Just cause you're old and experienced, doesn't make you idiotproof

[yakmaster]

Don’t gotta scrape too deep to find the idiot. That’s why you always have to be thinking when you're on the water.

I was reminded of this fact this weekend. I was going out for a quicky paddle on the north end of Key largo, diving for lobster in the shallows. Only going around the corner, so going alone wasn’t supposed to be an issue. After a couple of hours of snorkeling with my boat tied to my weight belt, I decided to call it a day. Threw all my gear in the boat, climbed in, started my paddle home. Then I saw my tickle stick had fallen overboard and there it was, just three feet under me.

No problem, just drop over the side, get my stick & be on my way. That’s what I thought as I went over the side, heck I even left my sunglasses on. I’d be home in time for lunch…

Sure enough I got the stick in no time and was headed back to the boat, but the boat had other plans. When I came up she was 5’ away, after a few strokes to catch her, it was 7’. The more I swam towards her, the farther ahead of me she got.so I started to walk in the shallows and she kept just a few feet ahead of me, with the gap growing. I thought of walking to shore, going home and getting a motorboat to chase her down, but that would take a while & she could get away from me. I decided to just keep after her. She kept blowing downwind and I kept walking behind her. I kept trying to flag passing motorboats, but I was in a no motor zone. Thankfully as she neared angelfish creek a couple of passing fishermen caught her & held her till I could get there. All in all I walked about a half a mile, barefoot, over undefined bottom. I’m lucky all I got was a sunburn and a couple of sea urchin spines.

Hell I’m lucky to be telling the story. This could have happened away from a populated shore and away from a creek that gets as much traffic as Angelfish and I could have been in a life threatening situation. I could’a been in the middle of Florida Bay, on foot without a boat, walking back to Flamingo. Not a good way to end it all…

It’s not the big decisions that kill you. It’s the little ones, jumping in to get a $2 ticklestick or going to the back of the boat to take a leak… Next thing you know, you're in the water and safety is fading into the horizon. I should have gone with someone, I should have dropped the anchor before dropping in, at the very least, I should have stayed downwind of my boat, but I didn’t and that could have made all the difference!

Can’t be the only idiot on these boards, let’s hear some good true life “whoops, I almost screwed up bad” stories.

Oh and by the way, if you’re drinking with some boys telling a story about the idiot with the blue boat that they rescued on the flats, tell’em Charlie says THANKS and buy em a beer for me!

[Juan Estevez]

Yak thanks for sharing and remind us to have common sense.

A couple years ago I left Picnic Key in route to Rabbit, usually a pretty and uneventful paddle. For some who knows what reason  I had stuck in my mind to do it in one shot, this route have some pretty stops; Kingstone, Indian and Jewel key to name a couple.

But an idiot like me just wanted to get to Rabbit and I got somewhat away from the 'coast" so I could see Rabbit Key in the distance and I kept paddling.

Well you know how it goes in the Glades, it was like someone flipped a switch, conditions got real bad, waves started coming, high wind, white caps (really big ones) from all around me and the more I paddle Rabbit key was always far away.

I have no clue how and why I didn't capsize, my full loaded kayak was almost half with water from the rain and the waves (that pump you see on the side of kayaks really works).

Use common sense, hug the coast, go between the islands, make the stops and enjoy the beautiful little beaches of Jewel and India Key. If conditions change for the worst at least you're a few paddle closer to a mangrove island.

[Keith W]

Charlie, the really important question is...

...did you get any bugs???

[yakmaster]

That's why I kept chasing the boat!

 

2 hours of work & all I had to show for it was 1 bug, I wasn't letting it get away.

 

On the other hand & after reflection, If I would have walked home & chased it down on my motorboat, I could have claimed that there were a dozen bugs & somebody must've stolen them!

 

See, the pressure of the moment tends to cloud your judgement!

[Rob Stevens]

Since I can't swim even canoeing off shore of the glades still scares me to death  but I can't help myself. Crossing open water always feels death defying.  And Allison in the bow just natters away like it's no big deal. (Of course not only does she float but she can actually swim, damn her!) And age and bad experience has not made me one bit wiser. I never let history stand in the way of optimism. Solo canoeing on the Washington coast with wind, fog and friendly sea lions in September  or canoe camping Door County,Lake Michigan,  again solo, in January, I can't help myself, it's so beautiful. My concern is, if something should happen to me because I was being an idiot, that regulators don't use it as a reason to prevent other sensible people from canoeing in potentially hazardous conditions.

    I actually support regulations, just realize stupid people, like me, are going to do stupid things.