I wrote an article in my newsletter years ago about how to deal with lightning while kayaking. It was based on interviews with NOAA and USCG folk and some academics. Pretty much the advice given here by others is on the mark such as Dave Kruger's point about getting into trees and assuming "the position" on a PFD or insulation mat and Richard Smith's point about little exposure while out on the water in a low kayak. The only things I would add from the article are: 1. If you are on the water and are confident that you can get to shore, abandon your boat and get into deep trees and assume the position, do so. If you don't feel you have that amount of time, then you are better off staying out to sea and crouched over as low as possible in your boat. Here is where being in a stable kayak works out well, since waters do churn up in storm. You really want to avoid using your paddle and creating any bridges between you, it and the water. 2. The most dangerous place seems to be a zone 50-100 yards on either side of the shore line, i.e. on the beach or in the waters immediately off it. If you find yourself caught on the beach as lightning strikes and have not been able to get into a more protected area, stay in your boat low or assume the position, i.e. don't be caught standing tall or running. 3. Watch where you seek shelter. There was a case in the early 90s here in Rhode Island where some kayakers sought shelter in an old set of fortifications. They were in a pillbox gunpost and got hurt by lightning that coursed through all the steel rebars in the concrete walls. The position? What Dave describes. You get on your knees or if you can sit low on you your feet (something most women can't do BTW because of they way they are built), have your head down and your arms and hands tucked in or on your head like a surrounding soldier. While there are arguments whether having something below you helps (mountaineers used coiled rope, we can use our PFDs) do have something under you of that nature as it can't hurt. As some people have said, the odds of being struck are low. All you are trying to do is reduce those odds further through steps such as mentioned above and by others. With lightning there are no guarantees of being absolutely 100% strike-free. I have heard of cases where a group of sailors in small sailboats pulled up to a beach where the person struck by lightning was nearest the boat with the shortest mast made of wood where as others with taller aluminum masts did not get hit on the same beach. Go figure. Have I ever been caught in lightning on the water? Several times but once memorably. I was leading a group of kayakers when the skies really lit up with bolts coming our way. We happened to be near a beach we could land on and I felt with enough time to get into deep woods. We landed, pulled our boats as high as we could in a hurry so that waves would not wash them out into the water. Ran into the woods with our PFDs. I had all the group assume the position at intervals from each other along the side of a path on the woods. There we waited out the lightning striking around us; I kept us that way for a bit longer until sure the storm was moving away. I later wondered what someone who might have happened down the path would have thought seeing us all still lined up wearing skirts with our asses up. :-) ralph diaz -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Mon Mar 26 2001 - 07:25:53 PST
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