To start you off here is Jordo's report after we dragged him offshore down the coast to chase tuna:Yako wrote:Hmmm just read this post (yeah a bit slow )
I'm keen but never done an offshore in a yak before.
Is there a link or other links with what to expect, distances covered, target species, best gear to bring rods, safety etc ?
Ummm yeah should I post this under Newby section ?
Thanks
Rich.
Jordo wrote:I'm writing this to reflect on how I got into offshore kayak fishing and so that anyone planning to give offshore kayaking a go can get a sense of what's required and what to expect.
A bit of background first; when deciding to try my hand at offshore kayak fishing the first thing I did was hit the internet to do some research. While researching I was asking myself questions such as; who is doing this? how? where? and what gear are they using?
It became clear very quickly that people that where doing this type of fishing took the kayaking aspect of it very seriously as well, it wasn't about just having something under you that kept you afloat. I started looking around for a new yak that would be up to the task and my research led me to glass yaks. I saw videos of people punching through massive surf in these things and thought 'if they can handle that then they can handle just about anything', fair to say I had (and still have) a lot more to learn. Anyway I found a place in Melbourne that sold some glass fishing yaks and went in to check it out. The knowledge I gained from talking to the guys in the store was invaluable, even if I didn't realize it at the time, and I picked out an adequate kayak. The people at the store also put me on to someone who was already into offshore kayaking (Eoin), and the knowledge and advise I gained from talking to him was also crucial.
I then got onto the forum here and did some more research reading the accounts of others who had been offshore. I also got involved on the forum and soon enough an opportunity for going offshore came along in the form of the south west Vic trip. I scrambled to get the last of my safety gear together, but tried not to take any short-cuts either. My first trip offshore was on my own before anyone else had gotten down there. looking back that was a bit of a stupid move. I was way out of my depth. I brought a bit too much gear on board and wasn't prepared for how daunting the swell would be at first. After a short outing I came back in and regrouped, it had been a huge learning curve and I had a lot to take away from it for when I went out next. The next day I stripped back the gear I was taking out. I had learnt from the day before and remembering what I'd been told back at the store, that the more gear I had the more my yaks performance was compromised. After the day before experiencing the swell in conjunction with the wind for the first time I was making kayak performance my first priority.
This time out I was going with a group of guys who had a lot of offshore experience, and I highly recommend going out with a group. Not only is it safer, but being new to the sport it is reassuring having people who know what their doing with you, and it gave me a lot more confidence in the swell.
Here were my first impressions of offshore:
- It's a bit scary at first and takes a bit of getting use to. The swell is nothing like bay waves, the swell seems huge and makes you feel very small. They tend to be far apart though, and after a while you get use to them just slowly lifting you up and putting you back down.
- once you get use to the swell you realize the real issue out there is wind and chop
- there is a lot more paddling then I anticipated; while you may be going 3 kms offshore, you don't go as the crow flies. In around the first kilometer out from shore there are breakers, reefs, rock walls and point breaks that all require a wide birth. Looking at my GPS we had done 5-6kms just to get 3kms offshore
- but despite all of that, it is extremely exciting! and a lot of fun!
Things I learnt:
- minimize the gear you are taking out with you. It helps with performance and balance and I found that I wasn't changing lures or gear very often anyway. In the end I found that my safety gear made up the majority of what I took out there with me.
- If you stop to pull up a line, pull up the rudder as well (If you can). Otherwise the swell and wind can quickly push you back over any other lines and they get tangled around the rudder.
- Dry pants are defiantly a good investment. I didn't have any and I paid the price, my toes are still defrosting.
- I have a lot of work to do on my paddle stroke. I was very quickly paying the price of my inefficient stroke technique.
My suggestions to anyone else wanting to give it a go:
- Do your research; use youtube, forums and go to some kayak stores. Find out as much as you can as the knowledge is invaluable when getting started. I constantly found myself remembering stuff from my research and putting it to use while out there or during my preparation.
- Get all the safety gear. Even if you never need it, it gave me the confidence I needed when dealing with the elements out there knowing that I had everything I needed to ensure that I got home in one piece.
- Don't be deterred by the swell. It is a completely different type of wave to anything inshore, and it can be very unnerving at first.
- watch the weather, and know what it means for kayaking. This was another thing I learnt a lot about, reading swells, wind and tide and knowing how each will effect your kayaking.
- Make sure your yak is up to the challenge. I could never have gone offshore in my old yak.
- remember that the main challenge is getting back. One of the guys I went out with said that 1/3 of your energy is for getting out, 1/3 for getting back in, and 1/3 in the tank for any wind, chop and tide you may face getting back in.
- Go out in a group. It is a key safety feature and it gives you confidence.
- And finally have fun, it is a fantastic experience.
My offshore kayaking days have only just began, I can't wait to get out there again. This has been an honest report of how I got into it and how I found it, I hope it helps anyone else who is interested.