The ocean giveth....

[Evil D]

I would probably just throw it into the water in the heat of action, knowing I could get it back. But, I also have never kayaked so I'm just imagining solutions here.

[Surfingringo]

If you are talking about throwing it in with the lanyard attached, you have the same problem of the lanyard possible getting tangled with a fish you are hauling over the side. If you mean attached to a float then that is a possibility but doesn't guarantee you'll get it back. I broke my leash and lost a 6'6" surfboard one day last year and never saw the board again. It took me over half an hour and fifty waves on the head to fight through the current and make my way in and I was very close to drowning. Harrowing experience. It was about half again this size.

Now I'm obviously not kayaking through waves like that but the point is that between ground swell, storm swell, waves, wind and river mouths, there is lots of water moving out there and tons of current. I have lost two gopros with floaties attached. They floated up somewhere but I never laid eyes on them again. I'm not trying to sound like I'm dismissing y'alls ideas offhand, I appreciate all the ideas actually...I'm just trying to offer a better understanding of what we're talking about. The idea of a small float that doesn't get in the way of performance is probably the least cumbersome option. Like one of those keychain foam floaty things. I might need to attach one and see if it floats and see how much it bothers me in use.

[Surfingringo]

I know this is drifting off the topic of lost knives, but my last post got me thinking about that day and how the ocean can take more than my fishing gear. I met a doctor not long after the incident that was writing a self help book called "the Surfers Journey" and he asked me if I would do an interview with him for his research. This was shortly after my near drowning and the incident was still very fresh. He told me he uses parts of this video in his live seminars all the time now. Oooh la la. Lance is a moviestar. :rolleyes: If I had know he was coming i might have washed the salt off first. hehehe

https://youtu.be/j6Z8aD8 ... e=youtu.be

[tvenuto]

"I may be in it, I may not be, but I'm going to keep doing the next right action"

Great stuff right there.

[Xplorer]

"I may be in it, I may not be, but I'm going to keep doing the next right action"

That's a quote we can all apply to every day life for sure! Thanks for sharing that Lance! Glad you made it brother! :)

[mb1]

I never lose knives in my cubicle, even when it gets stormy and people yell at me. Cubicles. They might kill ya slowly, but they're great for keeping up with your gear!

[mb1]

I know this is drifting off the topic of lost knives, but my last post got me thinking about that day and how the ocean can take more than my fishing gear. I met a doctor not long after the incident that was writing a self help book called "the Surfers Journey" and he asked me if I would do an interview with him for his research. This was shortly after my near drowning and the incident was still very fresh. He told me he uses parts of this video in his live seminars all the time now. Oooh la la. Lance is a moviestar. :rolleyes: If I had know he was coming i might have washed the salt off first. hehehe

https://youtu.be/j6Z8aD8 ... e=youtu.be

That was an intense experience man. I imagine it would make you appreciate life all the more when you get a second (third, fourth) chance. Glad you made it.

[Bloke]

Lance, listening to your account gave me goose bumps! I've nearly drowned twice in the surf. The first time I was about 15yrs old. I won't bore you with details but, everything you said, except it was a 12’ day and I muffed the take-off on the first wave of a big sweeper set and fell down the face, popped the leg rope, got caught in the impact zone, and the zip down the back of my wetsuit came undone and my hands were too cold I think, to feel the cord zipper pull to do it back up. As my head broke the surface I got little to no air as a wall of white water overtook me, and it got worse from there! Anyhow, at some point everything went silent, dead silent no surf noise, no nothing, mute and everything was the same colour, a pale pastel navy blue.

I remember thinking I'm going to drown and Mum and Dad are really going to be upset over this one, but I don’t recall being scared. If anything it was a bizarrely pleasant feeling, I can't explain it other than to think I resigned myself to the fact and I became more of a spectator than a participant. Then everything changed again! The surf pounded and rumbled and I could see again. An older surfer had watched it all, came got me and we kicking to the beach across his board! :o

[anagarika]

Lance,

Thank you for sharing the fun & also the thoughtful stories!

[JD Spydo]

Well dude all I can say is that the guy on the Animal Planet TV Show "RIVER MONSTERS" doesn't have anything on you at all Actually I'm 99% certain that Jeremy Wade himself would gladly give you a "high five" on that catch. It does remind me though when Jeremy Wade caught that monster, fresh water stingray that also broke his rod>> which was a very expensive, high quality piece of hardware needless to say.

What I wouldn't give for some fresh Red Snapper or Flounder at this very moment. I'm a fish lover myself and for that I wish you and your's a lot of good dining experiences from that catch. Great Catch!! and great skill as well.

[mrtodd777]

Kayak fishing is no joke, and it is VERY easy to lose gear, even when tethered to your yak. My Near death Experience came a couple summers ago when my anchor rope became hung. I should have cut it, but instead I gave it one last tug and she came loose right as a 6' swell hit me broadside. When I flipped my kayak flew up into the air just a bit, then came down on my head. I have NO IDEA how that happened. I was almost knocked unconscious, but luckily I am hard headed. Lost just about all my gear when I turtled. I was also hooked to a lure through my hand that was attached to a rod dangling below me. It was a scary one..

Here's the knot on my dome that just about did me in..

Untitled by Todd Crawford, on Flickr

And some fruits of our labor.

Untitled by Todd Crawford, on Flickr