8/20 ssp adventure

[phishead]

All summer I was lucky kayaking ssp. Every time I saw storm clouds, they moved on else where. But today I got my oss whooped. Lighting, easily 30 mph winds, 3-4’ swells. And me on my 10’ yak. Wholly chit. 20-30 min of survival mode. Tried hiding under the pier which was more like a washing machine. Took on lots of water but I must say, the yak preformed amazing well. Even with just about every wave was going over the bow and almost the stern. Never again. If I see thunder clouds, time to head to shore. I have done plenty of class 3-5 rapids on yaks and rafts, but this was so much scarier. May be it was the unpredictability of what happens next.

[tears143]

You crazy! Wind was much stronger than that. I was in it as well on the pier though.

[phishead]

Hard to judge wind speed. But you are right. I didn’t want to exaggerate.

[tears143]

Wind feels like it was gusting 50mph+. Were you hiding at the end of SSP? I saw a small boat or something under there one time. This was way after the storm though.

[phishead]

Met a guy on shore from Texas. He was telling me how he and his ex military buddies hire a boat to bring them 20 miles out. They fish on kayaks and sleep on unmanned rigs. Now that is badass.

[tears143]

Aug 20, 2019 22:53:33 GMT -5 phishead said:

Met a guy on shore from Texas. He was telling me how he and his ex military buddies hire a boat to bring them 20 miles out. They fish on kayaks and sleep on unmanned rigs. Now that is badass.

There's a youtube channel like that. 20 miles out... is the name of the channel I think. They kayak fish the rigs and such.

[phishead]

Aug 20, 2019 22:52:39 GMT -5 tears143 said:

Wind feels like it was gusting 50mph+. Were you hiding at the end of SSP? I saw a small boat or something under there one time. This was way after the storm though.

Yup. I was pass bait shop when started heading back but by the time I reached 2nd bathroom all hell broke loose. I had may troller on full and paddled like hell just to stay in one place fighting the wind and current. I was praying for the battery not to short out with all the water. If it did short out, I surely would have ended up in cockroach bay.

[phishead]

Aug 20, 2019 22:55:04 GMT -5 tears143 said:

Aug 20, 2019 22:53:33 GMT -5 phishead said:

Met a guy on shore from Texas. He was telling me how he and his ex military buddies hire a boat to bring them 20 miles out. They fish on kayaks and sleep on unmanned rigs. Now that is badass.

There's a youtube channel like that. 20 miles out... is the name of the channel I think. They kayak fish the rigs and such.

[br

R u talking about 30 miles out channel saw a few episodes where they paddled a few miles out to the rigs. I will have to dig deeper and find the ones with 30 miles out

[seabird]

We're glad you survived that storm experience! Storms, especially over the water can surprise you with their speed. Have almost been caught twice on the Skyway piers.

[sigeptrooper02]

Aug 20, 2019 22:31:51 GMT -5 phishead said:

All summer I was lucky kayaking ssp. Every time I saw storm clouds, they moved on else where. But today I got my oss whooped. Lighting, easily 30 mph winds, 3-4’ swells. And me on my 10’ yak. Wholly chit. 20-30 min of survival mode. Tried hiding under the pier which was more like a washing machine. Took on lots of water but I must say, the yak preformed amazing well. Even with just about every wave was going over the bow and almost the stern. Never again. If I see thunder clouds, time to head to shore. I have done plenty of class 3-5 rapids on yaks and rafts, but this was so much scarier. May be it was the unpredictability of what happens next.

As a regular yak fisherman myself, I feel for you!  Can be quite the scary experience. Last summer I got stuck in a storm on Boca Ciega Bay.  Came in fast and I could not get back to shore.  I ended up stranded on a little island for a couple hours.  I felt like Tom Hanks but I didn't have a "Wilson" to keep me company.

[shadowxmas]

Phishead. Glad you are ok. I would have been really scared and I bet you were.

[phishead]

Aug 21, 2019 8:48:05 GMT -5 sigeptrooper02 said:

Aug 20, 2019 22:31:51 GMT -5 phishead said:

All summer I was lucky kayaking ssp. Every time I saw storm clouds, they moved on else where. But today I got my oss whooped. Lighting, easily 30 mph winds, 3-4’ swells. And me on my 10’ yak. Wholly chit. 20-30 min of survival mode. Tried hiding under the pier which was more like a washing machine. Took on lots of water but I must say, the yak preformed amazing well. Even with just about every wave was going over the bow and almost the stern. Never again. If I see thunder clouds, time to head to shore. I have done plenty of class 3-5 rapids on yaks and rafts, but this was so much scarier. May be it was the unpredictability of what happens next.

As a regular yak fisherman myself, I feel for you!  Can be quite the scary experience. Last summer I got stuck in a storm on Boca Ciega Bay.  Came in fast and I could not get back to shore.  I ended up stranded on a little island for a couple hours.  I felt like Tom Hanks but I didn't have a "Wilson" to keep me company.

I wish there was an island near by.  The pier did give me a sense of false security.

[phishead]

Aug 21, 2019 10:23:59 GMT -5 shadowxmas said:

Phishead. Glad you are ok. I would have been really scared and I bet you were.

I'm not trying to sound tough, but I wasn't  There was no time for that.  I assessed and dealt with every second one at a time.  Between working the rudder, the troller and paddles, there was too much going on to think beyond the next wave or pier pilling.  But don't get me wrong.  Never again.  It was only luck that I didn't end up floating in the water.   The worse part was, my hull filling with water.  The bow hull cover never fit right, usually not a big deal, but this time it was.  So I didn't when will the battery cut out.  The only positive thought I had was knowing this will/should pass over in about 20 min.