Pic of DJ's 17ft Glide (5.00 pm today)

Just to keep the suspense and speculations going !
DJ will have a great story to tell

Main thing is DJ (+ the others) made it back safely.

Hey Woody,

I think you had too much Red with the cheese and greens

Oliver said DJ was just there!

I cant see any grey crock here anywhere?

But i'll keep looking.

Phill

This is fun though its a bit like playing cludo: DJ did it off Altona with the 17ft glide

DavidJohn said...

I'll post pics and a report later.

I've got a hot shower to take to cure my hypothermia and I've got a motorcycle race to watch at a mates place.

The wind went ballistic today and I had dramas galore.

DJ

you have a motor cycle race to watch....well spare a thought for the rest of us that have seabreeze to watch. You are welcome to shower but we want a story and a classic DJ photo story. I hope it wasn't cloudy!

Well done to all who made it home. If we could just learn more we will all sleep easier.

Just to keep the specualtion running ... I was kiting at Hampton on my trusty 7m Crossbow. The waves were huge by bay standards with gusts over 40 knots at 2:30.

I saw Pete paddle in strongly about 1:30.

15-20 minutes later I thought I saw three more SUPs. I cruised out to them and saw two boards approach the breakwater. One paddler kneeling, the other standing but then took a fall before climbing back on. Both looked shagged.

I rode around searching for the other SUPer but could see no sign of him. I may have imagined the fourth SUP or mistook a yachting buoy ... or some other interesting story ...

OK a few more!


Another pic of DJ's board at 5.00pm today.(Don't worry DJ it's a close up, it's not that bad)


???

Good to know you're okay, with just a few scrapes to the board. Now we can all get some sleep. Definitely lessons to be learned I expect.

Bnaccas said...

DJ, did you have a PDF?

What you mean history will be made? Haven't you, Jonathan and Dave paddled from
Sandy to Point Cook and then back again?

Yes.. btw it probably saved my life and how bad would it have looked for SUP in general with the authorities if I had not.. It could have done so much harm.. and No.. it's Fawkner beacon that we've paddled out and back to.. The beacon is less than one third of the way across.

DJ

It looks like the Police shouted you a nice lunch at the sailing club so not all lost.

Glad you're OK mate.

**** happens.

Since DJ survived almost unscathed, can we start the jokes yet ??

DJ waiting for rescue ....



We probably need DJ to give us all some safety precautions for going forward !

LSD said...

Well guys, it's obvious we are all glad to hear you are ok.

The way I see it......you guys were lucky not to create history alright.....as the first to die on the bay stand up paddling!

Have to agree with Dean on this one you guys really should have had a support boat for each person , taking on 30 to 50kn winds with no support craft on such a big paddle is pretty wreckless.....but you are all safe and learnt a big lesson , hopefully it won't make the news.

Rob

To get some positives out of this for everyone, what are your thoughts for the future?

My suggestions:

The personal epirb is a great back up is fully waterproof (we used them in offshore diving to 120ft) and these days they have built in GPS and each beacon is logged with the users details in case of an emergency.

Waterproof hand held marine VHF radio we used them in support RIBs etc for diving the smaller units now fit into a PFD.

People have already suggested support vessels

what else?????

Phill

Waterproof Pouch for the mobile phone would be good too... You get reasonable reception around the bay.... near shore... I think 112 in AUS is the emergency number. You phone will find any available network.

Plus water and 2 snack bars!

OG SUP said...

To get some positives out of this for everyone, what are your thoughts for the future?

My suggestions:

The personal epirb
Waterproof hand held marine VHF radio
PFD.
People have already suggested support vessels

what else?????

Phill

Yes, stay in a group....

Still without knowing the full details.... Ability did not seem to be a major contributor.

1 - snapped leg rope / leash - the problem...
2 - if the group paddled together, they could have self rescued, with 2 people on 1 board, if the lost board was not retrievable
3 - yes, conditions contributed to the lost board

But yes, support boat is a good safety plan. But 1 boat for the group.... Or if there was a bigger group, 1 boat behind the front runners, and another boat for the rear group.

WITHOUT RISK THERE IS NO ADVENTURE !
Happy to offer my yacht or tender (RIB) for support vessel, next time.

In those conditions once a person is down you cannot see them, especially if you are sitting down or kneeling on a SUP.

If you are ahead of the person there is no way you can paddle into wind to get to them.

Presumably DJ would be a long way ahead of the others being the most experienced.

I guess you could have a buddy system where two people of matched skills stay right next each other (we have done this in the past). It makes it fun to share the experience and a touch safer.

Don't forget that the whole point of the exercise is to catch the biggest and faster runners you can. This works against staying together as a group.

Support boats aren't going to be a lot of help. Once the wind gets above 30 knots the support boats are going to be at risk too. You need one for each paddler and it will be hard for the boat to shadow the paddlers closely and maintain safe navigation speed.

EPIRBS and Spot trackers and mobiles will get you rescued but you don't really want to need to be rescued. You want to have fun and an adventure.

The number one rule of outdoor adventuring is to have escape routes and maintain them at all costs. This usually means going out no further than you are able to swim. Doing a crossing means your only escape route is to make it across. You get just as many adventure points paddling 20km along the coast as you do making a crossing.

BTW. I sold my long SUP and I am holding off getting another or downwind capable board. Downwinding is fun but kiteboarding in extreme winds is more practical.