# What is the scariest incident you have had in a Kayak



## dallas147 (Aug 19, 2012)

Just curious of some dangers as I am a newbie!!..


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## bungy (Jan 1, 2008)

Having a 4ft bull shark chew on your mangrove jack yak side..Cut a squid ring or two..


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## Junglefisher (Jun 2, 2008)

viewtopic.php?f=17&t=46123
Not a great report but basically, my PFD kept me alive in the rapids.


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## Ado (Mar 31, 2008)

Seal surfaced right next to me, unanounced, and lobbed a large red octopus in my lap. Shat? Nearly came out my nostrils.


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## Plasman (Aug 27, 2008)

Early morning servo pie coming back at me while fishing millionaires lane at sovereign island. 
Not very convenient while wearing tights!


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## dru (Dec 13, 2008)

Very very simple and mundane. Caught a small treble and couldn't get the hook out. Not talking a big hook, something off a bream lure. Right in the crook of my hand between thumb and pointer finger. Where the paddle sits. Really minor injury, but enough to stop me paddling home.

Ultimately got it out, but I had been checking my search and rescue routine.


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## Yakaway (Jul 16, 2012)

Don't know what it was but while fishing the Baffle creek smoething lifted the back of my yak out of the water about half a foot!!!!


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

Not me, but here's one to scare the crap out of you.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=37108&hilit=Collision%3A

And some tips on how to avoid a collision...

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=50248&hilit=Collision%3A

As power boat ownership goes up, not to mention the dreaded PWC's (jetskis), and increasing kayak ownership, incidents are likely to increase. *Be visible*.

trev


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## ArWeTherYet (Mar 25, 2007)

There has been many est's, not sure where to start.
Had a point of a big Rapala treble go right through my index finger and nail while a couple of k's from shore, unfortunately the other treb was still attached to the tail of a 4' Whaler.
Was knocked off by a 6' wave while fishing by myself in an isolated bit of coast when unsuspectingly wondered into a surf zone about a 1km off shore.
Got bumped by a big turtle after dark on a still quiet night, not sure who got the biggest shock.
Caught in a storm where I couldnt paddle against the wind, although wasnt far from shore and could get in.
Hooked a 6' tiger shark early one morning while fishing on the calm side of Moreton Island, was only concerned at the speed it come up and was eying me off and the fact that the bait fish were getting smashed by sharks all weekend.
Finding out that the hull was half full of water, still a ways off shore.
Getting pushed towards the groin at Palm beach after a failed attempt at getting past the outer brakers.
Importing a kayak from South Africa.
Hearing a boat speeding towards me, with 20mtrs of visibility in a thick fog.
Other stuff, maybe I should of chosen a pass time a little less stressful. :?


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

I've had many.

The first was realizing I'd left the mirage drive at home.....so I went home to get it.

Second was realizing I'd left my seat at home.

Third was when going to unload the kayak from the ute and noticed it wasn't there.......and knowing it was definitely on when I left home.


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## Junglefisher (Jun 2, 2008)

ArWeTherYet said:


> Finding out that the hull was half full of water, still a ways off shore.
> ?


Oh yeah, having a kayak nearly sink on me with both kids on board was fun.
Luckily it was a dam and not far from shore.


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## Artie (Dec 19, 2011)

Shark :?


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

ArWeTherYet said:


> There has been many est's, not sure where to start.
> Had a point of a big Rapala treble go right through my index finger and nail while a couple of k's from shore, unfortunately the other treb was still attached to the tail of a 4' Whaler.
> Was knocked off by a 6' wave while fishing by myself in an isolated bit of coast when unsuspectingly wondered into a surf zone about a 1km off shore.
> Got bumped by a big turtle after dark on a still quiet night, not sure who got the biggest shock.
> ...


 :shock: :shock:

Oh bother. It might be fess time.

trev


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## GlenelgKiller (Mar 13, 2012)

Ado said:


> Seal surfaced right next to me, unanounced, and lobbed a large red octopus in my lap. Shat? Nearly came out my nostrils.


That is hilarious (because it wasnt me)! Got a link to that one?


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## malhal (Jul 8, 2008)

Bobbing around in a gutter 50+m form shore at Sandy Point Hawks Nest pre dawn after being tossed by a wave in the launch. Biggest concentration of Great Whites along the coast as it is a Great White breeding ground. I swam pretty quick back to shore in the dark with appendage tuck up then of course relaunched and caught some snapper.

Cheers Mal


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## dallas147 (Aug 19, 2012)

GlenelgKiller said:


> Ado said:
> 
> 
> > Seal surfaced right next to me, unanounced, and lobbed a large red octopus in my lap. Shat? Nearly came out my nostrils.
> ...


Haha!

How about whales? Any dodgy experiences with them anyone?


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## bunsen (Jan 2, 2009)

Long reef: September 2006. Close encounter with a 3.5m GWS. Havent been back since.


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

dallas147 said:


> How about whales? Any dodgy experiences with them anyone?


Rather not talk about it. I'm still receiving therapy.

trev


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## gonfission (Feb 21, 2009)

Humpback surfacing and blowing off about three metres behind you will put colour in yer pants. Worse than that putting my paddle down onto a resting really big ray in about eighteen inches of water. Picked me and the kayak up almost two feet then took off like a submajetski. :shock: You could have surfed on its bow wave. Both in Pumicestone Passage.
Cheers John.


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## mangajack (Jul 23, 2007)

Facing the minister for war when i used the rates money for my first kayak and rocked in home with the toy.........that initial look was GOLD the second look was chilling the thrid look was kinda blurry and red.


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

mangajack said:


> Facing the minister for war when i used the rates money for my first kayak and rocked in home with the toy.........that initial look was GOLD the second look was chilling The third look was kinda blurry and red.


 :lol: :lol: :lol:

Repeatable several methinks. Across several households.

trev


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## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

----

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## Batron (Mar 3, 2012)

It was a windy Day, waves were coming over the TI side on there was lots of spray . And I was flying having great fun. 
That was, Until the wind changed, I swung the yak around to grab the wind! The ropes then became slack and whipped my head knocking of my hat and glasses. Yes they were tethered luckily. 
Just a few moments of chaos, well I was still learning to sail this thing. So now picture me leaning to one side of the yak hat blowing in the wind and me grabbing and adjusting glasses . When out of the sea came two large fins, They were FN Massive Honest :twisted: . for a few seconds my heart stopped. It was just a couple dolphins that popped up to have a laugh at the idiot on the plastic raft.


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## keza (Mar 6, 2007)

Off the back of wedding cake island one day, I came across what I presume was a school of big tuna, huge swirls everywhere and the birds were going crazy.
A cast in to the thick of it hooked me a seagull unfortunately. Without thinking I proceeded to untangle the bird on the water next to me, I eventually got the line off him turned to my left to grab the rod and got hit so hard I thought it must have been a boat. I bounced up in the air, nearly went over the side but managed to regain my balance by luck more than skill.
Next to the yak was a huge boil in the water, followed by another to the front of the boat, I radioed the others (500m away) and said I was on my way and got the F out of there, it didn't follow me (I didn't look).
I have seen plenty of sharks and love the look of them and seeing how close I can get, but this scared the crap out of me and I never even got to see it.

If you hook a bird, put it on your lap with a towel over it, even if you are in a hurry.


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## GetSharkd (Feb 1, 2012)

Plasman said:


> Early morning servo pie coming back at me while fishing millionaires lane at sovereign island.
> Not very convenient while wearing tights!


 :lol: :lol: :lol: Had a similar experience only scuba diving 30meters deep :?


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## BATMAN (Mar 28, 2008)

One of my first posts! I was 5km off Noosa and the wind changed direction 180 degrees 30knots and noway was I getting back to Noosa! I was on a one way ticket to NZ!

Plan B go with the wind and I ended up at Sunshine beach....rattles exhausted but alive.

viewtopic.php?f=17&t=16212


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## GetSharkd (Feb 1, 2012)

bunsen said:


> Long reef: September 2006. Close encounter with a 3.5m GWS. Havent been back since.


Was that your footage I saw on the news years ago regarding that GWS stalking at Longy ??

Can certainly understand your reasons for not going back :shock:


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

If you don't have five minutes, skip this post.

A short sea kayaking trip from Brooms Head (Nthn NSW) out to sea in a big swell, but not much wind. Brooms is a somewhat sheltered launch, but in only three hundred metres you are out near the surf zone at the point and on high alert. There are several reefs out five hundred metres and care is needed to avoid these, as they break in a swell this size.

The plan was to land at Red Cliff, 3 km to the north. My friend and partner of 20 years was driving the car up to Red Cliff, parking the car, and walking back south to Brooms. Now at the risk of being called mad (wouldn't be the first time), I knew I was in for a 'big surf' landing, but I had done a few of these before, so I was quite confident. As I approached Red Cliff headland, I made sure I went well north to avoid landing glass on rock shelves.

Landing in large surf is spooky, cause you have to be partly turned side on to see what's coming. Then, once you get what you think is the break in sets, usually on the last wave of the set, you straighten-up and paddle like your life depends on it, aiming to land in the destruction zone just after that last wave has broken. _That_ is the theory....

I didn't get it right. The sets were so frequent, and the period so short, I was picked up on a monster (estimated 3 m vertical drop). Sea kayaks broach (turn side on), and right on cue it did this, so I'm 3 m above the ocean surface, sideways in the lip of an angry monster, and about to get dumped big time. No biggie...I can eskimo roll. WRONG!

As the ocean sucked out in front of the wave, to my horror I see *not water, but a draining cunjevoi covered rockshelf*. I wasn't far enough north! No helmet, and one fairly serious error of judgement. As I dropped to earth I tucked into the roll position for the impact, head down on the front deck. The kayak landed upright on the cunjevoi rock shelf with a sickening bang, then half a tonne of water landed on top of me. As I was rolled my shoulder blades and back took most of the impact, tearing the 3 mm wetsuit (writeoff) and left me with a mess of grazes and cuts. . Thank God my head didn't hit, _so there was no brain damage_.

I was hit repeatedly by really big surf, rolled up, then flipped again. I eventually ran out of energy, breath and resolve, and pulled the spray skirt to eject (PFD of course). Now a sea kayak with a cockpit full of water (about 200 litres) is an lethal weapon, and I was lucky to escape being hit by it. Because the sweep was so strong with a lot of water moving north and out to sea, the kayak (now resembling a submarine) could easily have gone out to sea in a rip, never to be seen again. So after each wave impact I swam to it, leapt on top and paddled it like a drunken surfboard. It took a high energy half hour to get the yak and paddle the 400 metres to the beach, and I was grazed and bleeding, and pretty well nackered.

By the time I got back to Brooms in the car, my partner was worrying that another NDE may have claimed me. She was almost right.

trev

BTW kevlar lay-ups are a good idea. All my sea kayaks have since been kevlar. Very strong stuff!


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## dallas147 (Aug 19, 2012)

Bloody Hell!! Maybe I should take up skydiving instead..  lol


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## Brez (Mar 2, 2012)

This will probably give you a chuckle but here goes anyway  I lifted this from one of my last season bass reports , the night was a black as it gets ;-)

" upon the return leg i pulled the hooks on a few good fish trying to turn them from trouble but it was what happened to end my night that im sure everyone will have a good chuckle at  i had cast up tight to a bankside snag and upon landing the siglett got smashed big time . then all hell broke loose with a flock of ducks and their young deciding to take having the **** scared out of them upon yours truely , and might i add it was pitch black at this point

for what felt like 30 seconds there was a flurry of feathers , beaks , wings and flailing arms as i was torn between self preservation and landing the bass . i took several decent blows to the noggin off the ducks in full flight and lost the bass just to add insult to injury . how i didnt fall out of the yak has me stumped :shock: cute and cuddly my axx , next time i get close enough its duck o'larange for dinner ! "

It still has me on edge when I'm fishing sneaky little creeks at night ;-)


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## Daveyak (Oct 6, 2005)

kayakone said:


> _so there was no brain damage_.


That's a matter of opinion....

:mrgreen:


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

:shock:

Interesting comments about people ignoring you Digger. This is much more common in big cities ... some people will even walk past a prone person on a footpath. They just don't want to get involved.

I saw several very disabled (some physically, some ill, some mentally) disabled people while driving a bus. Most appreciate some help. I wonder what the couple who ignored you would have done if you'd fallen into the water?

trev


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## Evoids (Jan 10, 2009)

Had a few incidents in paddling over sting-rays in the shallows. A couple even got enough of a scare to lift their tails up and whack the bottom of my yak. Another came when I hooked a sting-ray and after I got him to the surface and got ready to de-hook him he did a big roll in the water and swung his tail around to smack the side of my yak. Needless to say I cut the line fairly quickly after that. 
Had a couple of shark encounters in the local rivers. Pulling up a flat-head one day and a little 2 foot bullshark tried to steal him off me. Not huge but gave me a good fright. Another time I was pulling up a trevally in the Pine River, the water was unbelievably clear and as I've looked down to see the silver shimmer of the trevally I saw a 6 foot grey shape loom out of the murk behind the trevor in pursuit. Neither of these sharks got the fish but there is something unnerving about seeing them so far upstream, not to mention the initial shock to your system when you see them.


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

Is it caused by a blockage in the ear canal?

Just answered my own question... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vertigo

trev


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## Junglefisher (Jun 2, 2008)

How could I forget?
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=34318
The day a 4m croc decided to give me a love tap.

Has anyone ever had a stingray barb go through the hull of their kayak?
I paddle over a lot of them and have had a few "bump" the yak, but with their backs, not their tails.


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## scoman (Oct 4, 2010)

I was lucky to have other paddlers around when my Kayak filled with water and began to sink a km or more off Wellington Point.

http://www.akff.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=48946&hilit=+tale+of+woe

Many lessons learned the most important being make sure you do a safety check prior to every trip!!


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

Junglefisher said:


> How could I forget?
> viewtopic.php?f=17&t=34318
> The day a 4m croc decided to give me a love tap.
> 
> ...


Trumps. No question.

trev


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## theclick (Jun 25, 2007)

I was hit in the face by a suprise jumping baitfish on the eastern side of green island in the pitch black on a calm night. I browned a little.


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## Bludymick (Apr 5, 2012)

just read this 
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/852349 ... ver-attack
bloody hell


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## Travelinyak (Aug 17, 2012)

first time out on the kayak, I wasnt very far off shore and I heard a big boil to my to my left and then a few seconds later I saw a fin come out of the water next to me "what the f**k was that" the heart was racing then about 5m in front of me two dolphins surfaced and another one came up right next to the kayak, there were about 6 dolphins in the pod they swam around the yak for a bit. Once I realised they were dolphins I calmed down, my mate in the yak behind me was pissing himself laughing. After the initial shock it was a pretty good experience and went on to catch a few pinkies!!!


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## solatree (May 30, 2008)

Fishing for snapper with oldDood off metro Adelaide.

We'd sent out plenty of berley and were waiting for bites.

Was concentrating on my lines when I heard a slight groan coming from OldDood's direction. I turned to see if all was OK and.........................

Shock horror :shock: :shock: :shock:

He had his Old fella out and was pissing over the side.... in my direction ....got an eyeful......not literally..........scarriest thing I ever saw.

Impressive but .........


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## Bludymick (Apr 5, 2012)

Thr golden rainbow
Oh dear


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

Bludymick said:


> just read this
> http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/852349 ... ver-attack
> bloody hell


Not the first, nor the last. The Amazon attracts a lot of explorers/nutters.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Kane

Joe Kane and crew get shot at by guerillas/drug runners. If I remember correctly, they were bank scouting every rapid (as you do in serious whitewater), when shots rang out and bullets started pinging all around them. They jumped into the river in their kayaks and ran Grade 5 rapids blind (no scouting) to escape the hail of bullets. (Easy to die in G. 5).

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adven ... strel.html

trev


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