Richard Walker wrote: >They dive out of kayaks a lot in states with clearer water close to >shore, but I'm thinking that water on a good day 6 miles out may >be clear enough to dive around the platforms and have a good time. >6 miles on a straight course is pretty easy to do in a couple hours. >I'm not particularly picky, water quality wise. I've only 'snorkeled at >depth' with truly clear water once, in Hawaii, a good while back. That's pretty interesting Richard. I've been (scuba) diving on these ...on a good day. And the water at 6 miles is still pretty greenish: I.e. 10-12 ft. visability. How do you keep your kayak from banging around against the platforms? Robert *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
To the list: originally this was just a regular email conversation, that RC posted to the list, so just so you know where we were, the discussion was about diving, near shore, in Texas, from kayaks. RC has a falcon 18, a boat that I'm in love with, so I'm jealous. I bought an Edisto in Dec97, and hope to buy a falcon (or possibly the Necky Tesla...) sometime in 2000. I have spent my first year+ of kayaking, basically learning lots of different "tricks*, freediving being one of these. > That's pretty interesting Richard. I've been (scuba) diving on these > ...on a good day. And the water at 6 miles is still pretty greenish: > I.e. 10-12 ft. visability. 10-12 is more visibility than I'm used to... Besides, if you can see the fish 40ft away, they can see you 40ft away. I've spent this first year+ strictly in freshwater though, usually with less than 10ft vis. The Frio River was clearer in the mornings before all the swimmers mucked it up for the day. On the other extreme, Lake Conroe.... Of course, I was raised in East Texas, so I thought all natural water was supposed to be brown until our family went to Hawaii. > How do you keep your kayak from banging around against the platforms? You are reading way to much experience into my plans. I have *not* been out to the platforms yet. These are problems that still must be worked out. I imagine my first trip out, I won't even really do any significant diving. I'll probably bring some spoons and some bait, maybe catch something just to make the trip productive. Alot will depend on the traffic. Its also true that my kayak is a beater, its got hundreds of scratches and dozens of gouges, a few more won't make any difference, I just want to avoid having it run over, or wrapped on the platform's legs. I figure one of these methods will work though: 1. Anchoring away from the platform (in light traffic) 2. tieing up with about 50' between, (steady wind, and light traffic) 3. being obnoxious and tieing up under the platform I know most folks don't carry an anchor that is adequate to the task. I *do*. The bottom is also within range, so if need be, I could manually set it, which is something I have done before. If it weren't for flu and a hacker scumbag from Russia playing with our system, I'd of been able to get out there to see these things for myself this month, instead I'm babysitting a computer in Austin, and helping Kleenex post record sales figures for January and February. I end up having to be satisfied with doing canoe launch work, and putting around on Buffalo Bayou. I'm promissing myself that I'm going to suck it up and tolerate the heat this summer, since our nice winter seems to be slipping away by the minute without me getting out on the big pond again. Richard Walker Houston, TX http://www.neosoft.com/~rww/kayak_log.html *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Tie-ing up a large boat on the off shore platforms is difficult enough. We would post a man on the bow... some used big hooks which we can't carry. We'd throw a rope over the pilings... thinkg that are really difficult to do. Also, wind shifts will throw your boat into the pilings...thus whenever we left the rigs, we always left someone in the boat... as for currents, we would trail a 200 foot line behind the boat as sometimes the currents are really strong out there. The gulf has lots of VERY LARGE eddies swirls of current, several miles a part. While you can often see them, they are not predictable. It's a "look-see" proposition. Somebody on this list has probably done it however. ...comments? Richard Walker wrote: I have >*not* been out to the platforms yet. These are problems that still >must be worked out. I imagine my first trip out, I won't even really >do any significant diving. I'll probably bring some spoons and >some bait, maybe catch something just to make the trip productive. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
> Tie-ing up a large boat on the off shore platforms is difficult enough. > We would post a man on the bow... some used big hooks which we can't > carry. We'd throw a rope over the pilings... thinkg that are really > difficult to do. Also, wind shifts will throw your boat into the My experience with both bass boats, big boats, 30' sail boats, moderate ships, and kayaks leads me to believe that the bigger the boat, the harder it is to tie up, anchor, or otherwise make it stop. > pilings...thus whenever we left the rigs, we always left someone in the > boat... as for currents, we would trail a 200 foot line behind the boat as > sometimes the currents are really strong out there. The gulf has lots of > VERY LARGE eddies swirls of current, several miles a part. While you can > often see them, they are not predictable. It's a "look-see" proposition. I don't think a kayak needs that much of a warp. But we'll see. I'll be going out the first time with lots of different ways to tie up, exit, re-enter, etc. At the worst I'll drop an anchor to the bottom, and a warp out behind 100 yds or so away from the platform. Richard Walker Houston, TX http://www.neosoft.com/~rww/kayak_log.html *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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