down south about 3 miles. Didn't catch much all day until about 3pm, landed a Calico around 4lbs. Though I might actually have a chance to win so I peddled as fast as I could to try to make it back by 4. Legs cramped up about 2/3's of the way there but kept going.

Got back to the landing at 4:02, tried to get out of the kayak and fell over, legs wouldn't move. Thought I was gonna die!!!

PS, was too late and too small (and yes, that's what she said too).

NPH
 

Fell out of my kayak a few months ago (I had my vantage set as high as it would go) luckily I was in near the jetty with small surf. Got towed to the jetty jumped back in kept fishing.

I actually posted this on in 2012 but it is still fresh in my mind.

Over the past 12 years of kayak fishing the ocean has given me a survival instinct. The equipment that I carry on my yak is either the result of common safety sense, or as a response to what the ocean has dealt me in the past. As an example; Early in my yak fishing career, I was rolled in the surf at Aliso Creek beach and lost $800 worth of Trinidad outfits. My response was to think that maybe rod leashes might be a good idea during launch and landings, and maybe I should check some surf reports that might tell me if an eight foot swell might be building in the late morning.

Fast forward to this past Thursday. I launched at 4:45 from Doheney. No wind and patchy fog. Set a course for to a waypoint near the red buoy off the headlands. By the time the sun came up, the fog got real serious. I was no more than 50 ft from the buoy and could barely make it out. I could hear it, but not see it. Well I'm prepared for this with a combo sonar and GPS with Navionics chip. If that fails I have a compass. I could hear the Dana fog horn so I was confident I could get back even without electronics, and since I felt the sun would burn this stuff off, I stuck it out. I was having a hard time finding bait so I was moving around quite a bit, from waypoint to waypoint. It is amazing how fog can mess with ya. If I took my eyes off the Steer Arrow for more than a few strokes, I was way off course. I was finally able to find a couple pieces of Sardine and sent them down on a dropper loop. More about that later.

Then came the experience that I was not prepared for, By around 7:00 the fog was still pretty bad but not at it's worst. I decided to have some breakfast which today was going to consist of a coke, a doughnut and a Snickers bar. As usual, I was wolfing this down between casts. I took a bite from the snickers bar and somehow, part of it went down the wrong pipe, and I started to choke. I could not draw a breath, literally to save my life. It was panic city for me. My mind raced through the options that I had. VHF! Nope, I cant talk. Whistle!, Nope can't blow it. Wave my paddle back and forth to try to get someones attention! Nope, I was sure that no one was within 100 ft of me and beyond that it was hopeless. Self induced Heimlich Maneuver! Well maybe, but I'm wearing my PFD with zippers and buckles. I came to the point of believing that "This is it. This is how it will end". I could hear friends and family saying " Well at least he died doing what he loved". Well, thankfully what was blocking my airway was probably a piece of chocolate, and probably started to melt because I was slowly able to get some air into my lungs at least cough a little bit, which made it easier to draw the next breath. If this whole episode lasted a minute, it would surprise me, but it felt like an eternity. Looks like I have to start taking my home tracheotomy kit along with me on my trips.

Damn Rossman, that's some scary shit.

This wouldn't have help in your exact situation Rossman but I think everyone should see this vid.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz8M0UTkvSU

Nice video Beto.
On my last trip to baja there was trouble in paradise. Spent a night in Gonzaga before heading to San Quintin for Halibut tourney, then a few days back to Gonzaga tospend te fourth of july in paradise. On the 5th of Juny SDROB loaded me in my truck and headed north, got me home, got paramedics to take me to the hospital. Being in Baja and not taking care of mysely almost killed me. Foot was infected, septic in fact, I was really dehyrated due to a UTI and the hot weather, while in the hspital a small heart attatck happened due to weakend body.
Well I survived, ready to go back, but I now have LEARNED I have to take better care of my self. Hope to see you all in Baja, Tight Lines amigos. YES I almost died!!!

Don't have a story, but if you do come across me out in the water, and and I am dead feel free to use my body parts as bait!