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PostPosted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 3:33 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jun 25, 2014 5:09 pm
Posts: 19
Hi Jim, it's Alex with the orange Outback. Getting mowed down by a boat is my biggest worry. I have a small air horn. Maybe it's time to get a bigger one.

With my previous, non Hobie kayak, I had a stripe of SOLAS above the water line and a few wraps going up my flag pole. Also, had some on either end of the paddle shaft and some on the front and back of the paddle blade as well. I'm sure that gave off a lot of flash when I was paddling.

In terms of high vis colors, I believe I saw an exhaustive test that determined that lime green was the most visible at distance on the water. Not sure where I saw this though and it is not a Hobie color, so kind of a moot point. I don't think red very well, which surprised me.

A test by Mustang Survival.
http://www.mustangsurvival.com/blog/201 ... country=25

Another study which deals with radar visibility for kayaks.
https://www.seagrant.umaine.edu/files/p ... 5raref.pdf

It you had said the boats got within 40ft I would have thought that was a close call. Under 20ft and I'd need to change my shorts and pour a drink. Stay safe out there.


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PostPosted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 4:49 pm 
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Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2005 10:46 pm
Posts: 3017
Location: Escondido
Sometimes, particularly off shore, you can be hiding from view behind the next swell. Additionally, sailboats have limited visibility because of the sails. They don't move as fast as power boats, but they are a lot faster than our kayaks! For situations like this I would favor 5 blasts with the air horn. 8)

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PostPosted: Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:47 am 
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Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Sat May 01, 2010 5:03 pm
Posts: 422
Location: Charlevoix, MI
Inspired by the Bee Gees ("Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive"), I fabbed-up a Disco Inferno Strobe Pole Lake Accessory for Yaks, or "DISPLAY" to save my bacon out there. I started with a C-Strobe light, an old Scotty flagpole and mount, an old fishing rod, an Airhead water skiers flag, a 4" Styrofoam ball, a glass "red top" blood collection tube, a bag of 1cm round glass mirrors off Amazon and several blisters worth of hot glue. You can figure out the rest from the pics. The disco ball rotates freely atop the rod. Sunlight and the C-Strobe will hopefully provide for multiple bright reflections in all directions as the disco ball rotates. We'll see, as today is the DISPLAY's maiden voyage. ImageImageImage

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk


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PostPosted: Tue Sep 05, 2017 7:16 pm 
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Joined: Tue Jul 04, 2017 8:00 am
Posts: 18
Jim_MI, love the Stay'in Alive theme of your homemade solution to being visible underway. Anything that can increase your visibility to other boaters that isn't in violation of applicable COLREGS is good. Hopefully you won't attract boaters looking for the party!

idonntnoe, I appreciate your sentiment towards the realization that a lot of boaters "set it and forget it" or have the "no one is ever out here" mindset (which I see in application on my local lake regularly). I know you are aware; ignorance or disregard for rules of the road, or applying the "everyone else is doing it" mentality to these situations won't relieve a boater from responsibility in a boating accident. Most people don't want to harm someone else, but it's not an "accident" if someone isn't following the law. Not to mention, there are lots of attorneys out there who would be happy to separate you from your money if you do! Know the rules of the road and obey them.

Sorry, off my soapbox now!

_________________
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USCG (Disabled)
'13 Outback (wife)
'18 Compass (mine)


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PostPosted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 8:12 am 
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Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2017 7:30 pm
Posts: 5
In business as in life, Safety First. I have been on the water most of my life and have almost been killed by large cigarette style boats hauling across bays and oceans...and I was in a 21ft walkaround! Usually these folks don't take the Coast Guard Safety class, so they are high risk boaters. You need to protect against those not prepared.

Every suggestion here is good. The strobes, reflective tape, and the disco ball. I have a PA 14. Mostly in lakes now (living in Mid-west) but do head to the East to fish for stripers as often as I can. Here are 2 other suggestions.

1) If going out in an area with high potential, stop at a party store and get a BIG red or Yellow helium or silver mylar ballon balloon. It will cost you $2. Let it fly 10-15 ft above your kayak. It works. I have had boaters stop and ask me what it was for! I told them it's my birthday and I am trying to make the next one. :)

2) Walmart and party stores carry pinwheels. Get the silver ones that reflect. I taped them to an old pole. Looks funny, but it does work. My friend told me he could seem me almost 1 mile off the beach because it kept spinning and reflecting. Kind of like a mirror in your hand being moved back and forth to reflect the sun.

Good luck. Stay safe.

John
PA 14


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PostPosted: Fri Oct 13, 2017 8:20 pm 
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Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Sat May 01, 2010 5:03 pm
Posts: 422
Location: Charlevoix, MI
TheHammer66 wrote:
In business as in life, Safety First. I have been on the water most of my life and have almost been killed by large cigarette style boats hauling across bays and oceans...and I was in a 21ft walkaround! Usually these folks don't take the Coast Guard Safety class, so they are high risk boaters. You need to protect against those not prepared.

Every suggestion here is good. The strobes, reflective tape, and the disco ball. I have a PA 14. Mostly in lakes now (living in Mid-west) but do head to the East to fish for stripers as often as I can. Here are 2 other suggestions.

1) If going out in an area with high potential, stop at a party store and get a BIG red or Yellow helium or silver mylar ballon balloon. It will cost you $2. Let it fly 10-15 ft above your kayak. It works. I have had boaters stop and ask me what it was for! I told them it's my birthday and I am trying to make the next one. :)

2) Walmart and party stores carry pinwheels. Get the silver ones that reflect. I taped them to an old pole. Looks funny, but it does work. My friend told me he could seem me almost 1 mile off the beach because it kept spinning and reflecting. Kind of like a mirror in your hand being moved back and forth to reflect the sun.

Good luck. Stay safe.

John
PA 14
Great safety suggestions, John. So far, the disco ball seems to be providing the same sort of rotating reflective alert that the pinwheel would. No close calls lately, anyway. Before fabricating that, I thought about trying a Mylar balloon. My area is often windy though. I was concerned that the balloon would either fly horizontal and foul my trolling lines, or act like a sail and frustrate my steering. Have you tried flying a balloon in 8-10+ mph wind? Is there a wind speed threshold at which you would skip the balloon?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk


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