Kayak Safety
If your spending time on the water in Baja without a guide you owe it to your self to be prepared.
If you have a problem, you owe it to those who risk their lives trying to help you.
There is
NO US COAST GUARD
There is
NO CANADIAN COAST GUARD
Before you go:
Read the Victoria Seay Story
Before you go:
Weather
Tide height predictions
Current predictions
Marine Forecast long range predictions
Before you go:
Time launched and expected return
Place launched and expected return
Route
Detailed description of kayaks including type, make, length, hull color, deck color
Visual description of paddlers’ clothing, including colors of jacket, shirt, life jacket
Thermal description of paddlers’ gear; for what conditions are they prepared?
Signal gear carried such as whistle, signal mirror, flashlight, and flares, dyes, and glow sticks, radio, Gps.
Also note water, food, camping gear, first aid, other survival gear
If you find yourself in need of a rescue
Get to shore; get warm and dry as possible
Call for help on VHF radio channel 16
Make your brightest colors visible
Stay in one place, stay together
Signal often with reusable devices such as mirrors, whistles
Use flares only when a potential rescuer is in sight
Three whistle blasts signals distress
Eat, drink, stay warm, encourage each other
Tides effect navigation by making scenery look different. At high tide, low islands and rocks may be covered; beaches may disappear. Know what the tide is doing when you pull a kayak up on the beach so it doesn't steal your boat. Allow an extra margin for wind and surf for the same reason.
Exposure refers to the ruggedness of your situation and the distance from a bail-out or sheltered spot. Wind, waves, hypothermia and exhaustion should be high on your list of concerns.
Wind can build quickly and change a leisurely paddle into a struggle to get to safety. Be aware of the exposure of an area and its potential for wind even if it appears calm when you launch. Check forecasts, have back-up plans. Know the tides and currents; there is a big difference in the sea state when a 10 knot wind is going with the current and when a 10 knot wind opposes the current. Without current, a 10 knot wind starts to generate whitecaps which should be little white flags of surrender unless you're trained for the conditions. Headlands and arroyos can accelerate wind. Wind can bend to follow the shoreline or arroyo. Wind makes it harder to communicate on the water, and waves make it harder to be seen.
Underwater obstacles and rocks which permit the passage of water but not the passage of a kayak can pin a person and make escape impossible. Some may be barely visible at high tide or in a large swell.
Recreational motor boats and sailboats: Be aware and look around frequently, including behind you. Make a habit of keeping a group within speaking distance of each other. In areas of heavy traffic, paddle in especially close formation for safety, courtesy, and visibility. Be visible. In daylight, kayaks are made most visible by the flashing of their moving paddles. Brightly colored vests and jackets help, too. After dark, a white light or strobe may be carried. Keep it immediately accessible in case you hear a motor. Glow sticks aid in seeing other members of your group at night.
Ship wakes. In deep water, wakes are gentle roller coasters, but in shallow water, they break, sometimes dramatically. Due to the nature of the bottom contours and hydraulic compression, shallow water can be hidden until breakers appear from nowhere after a ship passes. To be conservative, aim the bow into the wake and paddle through it. Wakes and tides should be kept in mind when pulling kayaks up on a beach.
Strong currents result from tidal action In addition to sweeping you where you don't want to go; currents can create rough, whitewater conditions when they meet with obstacles, underwater obstructions, or opposing wind.
Hydraulic compression occurs when the flow of the water is squeezed by headlands, islands, or underwater canyons. "Confused" waves, eddylines, and strong currents result.
Paddling Conditions: Seasonal Weather Patterns
November- February
The best time for paddling is in the morning. Especially if it's sunny, the morning wind may come from the S/SW as the land warms up. In the afternoon the wind blows from the N / N W around noon and can build quickly to 25mph or more, lasting till evening. On open stretches of coastline and between islands white capped waves can develop to 3' or better with swells above 6', Winds tend to come from the W or NW after sundown.
March- May
The winds have more of a S/SE component at this time but a close watch of the weather for a Northerner is still required.