Kayakers and tsunami What to do?

[Jimmyz123]

Originally Posted by onetriphudson

If some monster wave was headed for the shore I'd paddle for the deepest water that I knew of. Of course the aftermath would probably be so horrible that you wouldn't have much to come back to. That's if the currents don't take you off to San Nicholas. Better pack some waters and power bars!.

I talked to a guy the other day at West Marine that was around some island chain during the Tsunami that hit India. He said that they were near open water and headed straight into the wave. When the wave reached them it was like sailing up hill but it did not crest. They just got to the top of it and then it was flat. Hours later they were sailing around scooping up people that had been washed off the island. Lots of people were killed. Crazy!

Anyone who has surfed or knows why a wave breaks knows that the deeper the water the better. The shallower you go the more chance you have for this wave to break. A wave will break when the bottom is half as deep as the water is tall.

Often when you hear a Tsunami is coming many of the military ships will head out to see and rid out the surge. I don't think the surge was big enough for the ships in our harbor to head out.

The last place you want to be when a Tsunami hits is standing on shore. Kiss your sweet A$$ goodbye at that point.