Another Lesson Learned - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

GregAndrew · 10-14-2011, 09:20 PM

Unless you are charting your course, a compass is not going to be of much help in those conditions. I will grant that it could point you towards land (East), but it is not going to show you the way home or a safe landing for that matter.

MVC · 10-15-2011, 06:32 AM

I fished at Dana Point yesterday and about 1:00 the fog came in very heavy. I was out at the kelp in front of Salt Creek. I always carry a small handheld GPS and just followed my track line back to the harbor.

T Bone · 10-15-2011, 06:52 AM

And if you are going to get a smart phone,consider the G'zone Commando WATERPROOF ANDROID !!!

Glad you are OK.Fog can be freaky.I love when it lifts to reveal a sunny day!
Eventually someone will put a radar on their kayak.I would have bet Doug(DGAX) would have been the first,but I think he moved out of state...

pchen911 · 10-15-2011, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GregAndrew

Unless you are charting your course, a compass is not going to be of much help in those conditions. I will grant that it could point you towards land (East), but it is not going to show you the way home or a safe landing for that matter.

Exactly.

I carried a compass for years, never used it.

When fog is pea soup thick, you can use the swell direction to get your bearing.

At La Jolla, I launched in pea soup many time before and used the just the swell to guide myself to the pier for bait (compass stayed inside the dry box all the time), then hop from reserve bouy to reserve bouy to the corner of the reserve, then went towards the point using just the swell as guide, then along the kelp edge to the outside. Never using the compass I was carrying.

A GPS is much more useful, you can still fish your designated spots and not just directionally navigate. A handheld GPS is cheap and useful on every outing. (Walmart is having a clearance, they are discontinuing their handheld GPS... If they have any left over that is. A Garmin Venture HC is only $20 (normally around $100), A magellan Triton 500 for $80 (Normally $250)).

William Novotny · 10-15-2011, 08:55 AM

Got store cred at walmart! Whoop whoop!!! On my way!

10-15-2011, 06:52 AM	#3
T Bone Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Redlands CA Posts: 871	And if you are going to get a smart phone,consider the G'zone Commando WATERPROOF ANDROID !!! Glad you are OK.Fog can be freaky.I love when it lifts to reveal a sunny day! Eventually someone will put a radar on their kayak.I would have bet Doug(DGAX) would have been the first,but I think he moved out of state... __________________ Barachit Baralah,Elohim-In the beginning,God-Genesis 1:1 "Who among you,if your son asked for a fish would give them a serpent " Jesus Matt. 7:10

10-14-2011, 09:20 PM	#1
GregAndrew Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 2,384	Unless you are charting your course, a compass is not going to be of much help in those conditions. I will grant that it could point you towards land (East), but it is not going to show you the way home or a safe landing for that matter.

10-15-2011, 06:32 AM	#2
MVC Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Costa Mesa Posts: 278	I fished at Dana Point yesterday and about 1:00 the fog came in very heavy. I was out at the kelp in front of Salt Creek. I always carry a small handheld GPS and just followed my track line back to the harbor.

10-15-2011, 08:55 AM	#5
William Novotny The carpetbagger Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: tha newps Posts: 1,474	Got store cred at walmart! Whoop whoop!!! On my way!