# Surf safety



## PeterJ

With all the talk about surf launches it got me thinking . In respect to leashes etc, leashed to what to whom and the safety aspects of it all. :?:


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## Dodge

Peter

My record is 1 launch in the surf = 1 dunk, so minimal experience but for what its worth.

As much gear as possible below the decks, one of the blokes up here puts his loose gear in a hession bag in the surf and tied down, and lash rod along the rear deck to your safety line.

PFD essential, and glasses off and safely stored until you're offshore.

The only other contentious issue is paddle tethering [yes or no], I didn't in my episode, but now tether from forward of the cockpit and find it easy to access the boat.

Perfect your re-entry from the water :lol:

Finally getting a fish eye view of my espri in the surf [with mate aboard] be assured she'll do the job for you


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## gheppsie

Ive made up a few leashes with some nylon rope a few U clamps and some ring clips this cost me all of about 15 bucks for everything I need to secure rod, tacklebox, bucket, paddle and if I want, me to the deck. The prowler 13 provides plently of eyelets and such for cliping shackling and strapping, and as of sunday my setup has been tried and tested. Works a charm.

Importantly make sure you read my thread about loose knives.


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## Phoenix

I am making several leashes out of in-car phone chargers to attach;
1) Lip grippers to milk crate
2) Hook out to milk crate
3) Knife to milk crate
4) Gaf to kayak

These cost about $1.00 each and I superglued and cable-tied them closed. Not sure if that makes sence - but these are all essential items and I'd dread to loose them.

I will also use several professionally made leashes to attach paddle to kayak. Don't really fancy being swept out to sea


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## Salty Dog

Hi guys, I always tie off or leash everything that is going to be on deck. Luckily I had a well developed sense of paranoi in this regard as I have a strong record of surf crashes to date!! :lol:


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## Phoenix

Hi,
Yeah - next week when I have a couple of free moments, I will place a review of my crate, berley/ live bait tank & kayak kart.

Tight lines fellas


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## troppo

Just on Occy's point about protected waters, sometimes it doesn't take much to drop something overboard. The yak doesn't have to roll over to lose stuff. While I don't leash everything, I recognise this increases the risk. It's all about risk management.

The other day on the beach, I was playing in the waves, without any fishing gear, and after coming in and almost on dry land, I didn't concentrate and the tiny bit of wash that was left from the wave rolled me over. Was in water so shallow I got gravel rash on my knee. Just showed me that it is easy to make a mistake if not focused. At least if fishing and using leashes, a loss of concentration won't lose gear.

In Sat. paper, a guy fishing from a boat in the river got a phone call. He put his rod down to talk. Fish pulled rod overboard. He dived in after rod. Should have put phone down firs. Tally was 1 lost rod & reel + 1 water damaged phone.


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## Russ

occy said:


> Yeh Troppo, I have lost one pair of good sunglasses this way, on a perfectly brilliant flat water day. I now have a glasses leash, so lesson learned there.
> 
> But that poor bloody bugger with the bloody rod and reel (and bloody mobile phone). What a bloody dropkich eh? You have to ask the bloody question, what was he bloody doing answering a bloody phone whilst bloody fishing anyway. Unless it was a bloody mate telling him to come over his way because the bloody fish were bloody on, I reckon bloody mobiles should be bloody banned (like on bloody golf courses) when bloody fishing, except for bloody emergencies.
> 
> Bloody hell that was a bloody effort.


Bloody oath it was by the bloody sound of it,

Bloody


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## water_baby

bloody australian tourism board. bloody well make us say bloody for the tourists. bloody tourists :roll:


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## troppo

I've found the article so I can quote it rather than rely on my memory, fading as it is:

"Fisherman and son go fishing in a boat on river on Friday night. While talking on his mobile phone a large fish takes his bait and $200 rod. Not thinking, son dives into water with phone in hand. He loses bait, rod and phone." TMB 11/3/06

Nothing like a bit of dad and lad time and family bonding. Wonder how they would go on kayaks?


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## hairymick

:lol: :lol: :lol: Sounds more like Dad & Dave to me. :lol:


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## Guest

I use a coiled boogie board leash for my paddle, I have only had a couple of surf launches and as per the information given in sticky links didnt leash my paddle while going through the surf (dont know why they say dont, but I'd guess that the chances of holding onto your paddle which is tethered to your kayak which is being pushed by tonnes of water would be low to zero also if the kayak rolls the lead will be wrapped around the hull which would be a hassle to unwrap and you may need to start paddling quickly) and I havent lost my paddle but I did lose a hell of a lot of other stuff.


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## andybear

because the bloody fish were bloody on, I reckon bloody mobiles should be bloody banned (like on bloody golf courses) when bloody fishing, except for bloody emergencies.


> Occy is dead right you know! One time I was a couple of k off Margate, and the weather was far from flat. There I was trolling around, and I could feel this bloody vibration in the hull. *Bloody phone*. Anyhow, opened the hatch, which is something I dont like to do when there is weather about, and it was bloody werk. Gah! "Andy, can you be in Kelvin Grove in about .....an hour ago?." ......Grrr mutters I (respect for employer disconnects mouth from feelings) ....thank God. Can you hear the waves, I said....Im out in the bay, and at this rate, it will take me about five fffing hours to get back in!!
> 
> The only reason I take a mobile phone with me is just incase I find a body floating face down in the water, and the fish are really on..... sorry, so that I can call the emergency services I mean...
> 
> Cheers all Andybear :lol:


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## hairymick

Agree with Andy. Bottom of the bay is the best place for a mobile phime. I hate the bloody things too. I don't own one. I don't even like the land line in the house.

When was the last time someone rang you and asked if they could do something for you (rather than try to sell you something)

Antisocial old bugger aren't I


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## garrick

I guess with regards to not losing stuff over board, everything needs to be tied down. I am now looking into buying a kayak from South Africa where you can open a hatch between your feet and put everything including your rods inside. This idee of strapping your rods to the outside of a kayak just sounds like looking for trouble. That strap will give way sometime and then yopu stand the chance of either loosing or breaking your rods. With regards to knives, very important. Heard of a guy in South Africa who had a tiger shark biting into the back of his yak. A couple of stabs with his knife made it decide to let go.


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## Zed

Just 2 cents worth of opinion on launching/landing in surf.

For me, if it's very dicey, hollow, large waves, everthing goes below. If it's not a hollow break I would not put rods below, but leash them up tight --very little slack. That's just me; I get grief for it all the time. Knock wood.

I've got a dead-man leash and a paddle leash that I do NOT use when putting in or taking out of the surf. I just don't want to have that loose line around to wrap up my neck. I'd rather risk the $$$ for the paddle than risk hanging myself.

Sunglasses get forgotten on my face far too often. It's been an expensive Summer, for me, on the shades budget. But that's not safety, that's stupidity.

Z


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