# Pacer Yakes - How far is too far?



## Bruteal (Jan 24, 2010)

Hi guys,

Im fairly new to yaking, but so far im loving every minute of it. 
I have a small Pacer, which seems like a good little Yak for what i want. So far i've taken it out as far as St Helena Island without any problems (apart from mis judging the mud flats at low tide and spending an hour walking though knee high mud and dragging the yak behind me). I want to do alot more touring around the islands off the coast, but what i want to know is how far can i go? What conditions can the yak handle and does it just come down to experience? 
I got myself a PFD Type 1 which i find very comfortable, i would like to get an epirb or simmilar in the future as well. But as i said, I just want to know how far out i can go. 
Appreciate any advice/tips please guys.

Cheers.

P.S sorry if this is posted in the wrong topic.


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## FazerPete (Mar 10, 2009)

I too have a small yak and my theory is that I shouldn't be more than 15-20 minutes paddling away from safety. That's not to say that I can't go a long way from my launch point but I should be able to get to a safe shore in 15 minutes in case the weather turns.


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## NoelMc (Feb 6, 2010)

Good to hear u r wearing a PFD.
There are lots of safety tips but your gut feeling goes about half way. Experience will bring confidence and it's cousin over-confidence.
Weather conditions, especially off-shore wind always spook me.
Have a plan B and a plan C "do something else".
Enjoy, Cheers, Noel..


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## simond11 (Aug 29, 2005)

What has been said is great advice, although I think that given the size of your yak and how far you go out, an EPIRB might just be a tad overkill. Probably better if you invested in a good VHF radio and ensured you never went beyond your abilities. Over confidence can cause grief. Small steps.....
Cheers


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## Bruteal (Jan 24, 2010)

Thanks for the great info guys, much appreciated!!!


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## justcrusin (Oct 1, 2006)

the pacer is pretty small therefore it will be slow in a big wind, another thing you need to ensure is that when it does blow up and one day it will. You can get the yak back into the prevailing conditions.



> Have a plan BI too have a small yak and my theory is that I shouldn't be more than 15-20 minutes paddling away from safety.


Personally I combine these two on any yak fishing trip. I have my wheels and phone with me and would rather walk and call for help than fight my way home unsafely. Your family might like the feed but they want you home too.

Another point I think people go too far in search of fish, the best fish I have caught have been within 100m of a shoreline, that's for offshore and estuary. Fish want bait and bait is around structure, there is always some sort of good structure at each end of a beach, maybe a bommie thats not too far out.

Taking a buddy is a good idea too.

Cheers Dave


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