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From: Peter Osman <PeterO_at_ambri.com.au>
subject: [Paddlewise] Lightning
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 1999 09:06:17 +1000
The news reported a kayaker out in that same Sydney storm - the hail (sise
of golfballs and cricket balls in some places) left his boat in a bit of a
mess. He survived but had to be rescued.

PeterO

Wayne Langmaid wrote:
> 
> G'day -
> 
> We had a massive storm down here in Sydney, Australia about 10 days ago -
20,000
> homes and businesses with their roofs smashed in by hail the size of small
> bricks, over 25,000 cars damaged, many total write offs - $800,000,000 in
damage
> so far.
> 

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From: Clyde Sisler <clyde_sisler_at_email.msn.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Lightning
Date: Sun, 25 Apr 1999 04:33:42 -0400
>I think I've posted this before:  I've been in sailboats and in motor boats
>during severe storms... some with lighting strikes some 50 feet from the


Here's last year's Paddlewise discussion:

http://csisler.com/Kayaks/PaddleWise/Safety/Lightning.htm

If I didn't get it all, I'll add the rest when I find it.

I used to have a lot of links to lightning sites but lost them somewhere.
Anybody else have any good ones?

Is it lightning or lightening.  I already know what Hank thinks :-).

Clyde Sisler
http://csisler.com


>boat.  I thought for sure we were going to be killed...I would have gotten
>off the water if I could have.  I flew into an airport during a lightening
>storm once and met a fellow pilot seeking refuge on the ground, he advised
>thathe'd rather be down here on the ground wising he was up there, than up
>there wishing he were down here.
>
>
>I guess the only good thing is, in seawater, you're pretty close to being
>grounded.
>
>I read about a fellow who was sitting on the fantail of a steel hulled boat
>and was struck.  He was badly burned and it blew out a hole in the boat
>where he had been sitting.. he survived.  Most of the sailing articles I've
>read recommend grounding the mast during electrical storms.  I bought lead
>straps to wrap the mast and trail in the water... not that I knew it ever
>did any good.  As for salt vs. fresh water, I would think that salt water
>would dissipate the electrical charge better, thus, you would be able to
>survive a strike that was closer to you in salt water.  A direct hit would
>probably fry you either way, regardless of what you were wearing.
>
>Robert
>
>
> Does anyone have information on kayaking accidents involving
>>lightning?  Is boat/paddle/clothing composition a relevant factor?  Salt
>>versus fresh water?>
>>
>>I've been paddling on the salt chuck for 20 years, never do get off the
>>water when lightning is about, and I've never been hit.
>>
>>Dead man paddling :) ,
>>Doug lloyd
>>
>>
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>
>
>rcline_at_onramp.net
>
>
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From: Wes Boyd <boydwe_at_dmci.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Lightning
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 1999 08:46:18 -0400
At 09:06 AM 4/27/99 +1000, you wrote:
>
>The news reported a kayaker out in that same Sydney storm - the hail (sise
>of golfballs and cricket balls in some places) left his boat in a bit of a
>mess. He survived but had to be rescued.
>
We had a guy get caught in a hailstorm out on a lake around here a few years
ago. He rolled, wet-exited, and stuck his head up into the cockpit and let
the hail beat on the bottom of the hull. Good thinking.

-- Wes

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From: <RWMCT_at_aol.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Lightning
Date: Wed, 28 Aug 2002 22:48:52 EDT
 "my perception about the tree statement above is that if you are that close, 
you will be impacted even though not hit.  My perception is that it could 
still lift you up, slam you down, and generally ruin your day, even though 
you weren't "hit".  At minimum, you'd be a bit "tingly" and you'd have to 
change the batteries in your pace-maker, so to speak.  It's kind of like 
playing with hand-grenades... close is close enough. "
 
   A few years ago I was on the banks of the Connecticut under some trees 
when lightning struck a tree about five feet from where I stood.  It carved a 
v shaped groove in the bark from half way up down to the ground.  I could not 
hear anything for a couple seconds during and after the strike, but was 
otherwise unscathed.  Lucky, probably.

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