# Dumping: have you ever done it and how?



## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

I am lucky, in my opinion, to have kayak fished for almost 3 years and have yet to dump. I did come really, really close this fall, though. I was in my 13' SOT, preparing to do a surf landing at Huntington Beach State Park in SC. I stopped paddling a ways from shore, watching the waves to try to time my landing, when a wave somehow broke behind me. It threw me sideways, parallel with the wave, and pushed me in. Somehow I managed to balance myself and not roll. I straightened up my yak in time to catch the next wave correctly, but I was in shallow water and my nose dipped, hit the sand, and kicked me sideways again, somehow I managed not to roll again. 

Let's hear some good stories!


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## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

Is the Pope Catholic?

1st time I tried kayak surfing I borrowed a kayak board deal, asked the guy for any really good advice, and out I went. Of course after I face planted...HARD...the guy says, Oh yeah, I forgot....LEAN BACK".

I've dumped several times while fishing, and that's always the worst. Just the gear that goes in the water....that can be painful. 
My first good one was on the Shenendoah. It's gotta ton of ledges in this one stretch, and my kayak at the time had a hard keel on the back. So just as I thought i had successfully "skootched" across a rocky ledge, my rear keel gets caught on it and suddenly I'm balancing on the inch wide keel.
In went all the rods, gear...well everything. It was too swift and deep to retrieve anything that didn't float except for one rod.

Gone in a few more times getting in or out, not paying attention and floating sideways or backwards and hitting rocks, reaching too far once for a fish in a wood pile, reaching too far to get a lure...

And I also have buddies who convince me I'm a good enough paddler to join them on a whitewater run...and I'm not. So I've had more than a few experiences when I ended up upside down...adn I don't really have a roll...so I have a few "wet exits" under my belt.

We have a small group of guys in Central Ohio that have been lovingly tagged as the Buckeye Swim Team, because we've spent our fair share of time "swimming" while kayaking.
Anytime anyone is along and dumps, in the presence of a Swim team member, they become an honorary member.
I know Stucky's a BST member, and I believe Critter is too. LOL!


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## fishingful (Apr 5, 2004)

I have gone in a few times but mostly in white water. I have only done it on flat water when demonstrating how to roll or teaching open water rescues to students. One thing that always amazes me is the amount of kayakers that don't wear their lifejackets. If you go over and wack your head on something your still going to die even if you can touch the bottom. I have hit my head several times when I went over in white water. The first thing I teach students is how to do a wet exit properly.


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## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

Here's my buddy from Virginia, becoming a BST member on the Allegheny river. A typical, "I didn't see that 40 foot rock until I hit it..."
His gear went to the bottom of the 10 foot hole, and we all dove for it unti lit was collected.
And no shiznit, the guy is a real life rocket scientist..with the goatee.









These guys learned on this day that a raft performs much differently in whitewater when it has a stiff fishing frame on it. 3 rods lost and the beginning of the 100% helmet clause institution:









This was one of the first forrays into whitewater fishing. My buddy, DaggerDave. Notice the fishing ruler on the side. The rod is inside the cockpit.
He learned to roll shortly after this.


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## streamstalker (Jul 8, 2005)

I've only ended up out of the boat twice, but that's because I mainly stick to these little central Ohio flows. Both times were issues of stupidity. The first was on the Darby in a Trapper John canoe. My canoe partner was a former Eagle Scout who did not fish and told me to relax and fish as he piloted. Well, he must have got his paddling badge on flat water because I had just cast out a spinner when I heard something like, "Oh, shoot." I looked up to see us getting sucked down a side channel with a complete strainer. We flipped in a split second, but somehow the hydraulics pinned all of my gear up under the canoe and I was able to get everything but a six-pack of Mepps. The water was about 60 degrees, so I was pretty chilled by the time I fished all the gear out.

The second time was totally my own stupidity on the Olentangy. The previous year I had run a tiny chute on the side of the lowhead below Antrim. Yeah, I know lowheads are dangerous, but the flow really couldn't drown a cat on that day and those damn dams on the Olentangy can make you really tired of getting in and out. I got through slick as a whistle in my Ultimate.

Next year, I'm floating down with Mushijobah and I try to be the old guy showing off for the young guy. I thought the water was about the same or higher, but it must have been lower, and I got stuck long enough for the little bit of water coming over the dam to start to fill my Ultimate. I tossed my paddle to the bank and grabbed hold of my rods as it quickly filled with water and somehow got the yak over to the bank. Trouble was, my tackle bag was unsecured in the front of the yak and I could watch it slowly float away and sink into one of the few holes of any depth on the Tangy while I dragged a water filled yak to the bank.

In retrospect I should have left the poles in what was only a few feet of water by the dam and gone for the bag which was easily stuffed with $500 worth of gear. It was a hot day in April, but the water was too cold to be diving for gear in 8-10 feet of water. I went back a day or two later with a pole with a hook on it and spent hours but never found it. The April showers kicked up shortly after and I never entertained any more thoughts of retrieving it.

Bubba and Stuck saw me take the 12' Ultimate sideways through a 10' chute this summer, but somehow I pulled out of that one.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

streamstalker said:


> I've only ended up out of the boat twice, but that's because I mainly stick to these little central Ohio flows. Both times were issues of stupidity. The first was on the Darby in a Trapper John canoe. My canoe partner was a former Eagle Scout who did not fish and told me to relax and fish as he piloted. Well, he must have got his paddling badge on flat water because I had just cast out a spinner when I heard something like, "Oh, shoot." I looked up to see us getting sucked down a side channel with a complete strainer. We flipped in a split second, but somehow the hydraulics pinned all of my gear up under the canoe and I was able to get everything but a six-pack of Mepps. The water was about 60 degrees, so I was pretty chilled by the time I fished all the gear out.
> 
> The second time was totally my own stupidity on the Olentangy. The previous year I had run a tiny chute on the side of the lowhead below Antrim. Yeah, I know lowheads are dangerous, but the flow really couldn't drown a cat on that day and those damn dams on the Olentangy can make you really tired of getting in and out. I got through slick as a whistle in my Ultimate.
> 
> ...


There was your main mistake.


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

I used to watch my daughter practice the Eskimo Roll (?) in the front lake and marvel at what it must take to do that. The only time I went down a river in a Kayak was on the Nanathalia (sp?) in N. Carolina where my daughter guided. I about crapped my pants when I got t o the pull out which occured after a drop of about six feet over a ledge. I couldn't believe how quickly that little boat popped back to the surface after making that drop. I watched a lot of the seasoned Kayakers purposely rolling in that caldron and vowed never to try it again. Hats off to you individuals (nuts that fish out of Kayaks.


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## Bowhunter57 (Feb 9, 2011)

I've never rolled my Old Town Vapor (fishing/flat bottom) kayak.

I used to have an 8' whitewater kayak, that I lost count on how many times I rolled it. However, that was entirely a different ride and from time to time, rolling it was a point of interest...just because I could. 

Bowhunter57


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## creekcrawler (Oct 5, 2004)

Never tipped in a yak yet.
The wife did, however.
All I can say was there was _alcohol_ involved
and it was rather funny. Somehow, she kept her purse and cellphone out of the water.
She did spill her drink though. . .


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## fishingful (Apr 5, 2004)

Learning to roll a kayak is not all that hard. It takes a little time to learn and you will be really confused being upside down the first few times but it is a nice thing to learn. I once had an older kayaker tell me "its nice to learn how to roll but learning proper strokes and just being a good paddler will keep you from ever having to do one"


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## Bowhunter57 (Feb 9, 2011)

A low center of gravity is a must, while in a kayak. Screwing around while you're out in the water is just asking for it...and against the 3 rules of kayaking.
1. Keep your butt on the seat, at all times.
2. Watch which way you're slinging those fish hooks.
3. Keep your butt on the seat, at all times. 

Dumping is most common during the entry or exit.
Here's a quick video on proper entry/exit:





I use my paddle in front or in back, but always have it making contact with the bank. I always launch from a bank...NO DOCKS!

Hope this helps!
Bowhunter57


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## fishingful (Apr 5, 2004)

Yep 3 points of contact at all times. Never stand in the boat when getting in and out. You may get away with it for a while but it only takes one time. And don't use your paddle to push off the bank. I have seen a bunch of snapped tips. As an instructor I carry an extra paddle on the boat. Use your fist to push off. If you use an open palm there may be glass or fish hooks to cut you.At least if it happens you can still paddle.


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## jonnyspeed (Mar 11, 2007)

Yep. Dumped our 15 ft tandem trying to ford a log jam obstructing the creek. We tried to slide the boat over and all was good until it balanced on the keel at the stern and just rolled us over. This was like the 20th time and I think we were tired. 45 degree water was no fun, but we were prepared with towels and dry clothes in the water tight stern compartment. We paddled to shore, drained the boat, changed clothes and kept on going. It really is an awesome story now


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## Rybo (Jul 23, 2009)

I am not yet a member of the Buckeye Swim Team, but Bubba oversaw my first try outs, haha. I pulled a pretty loose 540 while paddling through what was my first experience with swifter strainers. Not quite sure how I managed that one.

I will verify Streamstalker's sideways drifting maneuver through that tight pass. I wouldn't have wanted to go sideways there, but sure enough, no wider than his boat is long, he busts a 180 right in front of the lot of us. Whom at the time, were easily impressed haha!

Looking forward to seeing you guys when the weather finally breaks!


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

This one was painful to watch!! Really demonstrated how tricky dams can be even at low flow.

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


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## StuckAtHome (Apr 29, 2004)

If you float, you'll dump at some point. I became a member at factory rapids, I'm blaming the moving rock, wasn't my fault, but i did lose my entire spinner bait box, another member pasta, managed to save my lunch box, and ice tea jug, both would have floated all the way to the flipping ocean, but let the slowly sinking tackle box disappear.

Love the pic of Dagger, might copy and send it to him, lol

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk


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## LittleMiamiJeff (Oct 1, 2005)

I've never dumped(one time see below)  either of my Ocean Kayaks, and I'm not saying it can't/won't happen. I've tried standing up just to see if it was possible, it is but I won't again, too hard to get up.
That said, I just remember ONE time on Assateague Island on the Atlantic side, trying to surf launch my OK Prowler 15. 
I had bay fished that week with some success, flounder. yum. 
I really wanted to get just beyond the breakers, and striper fish, or whatever, striper was on my mind. 
I wanted to try without any gear first. I drag the yak up to the water's edge, there is what seems to be a small surf up close, w/4-5 waves out farther. 
So this should be simple, easy, no problem.
I put the yak in the water, and realize: 1.5 foot waves seem to make about a 3 foot difference from top to bottom. hmmmm 
A couple little kids ask me "is that a boat?" real excited, I puffed out my chest, "sure is, stand back!" Serious stuff going on here. 
My wife and her friend we stayed with are up the beach watching all this. I'm aware of their gaze........
So, yak's in the water, I sit down in it, the wave picks me up, I am slow to get a paddle in, and as I am pushed BACKWARDS the wave puts me down.
Now, see if you can imagine this image: 15' 7" kayak, rigid. 
I've been pushed back about ??? 5 foot or so back up the beach, which has a pretty good angle to it, UP the beach. 
The waves are going up and down, about 3 feet top to bottom. 
I am suspended about 2 feet above the ground, in a kayak with the two ends of the hull shaped pretty much like a wedge.
I flipped upside down, on my face, with the kayak between me and the incoming waves. 
I'm embarrassed, but figure ok stand up and let's do this again.
The next wave hits the kayak, which hits me, knocking me down again. 
I am getting more flustered, and try to stand up only to get slammed by the kayak again. It happened a few times, I can't remember. 
I do remember finally getting up and AWAY from the slapping kayak. 
I got my hand on it, it bounced up and down, up and down. I KNOW I was tomato red at this point. I couldn't look at the beach, I couldn't look at the kids that up until I launched thought I was cool, I couldn't look at my wife and her friend.
I stood there looking out at the ocean, the surfers and other kayakers out on a sand bar, which I wanted to be on. 
I finally got my heart to slow down, my color down to pink, (what a wuss) and I'm timing the jumping up and down of the kayak. It goes down, I jump up, on it, in it, paddle like crazy, I'M OFF THE BEACH! 
I went out a little ways, turned around and came back. End of Ocean surf paddling.  
The only other time, in a canoe I had a few years ago, on the East Fork of the Little Miami River, we were doing a trash clean up, pulling up to the bank to take on full bags of trash from guys there. 
The guy with me was no more experienced than me, we backed out SIDEWAYS in a pretty good current, into a strainer, he leaned INTO the current we flipped upstream, I had to go under the canoe and the strainer to come out the other side, it was mid April, waders full of water, COLD. 
We had plenty of help getting the canoe and trash bags out of the water, dumped and we paddled downstream. 
This is the trip we had a Brother drown in the EFLMR. Cold water, 3 guys tried to cross in a strong current w/deep hole, and only 2 of the 3 made it out. Ugly.
That said: Wear your life jacket, I like the helmet idea for rocky white water, I'm over 55 now, so I really have think about my fitness level when I paddle. I didn't go diving for the drowned guy because I had waders on, I took a split second to determine, as a great swimmer when I was younger, was I in shape around 50 at the time, to take the cold and the deep hole (I had my sonar on my yak in this hole before, 15-18 feet deep).
I opted out, we had to stop about a dozen guys from pulling their clothes and shoes off to dive in, we didn't need any more bodies in the water. Two guys were already diving w/loose life jackets on the surface, and would come up saying it was too cold just below the surface to go more than a few feet down and have to come up.
I know this is a long answer to a short question. 
Wear your life jacket. 
Wear your dry jacket, and/or wet suit or waders tightly belted. 
A Dry top/jacket , properly secured with neoprene cuffs, neck and waist, OVER the top of a good pair of waders belted tightly around your waist or higher, will give you time, when you fall in, to get back in your yak or out of the water without hypothermia setting in. 
Have signaling devices handy, whistles, lights at night, air horns, etc. 
Have a buddy with you. 
Let someone know where and for how long you are going out, if you go out alone. I do on flat water, and slow rivers, and always try to let my wife know where I'm putting in and when I'll be home. I call her when I'm out to let her know I'm coming home. 
All that said, HAVE FUN! 
FISH ON! 
LMJ


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## StuckAtHome (Apr 29, 2004)

It sounds wrong, but you do lean into the obstruction you are about to run into, if you lean up current, you're going for a swim. I had the coosa in the surf last summer, what a blast, best with a boat without a huge keel. If you can keep straight, pretty easy, but like Andy said, coming in lean WAY back or your face gets a sand implant.
Is it spring yet? Andy, talked to Miami outfitters, they will have to order the canoe, but are getting in many many new boats in the coming weeks, road trip! 

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk


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## Wow (May 17, 2010)

It was such a nice day, I had to get out. And would you believe it? I dumped! It was cold and painfull........At least 20 ounces of Great Lakes Burning River Pale Ale right down the pant leg. I almost cried.--Tim............................................................................................................................................................


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## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

I just shed a little tear for you.....your beer.


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## SMBHooker (Jan 3, 2008)

First time out ever on my first yak ever last year spilled 30 yards from my take out spot. 

Tried to step out of the yak in what was 2 ft of water but unknown to me the depth had changed quickly in only a span of a few yards! Instead of my feet planting firmly on the river bottom my entire leg swung swiftly under the boat. Next thing I knew I was neck deep in water with my rear firmly resting on the river bottom instead of my feet. 

Luckily I feel out gracefully enough that the yak didn't tip. 

But you got to be careful ALWAYS out on the water, conditions can change swiftly. It may not always be a life threatening condition but you your gear or both can be in trouble in a hurry if you take your safety for granted out there!! 




Sent from . . . off and over there.


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## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

I fell in the Scioto Saturday. 
4 of us went out duck hunting Saturday evening and I was in charge of water shuttling. Essentially this means that after the hunt, I have to paddle upstream about a mile back to the truck, and then drive down to pick everyone up. This also means it's in the dark...and it was like 15 degrees.
I was just gassed...super tired by the end as the water was higher than normal. I was dragging the kayak up through some riffles and I just half stumbled/half lost my footing and in I went....which pepped me right up!
Damn, that was real deal cold!!!
Makers Mark was my best friend before an early bedtime....


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