# A huge learning experience!



## doug1980

Took the day off of work to fish today. Decided to head out to the Destin Pass. Paddled out to the West Jetty. Current was a bit strong pushing me further out towards the Gulf so I made the worst mistake ever. I threw out my anchor. It immediately caught in the rocks and I capsized. Lost my rods, most of my equipment, my Iphone was in my pocket (ruined), camera floated away too. Luckily my pelican case with wallet and keys floated near me so I could save it. I couldn't get the anchor line loose to unhook it so I couldn't flip the kayak back over. Eventually I was able to get my knife and cut it loose. Once I flipped the kayak back over I attempted to get back on, only to find out I was tangled in my sunken fishing rods and hooked in the leg. I cut the line and realized I was very close to the rocks. So I swam over and to make it easier to get back on my yak. In the process I managed to slice both hands and feet. Once I was back on board I then had to paddle 400 yards against the current to get back to Jeep. Ended up in the ER and lost hundreds of dollars worth of equipment, my feet and hands are shreded but it could have been worse. So what did I learn? Never drop anchor in current. Strap everything to the yak. Don't get near those rocks, they're sharp. The most important thing I realized was my thought process for this trip was the same I have for fishing the lake. The Bay is totally different than the lake. Much safer fishing in the lake. I learned my lesson today. Bay 1 Doug 0


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## Tobiwan

Damn man I'm sorry to hear about that I'd be distraught but it sounds like it could have been worse. Sounds like you could have lost your yak or worse your life. 

Glad you made it home.


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## JT Powell

Nothing like a good learning experience, when the tide goes out it really rips through their I've had to hold on to the piles while inspecting the bridge. If you've got a friend that dives your gear shouldn't be hard to find.


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## Five Prongs Of Fury

JT Powell said:


> Nothing like a good learning experience, when the tide goes out it really rips through their I've had to hold on to the piles while inspecting the bridge. If you've got a friend that dives your gear shouldn't be hard to find.


I wish him the best, but with the current that washes through there, I highly doubt anything he lost is salvageable. I don't dive but I would guess that you would be asking for trouble except on a slack tide.:whistling:


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## JD7.62

There is a reason, even with hundreds and hundreds of hours of offshore kayak fishing experience, you wont find me EVER fishing Destin or Pensacola pass. I'm glad that, for the most part, youre ok.

There have been more and more risk takers in yaks lately and that is NOT a good thing.


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## Fishermon

wow...reminds me last year when I capsized a revo 11' close to Opal..winter time. I was wearing waders, sweatshirt/pants, rain coat and a life jacket. I was lucky I was close to shore when it happened.We left N.P. on beautiful flat morning seas. The idea was to cruise to Opal beach. (two trucks one way kayak trip). Seas/wind build up out of the south east all of a sudden. Big rollers came behind me swaying the yak sideways several times... kinda knew it was gonna happen...'anticipation' at its best i should say. Called friend on the radio and told him what happened. He turned around and was spotting me the whole time while I tried to get back in, with no luck. Lost a couple rods, got muscle cramps at one point. It was a big relief once i was able to touch the ground after a good 30 mnts trying to get back in. My fist mistake was that I didn't wanna let go the waders since i felt no immediate danger. I tie my belt all the way and floated the kayak away north west till my toes reached bottom. When I got to the shore i had both legs filled with water couldn't even walk (reason why i couldn't get back in, plus all the clothing I had on). 

I wear a SPOT satellite messenger, vhf radio, a throwable float and a life jacket which I highly advice others to have while in the water. WHAT i didn't have was the quick thought of releasing my waders down immediately so i could've get back IN right then... Lesson learned. 

We were looking for flounder that day. I remember clearly another friend was pompano fishing from the shore that morning when i landed slightly east of him....He was laughing his ass off the whole time. He had 5 pompanos already in his cooler and he had another one working on his surf rod. Me? i got soaking went and short by two rods and reels that day.

Thanks for sharing your experience/story...it took me a while to tell mine. Glad you are okay and that you see your mistakes positively so others can learn.

Its all good man, is all good.


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## Ptpainton

*Sheephead?*

Glad you made it back. I think I know someone that fishes under the bridge for Sheephead in the winter time?


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## Try'n Hard

Always a blessing to learn a lesson without getting hurt (at least not too bad). Thanks for sharing

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner


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## AndyS

doug1980 said:


> Took the day off of work to fish today. Decided to head out to the Destin Pass. Paddled out to the West Jetty. Current was a bit strong pushing me further out towards the Gulf so I made the worst mistake ever. I threw out my anchor. It immediately caught in the rocks and I capsized. Lost my rods, most of my equipment, my Iphone was in my pocket (ruined), camera floated away too. Luckily my pelican case with wallet and keys floated near me so I could save it. I couldn't get the anchor line loose to unhook it so I couldn't flip the kayak back over. Eventually I was able to get my knife and cut it loose. Once I flipped the kayak back over I attempted to get back on, only to find out I was tangled in my sunken fishing rods and hooked in the leg. I cut the line and realized I was very close to the rocks. So I swam over and to make it easier to get back on my yak. In the process I managed to slice both hands and feet. Once I was back on board I then had to paddle 400 yards against the current to get back to Jeep. Ended up in the ER and lost hundreds of dollars worth of equipment, my feet and hands are shreded but it could have been worse. So what did I learn? Never drop anchor in current. Strap everything to the yak. Don't get near those rocks, they're sharp. The most important thing I realized was my thought process for this trip was the same I have for fishing the lake. The Bay is totally different than the lake. Much safer fishing in the lake. I learned my lesson today. Bay 1 Doug 0


Glad you are okay. Don't feel too bad. I have a couple of tales of my own - I expect we all do. 

A man's got to know his limitations. Unfortunately sometimes we have to learn what they are the hard way and hopefully not get killed in the process.

It would be good to see an ongoing thread on here of mistakes we've made to save others from repeating them. I'll start --- 1. make sure your paddle leash is well attached before you get a mile out & start dealing with two hookups. (_that_ was a bad day) 2. If you take an inexperienced friend to kayak fish in the gulf & you think the surf looks dicey given his experience level .... don't let him make the decision. (_that_ was a bad day too)


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## vickroid

Yep been there and had a situation similar to this happen but not in the pass, (closer to the bridge) I got loose though and now I pedal so I RARELY take an anchor. That is beside the point though, I would definitely not recommend fisning in the pass via yak during tide movements. That current rips through there. Reminds me of an afternoon last summer my wife and I decided to hit up the East Jettie for a little smack or pomp action. We walked all the way out to the end just to fish for about 15 mins and some fellows from Noreg. point decided they drank enough to come over and have a swim on the east side. Well their swim turned into swiming out to the tower just off the end of the east jetty, climbing it and jumping off. Well FWC hit them up and yelled at them, then headed back to crab. Well they started trying to swim back into shore but by this time it was about 430 and the outgoing tide was in full effect, creating a whirlpool effect off of the end of the jetty. As these gentlemen were trying so hard to swim in the booze/fatigue were setting in fast and just as they started to gain ground they would get pulled right back out into the pass and on a straight ticket south... Shortly my wife made the call for help and FWC came out three boats strong and literally forced these guys to swim east across the beach and then back to shore. Granted these fellows were really dumb with their choices all along but after my little scare and watching these guys almost meet an end I will pick my days to traverse the pass area very carefully.


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## FLSalomon

Doug, glad you are here to tell the story and kudos to you for being ballsy enough to share it. Lots of lessons learned, but I am guessing you had your PFD on, which is most important.


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## scott44

Yea...Thnx for sharing, I have been tying to talk myself into taking a J/boat through the pass the into the gulf because kayaks do it. Not trying as hard now.


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## Yakavelli

I'm with JD on NEVER fishing the pass. I had a scare of my own once, not with flipping but with the current nearly sending me to Cuba. Hardest mile I ever paddled. Had I not been fairly fit, I would've been lost that night (it was right at sunset).


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## JD7.62

scott44 said:


> Yea...Thnx for sharing, I have been tying to talk myself into taking a J/boat through the pass the into the gulf because kayaks do it. Not trying as hard now.


A jon boat is NOT the same as a kayak. Most decent SOT kayaks will have scupper holes allowing water to flow out of the boat when a wave over takes it. Not so on a jon boat.

ANY kayaker that goes out of the pass is just asking for it. Yes, in some conditions with the right tides/winds/waves its more then doable, but it can get nasty fast, especially over there in Destin. Not to mention all of the boat traffic.

We have kayaks so we can launch right were we want to fish away from boats, not go where they go!!


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## Yakavelli

Yeah...I'd feel infinitely safer in a kayak than a jon boat, in the gulf.


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## daniel9829

Gald you are ok. tides in the passes are hard to manage in a yak, yet is see a lot of perople launch into the pass at the peak of high or low tide then soon the current picks up and washes them out or in depending. Glad you are ok though.


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## captken

*There ought to be a notice at the top of this forum.*

Collect all of the horror stories and experiences. Lots of young guys have balls bigger than their brains. I sold my yak when I realized I was too old for yaking safely. I miss it terribly. I sure don't have the options I once had but I still fish several times per week.

I fished the jetties off Jacksonville and they can get hairy. I don't like anchoring in heavy current whether boat or yak.

Go back in the tips section and look at my loss proof kayak anchor. It could save your life.

I never wore a vest except in the winter. I wear my inflatable most of the time in my 10' Jon boat even though I am still a strong swimmer.


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## doug1980

Well I'm healing up, slowly, but getting there. Had to work Monday and Tuesday, hurt to walk let alone do lawn maintenance for 9 hours each day. Still hurts like hell. I've begun to improve my rigging for all my gear on my kayak for next time. Everything will be strapped down and all important electronics will be in waterproof cases. Other important items, ie. wedding ring will stay on land next time. Having several days to reflect I have been able to find the things that went right.
First thing was I was able to flip the kayak back over while in the water and was able to get back on it, had I not been hooked in my fishing lines. 
Second I had a knife easily accessible to cut the anchor line and my fishing line.
Third I didn't panic, too much, and was able to save what was important and get back home.
Next time I go out I'll be better prepared and hopefully not make poor decisions again. So many ways it could have been avoided, but my inexperience caused it to happen.


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## rjl2001

Doug1980, thanks for sharing your story so we can all benefit from the lessons learned. Glad to hear you're healing up at least a little, and hopefully you can be fully recovered soon. 

A few weeks before you made this post, I learned my own lesson (luckily not as serious as yours) about anchoring in the currents by the Destin bridge. I was about to post my story on here at the time but decided not to. Now I think I should've. 

I think I looked up the East Pass tides but really didn't pay any attention to them before I launched at the park on the West side of Destin bridge a couple hours before sunset. I caught three nice redfish over a few hours by the Coast Guard Station jetty and those grass flats so I was pretty happy. Before it got dark I sighted a few big bull reds just on the north side of the bridge, and after paddling around to other spots decided to try that area. It was around 2230 and there was a strong incoming tide added to by a Southerly wind. Current was so strong I thought the only way I'd get to really fish close to the bridge pilings was by anchoring up. I was just on the West side of the channel and the bumpers, and paddled just South under the bridge hoping I could anchor to be peaking out on the North side. When I went to drop the anchor I realized my anchor line wasn't long enough to catch the bottom, meanwhile I grabbed my paddle to make a couple quick strokes, and right then my anchor must have caught the bridge piling and pulled very suddenly. I had an anchor trolley set up on the side of the yak, and it snapped the ring hardware where I feed the anchor line through. 

Right away I was getting banged against the piling and trying to make sure I didn't lose/break my paddle and rods and also get my light out to help see what was going on. I must've spent five to ten minutes fully exerting myself hoping I could paddle backwards enough that I could free my snagged anchor. Couldn't make much ground paddling backwards as hard as I could, and was really difficult to do a 180' turn on my 16' kayak being pushed against the piling. Where I really got lucky was the way my anchor trolley snapped, both pulleys were still attached and the trolley line was still running the length of the side of the yak. I do always have my knife on the PFD I'm wearing, so really I could've just cut the trolley line anytime to free myself, but was really trying not to lose my anchor. After enough struggling I almost flipped myself out of the kayak a couple times so decided it was much better to lose the anchor than go overboard and be swept past Crab Island in the middle of the night. However, I can't stop thinking that if the trolley snapped so that the anchor/trolley line was being held by the rear pulley I would've been stuck with no easy way to separate from my snagged anchor. Options could've been attempt to climb onto piling, try to somehow climb to back of yak to cut the line, or standby and try to signal another vessel. 

So now I will be more hesitant to fish Destin bridge while there's any substantial current, and pay more attention to anchoring. When looking at the tide tables, will current generally be strongest halfway in between high/low tides, and weakest closer to the actual high/low times? I keep hearing that sheepshead will be under the bridge soon, so I am still hoping anchoring can be done safely at the right time. Other option is to look for a pedal kayak to help position hold without an anchor, but I cartop my yak onto the top of my tall SUV by myself and think that is a deal breaker for the heavier pedal yaks. I consider myself comfortable on/in the water, and have known how perilous the Destin pass can be at times, but I was caught off guard and had a couple moments where I was feeling uncomfortable about the situation.


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## benjarmouche

Glad you are ok, dude. The passes don't mess around.


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## Chapman5011

doug1980 said:


> Took the day off of work to fish today. Decided to head out to the Destin Pass. Paddled out to the West Jetty. Current was a bit strong pushing me further out towards the Gulf so I made the worst mistake ever. I threw out my anchor. It immediately caught in the rocks and I capsized. Lost my rods, most of my equipment, my Iphone was in my pocket (ruined), camera floated away too. Luckily my pelican case with wallet and keys floated near me so I could save it. I couldn't get the anchor line loose to unhook it so I couldn't flip the kayak back over. Eventually I was able to get my knife and cut it loose. Once I flipped the kayak back over I attempted to get back on, only to find out I was tangled in my sunken fishing rods and hooked in the leg. I cut the line and realized I was very close to the rocks. So I swam over and to make it easier to get back on my yak. In the process I managed to slice both hands and feet. Once I was back on board I then had to paddle 400 yards against the current to get back to Jeep. Ended up in the ER and lost hundreds of dollars worth of equipment, my feet and hands are shreded but it could have been worse. So what did I learn? Never drop anchor in current. Strap everything to the yak. Don't get near those rocks, they're sharp. The most important thing I realized was my thought process for this trip was the same I have for fishing the lake. The Bay is totally different than the lake. Much safer fishing in the lake. I learned my lesson today. Bay 1 Doug 0


You saved the one thing in your yak that is not replacable. YOU
Everything thing else can be bought. 
You will think about that moment for years to come.


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## EllijayFalconsFan

There is no way I will fish any pass in a kayak again. I had a pretty bad experience near the jetties in St. Andrews bay that pretty much scarred me from doing that again. I feel much safer 3 miles offshore then I ever will in any pass. Glad you are okay and can share your experience.


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## panhandleslim

Kayak fishing, even more than other trips into big water, requires careful planning and attention to safety. You got off light The sea, the currents and the wind don't change for the people traveling in them. I've had my own kayak experiences. Just remember that unless you have a strong wind resisting the outflow from a pass and causing huge waves to develop, the current will always spin in a vortex like, curl toward the shore, after it clears any limiting sides like jetties and sandbars. These areas are lower velocity. Don't panic and do something crazy. Just know that these are not places for the novice and they have even been hard on the experienced at times. Launch from the beach and go with another kayaker. Have everything leashed, have PFD, best not to have gang hook plugs on rods in launch and beach situations or high current areas. Have a contact beacon of some kind. Have strobes and signal panels You never know when you may start out in the daytime and still be out after nightfall. Never wear chest waders..no matter what. If it's that cold, consider a wetsuit. 
Think first of your life and second of the fish. You owe it to your family, if not yourself.


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## ADRENALINE

Glad you are safe. Kayaks do not belong in the pass in my opinion. I have seen tons of people come very close to hurting themselves or others. Conditions can change on a dime out there.


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## CreekLifeFL

EllijayFalconsFan said:


> There is no way I will fish any pass in a kayak again. I had a pretty bad experience near the jetties in St. Andrews bay that pretty much scarred me from doing that again. I feel much safer 3 miles offshore then I ever will in any pass. Glad you are okay and can share your experience.


Can you elaborate? Ive never been out fishing in the pass but If I do it will be in Panama City and it will be good to know what troubles you faced just in case I ever do. Thanks


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## foxtrotuniform

Damn… Reading these kayak stories has really got me shaking my head. 
I hope this will be taken as tough love, but as a person who learned to kayak in the mountains, I’m staggered by the obliviousness of some Florida kayakers striking out into moving water.

Some perspective: I cut my teeth on the Ocoee River. It’s a sustained, surging mother bitch that drops 150 feet in five miles of Class III-IV rapids. Take a swim at a bad time and it will f--- you up. 

Average current speed on the Ocoee: 3.5 to 4 mph. 

Max tidal current speed in Pensacola Pass? 
You guessed it: 3.5 to 4 mph. 

That is, no shit, serious current. I’ve seen wave trains kick up in the pass that would qualify as Class II rapids in the mountains. Crossing that kind of current without losing ground requires a maneuver called a ferry. Here's what it looks like. 




 
No one in a ride-on-top kayak has any business whatsoever venturing into a pass when the water is moving like that. 

Even in a whitewater kayak I wouldn’t attempt to ferry the pass, simply due to the distance I’d have to swim if I went over and didn’t nail my roll. 

I shuddered when I read Doug’s post. I stuck a whitewater yak in the rocks once, struggled hopelessly to free it, and eventually had to abandon it and swim to shore, shredding my feet in the process. I got bitch smacked, and I never looked at rivers the same after that.

That had to be scary as shit, Doug, especially thinking about it afterwards. Glad you made it out alright man. I hope other people will read your story and take heed. 

For those who won’t listen, here’s a link to NOAA’s Tidal Current predictions for Pensacola Pass. (Couldn’t find one for Destin Pass.) 

Use it wisely.


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## pompano67

First and foremost,I'm glad each and every one of you came out ok! As a newbie to yak fishing,just by reading your stories,my eyes have been opened,and my questions have been answered without having to ask them.Thank you for sharing your knowledge and information.


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## need2fish

Sorry about your spill Doug but glad you lived to tell the story. Great educational posts. 

Got in real trouble a long time ago with an anchor on a 19' boat that hung in Pcola pass and had to cut the line to avoid swamping.

Been drug out of Pensacola pass a couple of times in my yak - just getting too near where you think you won't get in trouble. Especially when there's some chop and high swells outside the pass. I've made some embarrassing and life threatening mistakes and judgement calls wrt passes for someone who has spent as much time on a yak as I have - and I'm generally pretty adventurous with the yak (or used to be when I had more time to fish).

Pass fishing in unsafe conditions just isn't worth it. Heed the warnings.


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## badonskybuccaneers

*Experiences to learn from....*

Doug1980,
Sounds like a lesson learned. I've been in a couple kayak organizations and could not (and still can't) stress the importance of kayak safety. There is nothing on earth more alluring and more powerful than water. We are attracted to it as if by some magic spell or sirens call. And without some sense about us, we can be lulled into a false sense of safety- ignorant to our actual situation (sometimes until it's too late). I could preach again and again about safety equipment and the importance of practicing proper kayak techniques (loading, re-entry, etc), but I think there are enough people here doing that. I think a good healthy attitude of preparation, and being extremely observant of surroundings. A couple things I used to bear in mind when I / we went kayak fishing in or around the gulf. My mindset was "I will probably get wet "- whether a mile out or at the beach, I was prepared to be flipped. Therefore, I "didn't take anything that I was not prepared to loose". I usually didn't take my prized expensive reels out on the big water (even if tethered). Also, if fishing a particularly hazardous area or a rough seas, I did it with someone else- a buddy (just like diving). Otherwise, I wouldn't go, or would change my fishing artinarary to a safer waterway. So without going on, and on (too late?)- listen, ask questions, attend kayak seminars, take a buddy (especially if a novice), practice SAFETY, and if in doubt- any question about it at all.... don't go.
Glad you are well, don't let the experience scare you off the kayak, just let it make you a smarter kayaker- and the important part being done, surviving the experience and sharing it with others. Thank you.


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## badonskybuccaneers

> So now I will be more hesitant to fish Destin bridge while there's any substantial current, and pay more attention to anchoring. When looking at the tide tables, will current generally be strongest halfway in between high/low tides, and weakest closer to the actual high/low times? I keep hearing that sheepshead will be under the bridge soon, so I am still hoping anchoring can be done safely at the right time. Other option is to look for a pedal kayak to help position hold without an anchor, but I cartop my yak onto the top of my tall SUV by myself and think that is a deal breaker for the heavier pedal yaks. I consider myself comfortable on/in the water, and have known how perilous the Destin pass can be at times, but I was caught off guard and had a couple moments where I was feeling uncomfortable about the situation.


Tide /current theory is pretty much ON for the most part- bearing in mind other things that affect current and tidal flow- position of the sun / moon relative to the earth, moons elevation above the equator, wind and precipitation, and the shape of the shoreline and contours of the seabed. Tide charts can be extremely helpful in judging how strong a current might become - especially one with a graph or numerical value on height of the tide. Also remember the full and new moon tides (called spring tides) are typically more extreme due to the combined pull of the the moon / sun.
Also, considering another kayak- check them out, most kayak stores would be very helpful in side by side comparisons, and I don't think weight would be a big difference (empty). I'm sure we would have bought a hobie or similar paddle kayak we had not bought a boat instead. 
Hope this was helpful- be safe.


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## keperry1182

I fish the sides of the pensacola pass, between the jetties. I stay close to the beach until i hit the jetties then I hug the rocks all the way around and then right back to the beach. I wear booties just in case I need to get on the rocks, and i have needed to. I will not fish a questionable day even a little chop can get crazy by those rocks. I keep a knife close at hand to cut my anchor and have bouys attached so I can recover all the rope afterwards. I take some risks but I try to plan for the worst. Self rescue isnt as easy as it looks especially wearing a vest def need to practice. Congrats on living lol hope it doesnt get that hairy again.


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## dallis

*been there too*

I've been there too. I flipped my yak in a storm off navarre beach. Lost a mirage drive, tackle box and one rod. Almost lost my life. No matter what the weather I will never go without a lifejacket.


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## doug1980

Happy to report that I have had no more mishaps since this incident. I've been out over a dozen times and so far so good. Of course I have not been back to the Pass and probably never will in my yak. Everything I lost has been replaced finally, and proper precautions have been implemented. Everything is leashed, all electronics ie: phone, stays in waterproof case, PFD is worn with knife affixed to it, and anchor has been modified to work better in current. Always have to learn the hard way I suppose.


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## Fisherdad1

Thanks for sharing your story.


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