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Tsunamis While Kayaking and Upcoming Research
Eric Ozolin landed and released this 10.5 foot tiger shark from the PINS surf recently, quite a trick for a solo surf angler!
In spite of the good conditions and the correctness of the location, the two shark rigs had stood silently all day. A recent cold front had dropped the water temperature two degrees and the surf seemed without fish of any species. Then, a bit after 4:00 pm the customers caught a large whiting and I decided to kayak it out even though typically I would start loading up for the trip back to town by that time.
I didn't even bother putting my wet suit back on but simply wore swimming trunks. The surf was three feet with a four footer ever now and then and sloppy, but I succeeded in getting the bait out about 400 yards and began my return to shore. I never saw the swell coming and still have no idea how big it was but from the results I know it was something special.
All I knew was that suddenly there was sky instead of water in all directions and I had the feeling of being lifted straight up in the air for some distance. I remember thinking at the time that it must be pyramid shaped and I was on top of it. I also remember consciously wishing I could see the entire scene for I knew it must be quite a sight.
Although I had my knees firmly locked in the knee braces I was instantly unseated and though the oar was still in my hands the kayak was gone and I was being hurled what seemed a very long way down the face of the wave. I hit the water so hard I bounced once on the surface before stopping and when I bounced I felt the safety helmet ripped from my head although it was properly secured.
When I landed the second time it knocked the breath out of me and I realized that without the ski vest I would be in very serious trouble. When I got my breath back I rolled over on my back to locate the kayak as I wanted to insure it didn't blind side me with no helmet. It was twenty yards to one side and drifting faster than I was so I leisurely paddled in somewhat hindered by the kayak oar.
Gathering everything on shore I found the force had snapped the tether strap connecting the oar to the kayak and the forward cargo strap had been ripped off. Still haven't a clue how or when that happened.
On the right side of the center of my spine I have a large lump where a kayak tumbling end over end in a ground swell behind me hit me 15 years ago. It was eighteen months before my back quit hurting. Again, I was wearing a ski jacket and I've always felt that without it the impact might have broken my back. My helmet I wear looks like someone beat on it with an ax handle.
Most often when I get rolled on a bar the kayak comes right over the top of me and I hear it bumping the helmet in passing. Karl Boardman used an Inuit kayak on Padre Island when I was new to the game. I've taken out baits with it but it used to scare the hell out of me because it weighed well over one hundred pounds and I knew if I flipped in it I would never get it righted. A while later two brothers from the Naval Air Station showed up with the first sit-on-top kayaks I ever saw. Then I had the third and you know where the story goes from there. Now every vehicle with a rod rack seems to have a kayak or two on top.
I am/have always been concerned about the somewhat cavalier attitude surrounding the use of kayaks in the surf and near shore. Maybe it's the fact that I unintentionally played a part in starting the "kayak craze" that makes me worry about y'all so much. But whatever the reason it's important to me that you know there are very real dangers involved. And as I've preached for decades, "No matter how much you love Mother Ocean she could care less if you live or die."
When I got my first kayak there was almost no information available about using them and, trust me, I was learning by hard knocks. Seemed like half the time I was bruised up or had skin knocked off from the kayak. Finally I bought a book on ocean kayaking and got some pointers and the dealer put me in touch with the world champion kayaker.
Well, the champion turned out to be a female and her first words were, "I've heard about you. You're one of those old school guys that won't listen but I'm going to tell you something. If you do not wear a helmet and a ski vest you'll end up getting killed or others will see what you're doing and you'll get them killed."
It's extremely rare to see me kayaking without the helmet and ski vest and these have saved my bacon numerous times. If you don't know what knee braces/straps are ask a friend. They help keep you in your kayak and allow for throwing your weight to one side or the other which aids greatly riding swells back in.
OK Here's some news. Not only are you going to hear it here first but I'm going to make sure you get the straight scoop and not some off-the-wall paranoid version about what Big Brother is trying to do, (as in stopping you from fishing, etc.)
NPS at PINS has limited data on fish species found on PINS except for data from Sharkathon's catch data report and a study Dr. Donna Shaver did years ago. They also want to gather more information on bird species that use the island and migration patterns through the area. I have always wished NPS took more interest in all species on PINS and the well-being of the entire eco-system rather than getting tunnel vision on particular species, so I think this is great. After all, how can anyone manage a resource without full knowledge of and data on the resource?
Problem is they have limited manpower to carry the work load. This being the case they are hiring me for three days a week for the next month or two to collect data on the birds. This is all still in the planning stages and we don't yet know how it will all be done.
As for fish, NPS interest is in which species are caught, not total numbers of individual species. More than likely the angler survey will be a card that anglers could voluntarily fill out and drop in a box at gate shack or something of that nature. There is a good chance I'll be the one handing out the cards. It makes perfect sense to stop and visit with anglers as I do bird surveys so don't be throwing rocks at me. If it wasn't a good deal for anglers as well as science I wouldn't be doing it.
Man, can you imagine if I'd have had my dentures in when I got knocked out of that kayak the other day. If I didn't swallow them it sure would have gotten old in a hurry eating oatmeal three times a day as I'm too broke to buy new ones. What a Hoot!
If we don't leave any there won't be any. - Capt. Billy L. Sandifer
I didn't even bother putting my wet suit back on but simply wore swimming trunks. The surf was three feet with a four footer ever now and then and sloppy, but I succeeded in getting the bait out about 400 yards and began my return to shore. I never saw the swell coming and still have no idea how big it was but from the results I know it was something special.
All I knew was that suddenly there was sky instead of water in all directions and I had the feeling of being lifted straight up in the air for some distance. I remember thinking at the time that it must be pyramid shaped and I was on top of it. I also remember consciously wishing I could see the entire scene for I knew it must be quite a sight.
Although I had my knees firmly locked in the knee braces I was instantly unseated and though the oar was still in my hands the kayak was gone and I was being hurled what seemed a very long way down the face of the wave. I hit the water so hard I bounced once on the surface before stopping and when I bounced I felt the safety helmet ripped from my head although it was properly secured.
When I landed the second time it knocked the breath out of me and I realized that without the ski vest I would be in very serious trouble. When I got my breath back I rolled over on my back to locate the kayak as I wanted to insure it didn't blind side me with no helmet. It was twenty yards to one side and drifting faster than I was so I leisurely paddled in somewhat hindered by the kayak oar.
Gathering everything on shore I found the force had snapped the tether strap connecting the oar to the kayak and the forward cargo strap had been ripped off. Still haven't a clue how or when that happened.
On the right side of the center of my spine I have a large lump where a kayak tumbling end over end in a ground swell behind me hit me 15 years ago. It was eighteen months before my back quit hurting. Again, I was wearing a ski jacket and I've always felt that without it the impact might have broken my back. My helmet I wear looks like someone beat on it with an ax handle.
Most often when I get rolled on a bar the kayak comes right over the top of me and I hear it bumping the helmet in passing. Karl Boardman used an Inuit kayak on Padre Island when I was new to the game. I've taken out baits with it but it used to scare the hell out of me because it weighed well over one hundred pounds and I knew if I flipped in it I would never get it righted. A while later two brothers from the Naval Air Station showed up with the first sit-on-top kayaks I ever saw. Then I had the third and you know where the story goes from there. Now every vehicle with a rod rack seems to have a kayak or two on top.
I am/have always been concerned about the somewhat cavalier attitude surrounding the use of kayaks in the surf and near shore. Maybe it's the fact that I unintentionally played a part in starting the "kayak craze" that makes me worry about y'all so much. But whatever the reason it's important to me that you know there are very real dangers involved. And as I've preached for decades, "No matter how much you love Mother Ocean she could care less if you live or die."
When I got my first kayak there was almost no information available about using them and, trust me, I was learning by hard knocks. Seemed like half the time I was bruised up or had skin knocked off from the kayak. Finally I bought a book on ocean kayaking and got some pointers and the dealer put me in touch with the world champion kayaker.
Well, the champion turned out to be a female and her first words were, "I've heard about you. You're one of those old school guys that won't listen but I'm going to tell you something. If you do not wear a helmet and a ski vest you'll end up getting killed or others will see what you're doing and you'll get them killed."
It's extremely rare to see me kayaking without the helmet and ski vest and these have saved my bacon numerous times. If you don't know what knee braces/straps are ask a friend. They help keep you in your kayak and allow for throwing your weight to one side or the other which aids greatly riding swells back in.
OK Here's some news. Not only are you going to hear it here first but I'm going to make sure you get the straight scoop and not some off-the-wall paranoid version about what Big Brother is trying to do, (as in stopping you from fishing, etc.)
NPS at PINS has limited data on fish species found on PINS except for data from Sharkathon's catch data report and a study Dr. Donna Shaver did years ago. They also want to gather more information on bird species that use the island and migration patterns through the area. I have always wished NPS took more interest in all species on PINS and the well-being of the entire eco-system rather than getting tunnel vision on particular species, so I think this is great. After all, how can anyone manage a resource without full knowledge of and data on the resource?
Problem is they have limited manpower to carry the work load. This being the case they are hiring me for three days a week for the next month or two to collect data on the birds. This is all still in the planning stages and we don't yet know how it will all be done.
As for fish, NPS interest is in which species are caught, not total numbers of individual species. More than likely the angler survey will be a card that anglers could voluntarily fill out and drop in a box at gate shack or something of that nature. There is a good chance I'll be the one handing out the cards. It makes perfect sense to stop and visit with anglers as I do bird surveys so don't be throwing rocks at me. If it wasn't a good deal for anglers as well as science I wouldn't be doing it.
Man, can you imagine if I'd have had my dentures in when I got knocked out of that kayak the other day. If I didn't swallow them it sure would have gotten old in a hurry eating oatmeal three times a day as I'm too broke to buy new ones. What a Hoot!
If we don't leave any there won't be any. - Capt. Billy L. Sandifer