Terrible news this morning, the bodies of two people have been found after 2 kayakers were lost yesterday. A stark reminder about the dangers of Port Phillip and the fickle nature of Melbourne weather.

This is Cerberus Weather Observations. Conditions weren't all that bad. But if they headed off at 8:30 as reported, it was actually quite calm, then it gusted up a little but after that.

www.bom.gov.au/products/IDV60901/IDV60901.94898.shtml

It's unfortunate. Perhaps they weren't very experienced. They probably could have done a long down-winder to safety. With speculation, they may have tried to paddle back to shore in strong cross winds and they would probably have continued to get tipped off... Or something went wrong with at least one of the paddlers, and the other paddler tried a solo rescue... We'll probably never know what actually happened, and what went wrong. Wait and see what the coroner says, drowning, or heart attack, etc...

Very very sad news and a real wake up call regarding safety in the Bay. If they were crossing from Sandringham seems like they were heading straight into wind. Always think that no matter what the conditions in the Bay, a SUP with a leg rope is actually one of the most seaworthy craft out there.

Condolences to their families.

Sad apparently one of them have never Kayaked before. Check this vid out talk about lucky ,scary Kayaker attacked by great white.

I got out of the water about 2km north of where they would have been last seen and at about that time yesterday. The north wind was just starting to kick at about 15 - 20 knots. There were no white caps but the current had a little bit in it. Clearly we don't have all the information but if it was a first time kayaker, there's no way they were attempting a bay crossing, you just wouldn't do that first time out, and especially not with a steady north wind.

Condolences to family and friends.

Simondo said...

It would also be interesting to know what type of kayaks they were in.

Fat heavy plastic ones that you sit on. Or sea kayaks, or hollow kayaks.... Trouble can easily start when you get water inside the hollow ones.... Did they capsize, did they have skirts, or where they not able to right themselves, taking skirts off, and craft filling up with water... ???

At least one was a plastic SOT with what looks like a home-made minn kota mount. Even a plastic sit-on-top can get you into big trouble, especially if you're inexperienced and unfamiliar with self-rescue techniques. They can be quite difficult to remount without practice, especially if you're wearing a bulky PFD. Most don't have any secondary internal buoyancy like airtight bulkheads, foam filling or the like. Hatch covers leak...etc etc...newbies don't use paddle or boat leashes...it's a bit of a myth that they're "safer" than sit-ins.

Awful story and a grim reminder. Condolences to the families and friends.

I heard this morning that they were heading out fishing rather than a bay crossing so were probs not thinking as much about the wind direction etc. There is no doubt that the wind chop on the bay is very hard to handle if you were trying to regain your balance etc, add in clothing,fatigue and fishing lines. I did an open water swim from Half Moon about 2 pm yesterday and there seemed to be no period at all betwen the peaks. In short I was getting smashed in the water and it was not fun,even with the right gear on. If you were prone to motion sickness it would rapidly get very nasty.
Condolences

Reasonably good video and text coverage here. They were Khaki Green Fishing Kayaks, and motorised. Are those little Electric Motors. I'm not sure.

www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/bodies-wash-up-in-bay-as-kayakers-vanish-20111130-1o5oa.html