Forum/Kayak Fishing/Need to fly a safety flag

Need to fly a safety flag

7,672 views·62 replies·by pequa1··
pequa1
pequa1MOD2019#1
Always flew one on my Phoenix 140 and we use it on our tandem. (Bright yellow or bright orange kayaks still go unseen by those Bayliner type guys.) I need to install a mount on my new Skimmer 128 (once the doc okays it after I get the damn stitches out) but can't find one on Amazon.
I do not want one of those Scotty rodholder type things that mount on a track, vastly prefer to do an "in-hull" like I will for two rodholders behind the seat.
Basically I just want a "drop-in" without the 30º tilt but much skinnier than a rodholder.
CommodoreOriginal Crew7,027 postsSince 2018
Roccus7
Roccus7MOD2019#2
When a the rare, big azz Bayliner pulls into a local seaside watering hole up here, everyone laughs at it and the "Massholes" aboard can't figure out why!! And the max water summer temp of 65 °F keeps those pesky Jetskis away too. It's boating and kayaking Nirvana up here!!!
AdmiralOriginal Crew21,694 postsSince 2018
pequa1
pequa1MOD2019#3
Ever notice how your local kayakers attach their safety flags ?
CommodoreOriginal Crew7,027 postsSince 2018
R
Richee33FREE2019#4
They are an absolute necessity anywhere on the island.Boaters flying all over the place on auto pilot not being able to see in front of them because they are not trimmed up properly.So anything you can do to make yourself more visible is needed.All most of the guys over at KFA fly our club flag in red and some guys put on more than one.Anything with movement to catch the eye helps.I use a hobie rod extender in the flush mount rod hold inside I put styrofoam and push and orange curb marker into it with the flag on that.It is stiff enough to not bend in the wind and also the orange has reflective tape on it.Its only a few bucks to make if you have the rod extenders.
MateOriginal Crew71 postsSince 2019
Roccus7
Roccus7MOD2019#5
Ever notice how your local kayakers attach their safety flags ?

Never seen a safety flag up here and I've had no inclination to put them on our kayaks, no reason to. There's very little boating traffic around here, more kayaks than boats in my harbor. 20 kayaks passing my house on a Saturday is an "Invasion Fleet" and more than 2 boats passing is enough for me to hop in my boat to see if they know something I don't.

Cousin from Essex, CT was astounded when we went fishing on Sunday of a July 4th weekend and we were the only boat in sight. At least on weekdays the Lobstahmen are out hauling traps...
AdmiralOriginal Crew21,694 postsSince 2018
Capt13
Capt13FREE2019#6
Most all the guys I see out in Smithtown bay are flying flags .......
CaptainOriginal Crew2,530 postsSince 2018
pequa1
pequa1MOD2019#7
I want to do something like a vertical in-hull miniature rodholder at the stern
CommodoreOriginal Crew7,027 postsSince 2018
pequa1
pequa1MOD2019#8
They are an absolute necessity anywhere on the island.Boaters flying all over the place on auto pilot not being able to see in front of them because they are not trimmed up properly.So anything you can do to make yourself more visible is needed.All most of the guys over at KFA fly our club flag in red and some guys put on more than one.Anything with movement to catch the eye helps.I use a hobie rod extender in the flush mount rod hold inside I put styrofoam and push and orange curb marker into it with the flag on that.It is stiff enough to not bend in the wind and also the orange has reflective tape on it.Its only a few bucks to make if you have the rod extenders.
I sometimes have trouble seeing the yakkers fishing in Sloop Channel off jones beach when i am on my boat if the guy is in a blue or green yak with no flag or paddle reflective tape. “Suicide by boater “ I call them.
CommodoreOriginal Crew7,027 postsSince 2018
R
Richee33FREE2019#9
I sometimes have trouble seeing the yakkers fishing in Sloop Channel off jones beach when i am on my boat if the guy is in a blue or green yak with no flag or paddle reflective tape. “Suicide by boater “ I call them.
It really is incumbent upon the kayaker to make themselves seen and to not be in places where they will not be in the main boating channels because you are just asking for trouble.We all have to share the waters but like on land if you are on bicycle you will not riding on the LIE at rush hour.Kayakers just have to pick our times and our routes carefully so as to not be in conflict with our boater brothers.It is also very important to have an air horn or at least a whistle so you can blow to bring more attention to yourself.
MateOriginal Crew71 postsSince 2019
Rick67
Rick67FREE2019#10
I put mine in a Scotty for the angle and to get it away from me.
We get flags made custom, $25 delivered.
CommodoreOriginal Crew6,088 postsSince 2019
pequa1
pequa1MOD2019#11
So true. I do have a whistle on my PFD, a flag (eventually, if I can find a suitable in-hull mount for my new yak) reflective tape on the paddle and to go with a bright orange or yellow yak, a bright orange PFD.
CommodoreOriginal Crew7,027 postsSince 2018
pequa1
pequa1MOD2019#12
It really is incumbent upon the kayaker to make themselves seen and to not be in places where they will not be in the main boating channels because you are just asking for trouble.We all have to share the waters but like on land if you are on bicycle you will not riding on the LIE at rush hour.Kayakers just have to pick our times and our routes carefully so as to not be in conflict with our boater brothers.It is also very important to have an air horn or at least a whistle so you can blow to bring more attention to yourself.

So true. I do have a whistle on my PFD, a flag (eventually, if I can find a suitable in-hull mount for my new yak) reflective tape on the paddle and to go with a bright orange or yellow yak, a bright orange PFD.
CommodoreOriginal Crew7,027 postsSince 2018
pequa1
pequa1MOD2019#13
I put mine in a Scotty for the angle and to get it away from me.
We get flags made custom, $25 delivered.

That would definitely work. I fly "our flag" on a blaze orange taped pole, but I want to put it in a flush or in-hull mount. (On my Phoenix I had skinny rodholders on the seat which were useless for a rod but good for the flagpole.)
CommodoreOriginal Crew7,027 postsSince 2018
R
Richee33FREE2019#14
mine is very similar
MateOriginal Crew71 postsSince 2019
R
Richee33FREE2019#15
I have to say that getting run over by a boat is the one thing that scares me the most out there I really have been lucky to have had mostly very nice boaters who will slow down and give us a wide berth.And then again we have had some knuckleheads come by really close and almost swamp us but those guys are few and far between in my experience.
MateOriginal Crew71 postsSince 2019
MakoMike
MakoMikeFREE2019#16
Two things to keep in mind 1) every boater is responsible for damage caused by his wake; 2) you too are subject to the rules of the road, which in the case of a kayak means almost everyone has the right of way over you.
First MateOriginal Crew710 postsSince 2018
R
Richee33FREE2019#17
Two things to keep in mind 1) every boater is responsible for damage caused by his wake; 2) you too are subject to the rules of the road, which in the case of a kayak means almost everyone has the right of way over you.
Very True!
MateOriginal Crew71 postsSince 2019
Rick67
Rick67FREE2019#18
That would definitely work. I fly "our flag" on a blaze orange taped pole, but I want to put it in a flush or in-hull mount. (On my Phoenix I had skinny rodholders on the seat which were useless for a rod but good for the flagpole.)
Scotty makes a recessed mount for the rocket launcher.
CommodoreOriginal Crew6,088 postsSince 2019
Roccus7
Roccus7MOD2019#19
I sometimes have trouble seeing the yakkers fishing in Sloop Channel off jones beach when i am on my boat if the guy is in a blue or green yak with no flag or paddle reflective tape. “Suicide by boater “ I call them.

Kayaks should not be allowed to be made in Green or especially Blue. I had a HUGE fight with the Admiral when I said NFW to the blue kayak she wanted. She finally settled on "Mango", make that orange...
AdmiralOriginal Crew21,694 postsSince 2018
pequa1
pequa1MOD2019#20
Kayaks should not be allowed to be made in Green or especially Blue. I had a HUGE fight with the Admiral when I said NFW to the blue kayak she wanted. She finally settled on "Mango", make that orange...
My new yak is mango. Not enough demand for yellow unfortunately so they dropped that color. Blues and greens are popular inland on quiet water.
CommodoreOriginal Crew7,027 postsSince 2018
Page 1 of 4
63 posts

Sign in to reply to this thread.