RE: [Paddlewise] Anyone Been In A Thunderstorm?

I have no personal experience with lighting while out in a kayak but I have 
seen quite a few strikes (and near strikes) whilst in the mountains, and 
also some data from aircraft "survivability" investigations when I worked 
in the industry.

1.  Lightning will generally want to strike the highest and sharpest (i.e. 
most pointy, or smallest radius) shape around.  So the last place you want 
to be on a mountain for example on the peak, or on a ridge.  Being under 
the tallest tree around is also the worst place get out of the weather. 
 Also note that a tree on the side of more rounded summit is more likely to 
get struck than the peak even if the tree is lower.

2.  Small quantities of conductors like tent poles or pots are not likely 
to attract a strike, but large pointed ones could, especially if it is the 
tallest object and forms a bridge to the ground.

I learned this once in a rather unnerving way, once I had skied up to the 
summit of mount Baker on what started out as a clear spring day.  On the 
summit I took the skis off to rest and prepare for the decent by removing 
the climbing skins, adjust the bindings and boots, put on a parka, etc. 
 The skis were sticking strait up out of the snow, I was sitting on my pack 
next to them.  There had been a slowing gathering haze, then clouds, right 
over the summit during the afternoon, but no wind or precipitation, and 
certainly no lightning or thunder.

As I got ready to put my pack back on I heard an odd loud hissing sound 
that sounded like it was coming from down slope below me.  It was almost 
like the sound of air leaking from an air tank.  I thought it might be air 
coming from a crevasse caused by the glacier movement or something but I 
never seen or heard of that before. I walked around a bit to see where the 
sound was coming from, but as I moved way from my gear it was sounding 
farther way.  Then I thought something was leaking in my pack, altitude 
will sometime cause water bottles or sealed packaging to swell up and leak, 
but it was so loud, and getting louder.  And it was not coming from my pack 
anyway, I checked.

I walked in a slow circle around the skis and realized the sound was coming 
from them (?).  It did not sound threatening, just odd, and getting louder 
still.  Air leaking from my skis?  I ran my bare hands up and down on them 
and did not feel anything unusual.

At that point I started smelling that unique "electricity" smell caused by 
ozone formation from the air starting to ionize in a strong electric field. 
 I knew that in a pending strike the air has to become ionized before the 
electricity can "jump" from the cloud to the ground, or from cloud to 
cloud, otherwise normal air will not conduct electricity.  That is when I 
realized the sound was likely due to a high voltage potential and a strike 
was likely imminent!

I have seen lot of lightning strikes in the mountains, and smelled that 
smell before but I never had been at ground zero.  I had also read quite a 
bit about lighting effects in the mountains and had never heard of anyone 
reporting this hissing sound.  But the ozone smell made the connection for 
me.  I immediately pulled the skis out of the snow and laid them down.  The 
hissing sound stopped!  But the ozone smell was still present and now my 
head was the highest point around!

I put the pack and skis on as fast as I could and burned down the mountain, 
to hell with the crevasses!  I descend 3 miles and 6000 feet in about 45 
minutes.  Putting as much distance between me and the summit dome as 
possible where this cloud cap had formed.

In general I would think if you are at risk of lighting strike out on the 
water the best thing you can do is make your self as low as possible (not 
much in a kayak, but even a little lower is better than nothing considering 
out on the water you will be a target anyway).  Another thing I have seen 
in the studies of human strikes is some evidence of a lot of physical 
activity may attract the strike.  For instance there were situations where 
a jogger was hit even though there were objects much higher around the 
strike site, another where a whole baseball team was in the field standing 
still, and the pitcher was struck right as he was winding up for a pitch.

So if you know you are at imminent risk of a strike, I would put the paddle 
away, sit sill and try to lay flat.  Or better, completely slip down inside 
the kayak if possible.

You would also be surprised to learn that most people struck by lightning 
actually survive.  Some are not even injured, I met one personally on a 
summit climb.  He had just been hit above me after a sudden storm had broke 
out. It was not a direct hit but he got electrocuted and knocked out 
through the surface discharge on the rock he was holding onto.  After he 
woke up he rapidly climb down to where I was waiting out the storm.  He was 
shaken but physically fine, we spent several hours together waiting for the 
storm to clear and gave it up and descended together.  I figured if there 
was going to be another strike near us he would make a good lightning rod 
;^).  However more commonly the survivors injuries range from mild burns, 
to pretty severe internal burns and brain damage.  So best not to depend on 
luck if you are in an electrical storm.

If a kayak was struck it would turn into a ball of charred fuzz and not 
hold water very well, I've seen it on fiberglass aircraft parts.  They 
protect against this by embedding thin metal foil strips in the fiberglass 
to conduct the electricity across the surface of the part, I do not know if 
doing that on a kayak would make it more of a target, or allow it discharge 
to the water without damage.  Sea water over the surface I would think 
would make it a conductor anyway.

If you are down inside the kayak you would likely be safe since the 
electricity would flow down the surface of the hull to the water.  Though 
you might suffer hearing damage.  This has happened on small aircraft 
strikes, no electrical burns or physical damage to the aircraft or 
passengers, but fiberglass and electronic equipment damage.  Even the 
engine keeps running and they can land safely presuming they could locate 
an airport with their electronics burned out.

If you know strikes are imminent when out in a kayak (because you have seen 
other surface strikes and now you smell ozone and see a lot of static 
sparks), I would consider rolling, wet exiting and waiting until the cell 
passes with my head up inside the overturned cockpit.  Not a 
recommendation, just what I would consider doing.  There is not evidence 
you would be better off doing this or not (that is my disclaimer).

Peter Chopelas



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