Re: [Paddlewise] Kayak Visibility

On Tue, Jun 24, 2008 at 5:37 AM, Mike Euritt <sixteenfeet_at_sbcglobal.net>
wrote:

Mike's post on was the genesis of the thread about visibility.
Unfortunately, we got waylaid by the word "radar" and while we were all
going down that road Mike brought us back to the freeway by explaining that
there are other reasons for flying a flag on a pole from your kayak.

I bought it because it looked like it would increase visibility for both my
> kayak and my
> row boat in the confines of Richardson Bay, among all the anchor outs, and
> if
> it happens to light up a radar screen, so much the better. Except in
> perfect
> conditions, we are pretty invisible, like a bike on a country road.


The thread did more-or-less degenerate into a discussion about visibility on
radar screens but under some conditions having a flag flying - radar
reflective or not - can be an excellent idea. I always feel vulnerable when
crossing an area infested with power boats. I know they often outpace the
abilities of their drivers. I just wish I knew how visible we are from float
planes landing on Seattle's Lake Union. Maybe a dozen balloons on a 50-foot
string would make the pilot of a Beaver think again about cutting it close.
(They're actually better than the power boats but it can give you quite a
start when they are wave-hopping right towards you.)


> Seems like most everywhere I paddle is shallow, and getting back into the
> Loch
> Lomond Marina near my home, a kayak has to use the same dredged channel as
> the
> biggest sailboat at lower tides, so I don't always have the option to stay
> near the edges, as was posted recently on this thread.
>

This is the sort of scenario that would make me ultra-cautious as well. And
I'm glad you mentioned "sailboat" because they are so often steered from the
very back of the boat and with the high bow on so many sailboats the ability
of the pilot to see a kayak in close confines is minimized. It's like the
flag so many states require of off-road-vehicles when playing in sand dunes.

There are times when a paddler needs every "edge" (s)he can get.


Craig Jungers
Moses Lake, WA
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