ARGH - 2 FOR 2 :)

I have been using Gore Tex for 3 decades to keep myself and my sons dry when they were at home.

Two years ago in November on the Trinity River I was steelhead fishing with a non returnable two day deposit with a guide. It started raining before we got into the water. I put on my Simms Guide weight Gore Tex Jacket before getting into the boat. 8 hours later, that area got over 8 inches of rain, and between the Goretex Jacket and waders I was dry and warm.

My wife doesn't use Rain Coats unless we are dressing up for dinner.

She has Gore Tex Jackets in her car trunk and my Ridgeline Trunk.

There are similiar products for kayakers, both jackets and pants:

http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?pr ... escription

My wife and I own the pants made by this company. We both have several pack lite Gore Tex Jackets which are packed into a bag smaller than a loaf of bread.

Also buy yourself a good Kayak water pump to pump out the water.

_________________
2009 Oasis
2012 Freedom Hawk Pathfinder

sundancer:
I used to be into Ham radio and have built a couple radio towers. The way the lightning rods (arrestors) work as it was explained to me is, they work as a static drain around the area where the arrestor is, so static can't build up (like a capacitor would charge). Actually during a thunderstorm you can see an aura of tiny sparks emitting from the arrestors. Trying make the lightning strike someplace else (like your neighbors house) instead of your antenna or your house, because the antenna is not allowed to charge up like a capacitor would. Thats also the reason lightning seldom hits the tops of buildings or light/electric poles (because they are always arrested).
One sign of lightning about to strike in your area is your hair standing up and a blue aura emitting from you and everything around you (means you need to hit the ground immediately) this has actually happened to me a couple times while golfing ( I also experienced a sick to my stomach feeling). So at least from my understanding lightning rods are not intended to try and get the lightning to hit the rod instead of your house (according to Ben Franklin). If the lightning is going to hit, the lighning rod just makes it hit your neighnors house instead of yours.
So you could say the umbrella saved your life (LOL). Just stay away from bridges, because there is a much higher risk of an animal control truck full of dogs flying off the bridge and hitting you ( LOL) according to the statistics.
Bob

I"m not a religious man, but, I don't go out in the lightening and shake my fist and shout "you missed me again sucker"

I worked on two people that got hit by lightening on the beach. The both looked like they were hit by Axe in the head and the Axe didn't stop until it got to their feet. One didn't make it off the beach and the other we got breathing but died in the helo.

I try to avoid it if possible, sometimes I get caught and peddle faster. The dog hasn't bitten me yet. So if its storm-in I stay inside and play with the dawg.

Roadrunner - You have by far the best post on the Forum, for that I thank you. However, I have to say the umbrella is just "wrong".

_________________
I'm right 98% of the time. The other 3% I don't worry about.

Assuming we're not talking about a thunder/lightning storm, rain isn't much of a problem if you have a good rain suit - a breathable type. Years ago I went ahead and spent the money to get a good, breathable, lightweight suit and have never regretted it. I can stay dry for hours in a downpour and never get clammy inside the suit.

Some of my best fishing days have been in a driving rain.

Ranger, you may be right. No one is immune from being wrong and I'm no expert on the matter. I wouldn't want to encourage anyone to do something they're not comfortable with, especially when it comes to their well being! Thanks for the counterpoint.

Roadrunner, you may have missed my point.

Image is everything. I developed a mental picture of a Alaska kayak fisherman paddling across the bay with a umbrella. Sorta like the guy on TV now in his custom gortex standing in the surf talking about the hurricane, with people in shorts walking the beach behind him.

Nice!

Everybody keep safe down there!

_________________

Two of my highschool class mates were killed by lightening. One was hunting with his son, and they were trying to get back to his truck. Lightening struck my classmate's gun. He got the full charge and the shell in his gun's shell tube/chamber exploded. The lightening and shell exploding injured his son. His son was knocked unconscious. When he came too minutes later, he found his Dad dead. My classmate got a double whammy from the lightening and the shell exploding.

The other guy was fly fishing with his new Graphite fly rod. They don't know if the lightening hit the fly and came back down the line or if lightening hit his wet graphite fly rod. The metal tip on the end of the fly was melted and his fly reel was fused/ruined in the fly rod reel holder. He was wading barefooted and was found face down in the pond's water.

Where we live in N California, lightening is a rare event, and the weather men are very good at predicting thunderstorms. Most storms just bring us rain. I don't go on the water if thunderstorms are predicted. My 15' aluminum Jon boat with a few fly rods on board is probably a lot more dangerous than being in a plastic yak in a lightening storm. However, when I'm in my Oasis with a couple of Mirages, the Amas and their aluminum rods and the ama cross bar. with our Trax wheels stashed on the rear deck might be attractive to a bolt out of the blue.

_________________
2009 Oasis
2012 Freedom Hawk Pathfinder

IMO, being worried about one's image is shallow and immature. Nevertheless, I must have failed to point out that it was my WIFE using the umbrella. Clearly I should have given her credit her picture!

Speaking of Alaska kayaking, here's a family photo of my grandfather Manook before he came to the US from the North.

The harpoon you see saved his life when Moby Sam sank his kayak along the way. He was able to swim the rest of the distance in his seal skins, using the harpoon bladder to rest and the blade to spear his meals.

I was just using it recently on a hunt for Hodgee, the notorious lake monster (more about him here: http://www.hodgee.com/), but that's another story. As the Inuit say, if the shaft still runs straight and point is sharp there's no sense hanging it over the fireplace to collect dust.






But the point is, all frivolous imagery aside, we certainly enjoy our Oasis, rain or shine and I'm sure sundancer will find his third time out the charm!

lol..

i certainly hope so..

here's the straight poop.. rain - generally no problem.. down pour - not fun. had trouble seeing as it was getting into my eye's and moving my contacts around..

thunder - to me that spells lightning.. 'get out of dodge' - my choice.

i have been in 2 motorcycle accidents - the last is the one that brought me (us) to Kayaking.. i have also had to deal with 2-3 degree burns on legs (little on hands). was given the last rights in the hospital.. also stalled a cardiac test for ~18 months. turned out to need a triple.. got it and feel better..

i figure (just me that is), that i have dodged the grim-reaper more that i should have so why push it..

Wife found and rented a cabin in western VA on a lake. looking forward to going (and taking the Yak)..

thanks to all of you for your opinions and anecdotes. please keep them coming..

hope to see you out there
Steve/Sharon
Virginia Beach

Roadrunner,

Now that's the guy I had in my mind. You could hammer a 12 penny nail in his head and it would just bend right back at you.

Sun dancer,

In South Norfolk as I speak, helping mother in law, waiting for the power to come back on and cleaning up. When the bulbs come back on, it's back to florida.

Ranger

did you bring your yak??

if so - and if your around this weekend, wanna get together and see if 3rd time is the charm??

Steve

Unfortunately no. My wife was here taking care of her mother for a couple of weeks when the storm hit. If I had of showed up with the kayak and not supplies and a chain saw, you would have never heard from me again.

Did go to Lynnhaven today and the bay looked nice. Maybe nests visit. I'm sure everything will go great. Thanks for the offer.

The power came back on about a hour ago and I thought I was off to Florida. Then the power pole blew up and caught fire.

Life is good.

Ranger

NP.. understood..

S

It is dangerous to brush your teeth, shower, watch TV, or get water from the tap during a lightning storm. People who fear falling planes, falling space debris, or falling bolts of electricity may be safer living underground, unless the tectonic plates shift causing an earthquake. I don't believe there is anyplace on this earth that is "safe."

Life goes despite the every day risks of living in the elements of the Earth. I enjoyed kayaking in Tropical Storm Lee today. Terrible looking wind and waves, eh? Don't let weathermen or skewed statistics rule your life. Every day spent kayaking is better than good day.