That Sinking Feeling--How to Overcome??

[Earl]

OK, so most of us have practiced deep water re-entry and carry the usual safety gear and prepare for those occasions when you will need to overcome a situation. This means thinking through potential scenarios and what you would do to overcome then practicing. Most of us have been offshore in rough conditions, storms, wind, etc. Most all of our kayaks are SOT and have hatches most of which will leak a little and over a long enough time will allow substantial amount of water.

I am a firm believer is being prepared and learning how to self-rescue. This stems from years of working offshore and also sailing with my father across the Gulf and Atlantic. During those years we encountered many situations and we also practiced a few drills ever year. My father was one that calling the coast guard was not an option as long as there was a way to recover and we always found a way.

Scenario:
You are offshore and found yourself in bad conditions and cannot get back to the beach.
You have either anchored or tied yourself off to a rig or you are just drifting waiting it out
After hours of heavy weather and water coming over your kayak is getting full. Opening the hatch to pump was not an option as the waves would have filled it up faster than you could pump.

Now you are at point where the kayak is full and hatches are at or below waterline but you are still floating, like the picture below. So all is not lost.


What do you do to recover?
Yes you are alone. For all of those who want to lecture about not being alone, just save it.
Calling the coast guard is an option but for me it would be an option only at the point the kayak has sunk or I cannot recover to a fully operational point such that I can make landfall.

This one has been on my mind for years. I have filled my kayak a couple of times to see if there is a way I can recover. The latest attempt was on lake Texoma and I used beach balls. I inflated them as needed and stuffed them into the kayak to provide buoyancy. This is an idea that just proved to be difficult. I only had four beach balls with me so it proved not to be quite enough but I did manage to get the hatches 2-4 inches above waterline. However, pumping while you are in deep water next to the kayak proved difficult. This will be further complicated in open ocean where you will have swells and waves. You cannot rest your arms on the kayak as just that small amount of weight pushes it back below the water and you are starting over. After pumping 10 minutes with each arm I was pretty tired.
I plan on making another attempt with more beach balls this or next weekend. If that does not work out I will consider a large inflatable bladder like is used in canoes.


I am curious what others have thought about for this scenario and would value your inputs and ideas.

Thanks,
Earl

[Tombo]

I did this at work as your father did. Try to come up with a scenario and come up with solutions ahead of time. Would do the same situation a couple times trying to make the solution simpler safer so when the time comes, it would be more of a reaction. Corrected many aspect of my job working in a chemical plant. Done the same thing on the water. Biggest thing for me was don't panic, use the available resources and listen to suggestions just as you have come up with.

[Mythman]

Guys, I don't think I would ever be in the described situation..................in 8 years of fishing BTB and offshore, I have only been out by myself 1 time. My mentor took me to task about it.

I am not preaching about fishing in groups, just stating that I, personally, don't have to worry about that situation. One less thing for me to have to worry about and prepare for.

[Prof. Salt]

I have been mulling the same scenario over in my mind and I'm thinking of using styrofoam sheets in the hull. I need a way to secure them in place, but when I come up with a setup that is satisfactory I'll post it.

I have some leftover sheet from an earlier project and it might make a good safety feature. If it doesn't work, the bladder idea will be next.

[clebba]

Just a thought to get the ball rolling.
If you flip the kayak, what little air is inside will be trapped as opposed to being able to escape out the hatches and other points if escape. Essentially, it should not be able to take on any more water unless the trapped air is escaping. Now, if you have the means, start adding air to the hull. I don't know if the bilge pump will pump air or not. Once the kayak has begun floating above the the surface, flip it back over and start over on bailing it out. I'll leave that for everyone else to pick apart. Just had to get things rolling.

(Personally, I'd have swallowed pride pride long ago and called the Coast Guard. I'd rather be a humbled survivor with a cool rescue story than a proud corpse with a grieving family).

[bobbyp2010]

If going out alone into deep water, I would suggest filling any available space in the hull with inflated beach balls, or any other flotation device, before you head out to prevent that sinking feeling in the first place.

[Earl]

Clebba, thanks. You have me thinking about something. I may try this weekend.

Earl

[clebba]

I have seen numerous posts on the Hobie forum about filling the hull with pool noodles. Obviously a preventive measure as opposed to reactionary.

[rickh]

If going out alone into deep water, I would suggest filling any available space in the hull with inflated beach balls, or any other flotation device, before you head out to prevent that sinking feeling in the first place.

x2

I know the hull of the kayak is near empty for me other than a spare flotation device (throw cushion) and a battery. I have even heard people stuffing all the voids with pool noodles.

[rod dawg]

Running scenarios in your head is a good idea. Testing it in real time is better (under controlled conditions), but how do you really test a true scenario that replicates a bad situation (large swells+bad weather)? What one would think would be easy proves that it isn't. Majority of us know that you try and fish ideal conditions, but mother nature can flip a switch. I'm all for safety in numbers but always a good idea to have some "what if" scenario discussions. Thanks for testing this scenario. Looking forward to the results.

[jakec1]

You can buy the same closed cell phone blocks at FTU that jackson and hobie use in their hulls for support.

Put enough extra bracing in the far reaches of your hull so the hatches never go below the water line? The use a manual bilge.

It should be more about displacing the water inside the hull - right? I am thinking you should not have to displace but 3-4 gallons of water in "most" kayaks. Some may require a bit more.

[generalnotes]

I really think that Clebba is on the right track. Since I paddle a SinK, getting water out is a little easier. After a wet exit, with the boat upside down, I move to the front end of my boat, push down and let the water move to the front of the boat. Then I lift the front of the boat and let the water drain out the cockpit. Then roll the boat upright. Next is reentry, another issue altogether. Pretty easy in calm water, but can be done in rough water also.

[Troutless]

X-2 I'm older than most of you guys ( 73 ) and I don't go out by myself into the surf BTB fishing or rig fishing and put myself in that situation, and have cancelled several trips due to that fact. There is safety in numbers.

[hookdem]

A few options:

SINKs incorporate foam bulkheads to seal off the stern and bow sections which effectively creates three separate air chambers and should eliminate the risk of total submersion. Of course some SOTs this is impossible but one division is better than none.

Some guys use electric bilge pumps with a convenient switch to turn it on periodically to check for and remove water. This eliminates the need to open a hatch to attempt to bilge. But it puts you at the mercy of a battery and adds extra weight to your rig.

I've been getting parts to do a manual bilge that can be done without opening the yak. Let me explain... I have a regular hand bilge which will have a flex tube on the suction end. I am putting a PVC fixture on the top of the hull which allows for a threaded cap to close it off when not in use. On the bottom of this threaded thru-hull fixture there will be PVC to flexi tube that sits on the bottom of the hull. When the time comes, I can remove the threaded cap, and bilge from that hole. I am having an issue rigging the hand pump I have to have a airtight flexible tubed end. As soon as I figure that part out ill post a pic.

[hookdem]

Uh not sure how that cat face got in the post.

[MNsurf]

Flip it before it gets that full. It will stop taking water and float for hours. This comes from personal experience. I did this once on my trident. Put all my gear in the hull and flipped. All my stuff was full of salt water and needed to be cleaned but I didn't need the CG and I didn't drown.

[Famman50]

My two cents. Carry a number of tractor tubes or inner tubes. PLACE THEM IN HUUL FOR STORAGE ETC. Use a quick fill c02 cartridge like cyclist use to fill them. It will float and not take up space. Idea needs to be tweaked but there are useable parts of each idea on this page..

[Famman50]

My two cents. Carry a number of tractor tubes or inner tubes. PLACE THEM IN HUUL FOR STORAGE ETC. Use a quick fill c02 cartridge like cyclist use to fill them. It will float and not take up space. Idea needs to be tweaked but there are useable parts of each idea on this page..

[Famman50]

My tow cents . use inner tubes inside hill and quick fill c02 cylinder like cyclist use to fill tubes . Easy to store and will fill quickly. Lots of good ideas on post use parts of all of them.

[Bwells]

I really don't see the point in prepping for that scenario. It's much easier to prevent the yak becoming absolutely full of water than to devise a way to get all that water out. It's as easy as stuffing some buoyant material in the hull before you go out, and/or having an electric bilge with a manual back up, preferably with a fitting like hookdem describes. Pretty simple.

I'm sure you can figure a way to recover the yak from that state, but it's probably going to take compressed air and bladders or something along those lines (more trouble than bilges or noodles)....or maybe an electric bilge if you can get the hatch tops above the waterline. Of course if you had an electric bilge ( or manual one w/ a fitting), your yak wouldn't be sunk in the first place. See my point?

[Tombo]

I carry a dry bag to store emergency stuff and it also has a lot of buoyancy as most of the space is air. Two birds with one stone.

[earthshipman]

I carry a dry bag to store emergency stuff and it also has a lot of buoyancy as most of the space is air. Two birds with one stone.

Ditto that Tombo. I try to leave as much air as possible in my dry bag/emergency kit and stuff it in to the bow. I have 6 noodles in the hull, 3 on each side of the seat. But I would really like to get some floatation in the back of my yak.

[earthshipman]

oh, and I carry a spare life jacket in the bow as well

[Poolio]

POOL NOODLES! I have 7 bent and cut up pool noodles in each of my PAs. They aren't in the way. My yak isn't sinking any time soon. This cost me less than $30. Cheap insurance.

-Poo

[phat_phish]

Carry a short piece of water hose. Put one end in the smallest hatch and flip it upside down. Blow or pump air into the hull until enough water is displaced that you can flip it back upright.

I've never tried to flip a half sunk kayak before though so I don't know about that.