My next dive is from my yak!

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Let me give kayakers another tip. Do not use silicone adhesive or sealants on your HDPE kayaks (most of them). Use instead Lexel with all pad eyes, hatches, rivets or whatever you attach to your kayak. It is far superior to silicone adhesives. You can get Lexel in most Ace or similar hardware stores.

Another, I have used screws and various rivets for attaching accessories and pad eyes. Use the tri-wing kayak rivets if you cannot get backside access. If you can get backside access use screws though standard aluminum rivets with an aluminum or stainless washer (or large area washer) will be stronger than tri-wing rivets. I have done pull tests, screws (and nuts) backed up with large area fender washers are strongest followed by aluminum pop rivets with aluminum backing rivets followed by tri-wing kayak rivets followed by sheet metal type screws. Well nuts, expandable rubber nuts, well, those have purpose but I prefer to limit that purpose.


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Another option for shallow water dives from a kayak would be to use an umbilical and leaving the tank in the boat.
IMG_0545.jpg
 
I have it pretty down on kayak diving.

I'm using a Ocean Kayak Scrambler XT tank well.
I NEVER open a hatch out in the ocean unless I happen to pull into a super calm cove with still water. I keep everything on top bungeed down. I either use hooded vests with one piece suits, or an attached hood beaver tail suit, so taking my hood off is not possible, I either pull it back or sometimes leave it pulled on, especially if it's a cold day. My mask is around my neck, my gloves on, compass and computer on my wrists. The more stuff you have on means the less stuff you lose in the case of a roll over. I have trained for roll overs but have never been rolled out in the ocean, not even close, only in the surf once and that was enough for me. My fins get bungeed up front along with the anchor and rode, and spear gun/goody bag.
My rig rides back in the well, tank facing down and reg pointing back. I use two adjustable webbing straps with plastic squeeze clips to secure my rig in place. My weightbelt rides right in front of where I sit and it is buckled through one of the seal back straps.
When I arrive at my dive location I scooch forward straddling the kayak and drop anchor. Then I install fins, get in the water, come over to the side of the boat, reach up and unbuckle the weight belt, roll on the weight belt, go back and reach up and unclip the two straps over my rig, pull the rig off the back into the water with a little air in the wing, get dressed in the water, go forward to get my gun and goody back, descend and dive. Upon return I do everything in reverse order.
With the OK Scrambler they have a notch on the back that works as a guide to hold the tank in place as I push it back up into the boat. I grab the carry handle of the kayak with one hand and the tank valve/reg of the rig with the other hand and basically set the bottom end of the tank in the notch then heave-ho the rig right back up into the boat while I'm in the water. I have not tried to pull it in sitting on the kayak because pushing it up back in from the water has been successful enough that I haven't seen a need to explore an alternate method.
I don't use a dive flag because we aren't required to use one here, and it's just one more item of clutter that can be eliminated.
 
Exposure protection while diving vs. overheating while paddling question:
(Cold water, warm air)
About your suits for kayak diving in colder water - not sure I fully followed:
So you wear what you wear when you dive in colder water. And does nothing come off for paddling?
I wonder how trouble some it would be to try to paddle in e.g. a 7mm suit... and of course if the water is cold but the weather is warm, something has to come off... So can you help me out here a little more - so I understand what you are saying:

A beavertail ... Is that a (long arm)jacket with a flap that acts as a crotch strap when fastened?
And a long john neoprene pants underneath?

I can paddle in a long john (free arms, free arm pits...) (with whatever regular clothing on top...)... paddling in a thick neoprene jacket or one piece suit has me worried and obviously taking off an putting on a jacket on the kayak would be a lot less trouble than a one piece suit... but then, some suits (like my 5 mm) peel off to the waist quite easy - but that zipper in the back won't always cooperate - and I need a warmer suit...)
My situation: Have suitable kayak (OK prowler trident 15) sort of know what to do with it ( I paddle and kayak camp with it and another yak...) Learned diving a bit over a year ago.... and got bit by some sort of a bug there. Want to practice the combination (kayak diving) a bit locally when it's warmer (Midwest...). Do not have proper colder water exposure protection yet (have a cobbled together 5mm suit and a vest hoodie thing I use underneath when it's too cold w/o, another hood, gloves and boots of course... but it only gets me so far... (like not more than 20 min at 45F to 50F and then it's no more fun and I need to fin a lot to stay warm enough burning up air fast...)
Have to watch the budget. A drysuit would be a bit of a stretch at this point (budget and I am not sure I like the idea when overheating on a kayak, opening it and taking the top down to the waist and finding a way to get soaking wet on the way to the dive ...) So, if I look at thick (semi dry if good deal) wetsuits I feel that paddling a yak in it is impossible for me when the air is warm.

Tons more questions, but they can all wait and I will read more anyway... but getting the exposure protection in place prior to spring that I in colder water and yet can use when paddling in warmer temps too (presumably by taking the top part off) and care to afford ... that... would be nice... The more I look at it the more I seem to wonder... It seems like everybody and their brother says (none kayak diving so) "go with a drysuit" and the odd one out says a good 8/7mm hooded semi dry wetsuit will work (in conjunction with my natural insulation) - but I don't see that I could paddle in that unless the air is quite cold too and I can deal with the chafing under the arms... - And everyone seems to "poo poo" a thick farmer john and jacket combo. "You look and feel like Michelin man and they leak like a sieve, are cold and stiff and the extra weight you will need to carry with 14mm of neoprene around your torso will cause you to instantaneously combust" ... something like that... Anyway I can deal with the weight, have the lift and redundant lift for in case. But still want to invest in a decent approach for staying warm UW and being able to paddle in it... And I sort of can't afford to get it wrong before I get it right...
--- Farmer John + Jacket?
--- or a good one piece suit (hooded maybe) with front zip that actually is manageable w/o help and can be pealed down to waist by myself (some semi dry ones (like the older price reduced model that caught my eye) you read horror stories about)? suggestions?
--- or what else could I look at?
Appreciate your thoughts... / shared experience.../ pointers...
 
BTW. Great thread! Encouraged by finding it (just don't know anyone who kayak dives or even anyone who knows anyone who does).
 
Colo Hippie:
"Location: Roatan - Yea baby"
Yeah, OK, consider it rubbed in...
 
Schwaeble,

LOL. Thanks. :cheers:Getting to this point has been just a few years of planning, research, a few snags and then finally stepping off the edge and just doing it.
 
So far I've been kayak diving from my Sevylor inflatable DiveYak. I bought it years ago, but didn't use it much until I moved to Florida. It has a hatch in the center, so it's really easy to enter/exit. Tomorrow I'm going to try drift diving from A Necky Spike on the Rainbow River In Dunellon FL. It's an old kayak, too, but I got a good price on it used. I've never tried diving from a sit on top before, but I'm looking forward to it. It's great to find other kayak divers on this site!
 
Exposure protection while diving vs. overheating while paddling question:
(Cold water, warm air)
About your suits for kayak diving in colder water - not sure I fully followed:
So you wear what you wear when you dive in colder water. And does nothing come off for paddling?
I wonder how trouble some it would be to try to paddle in e.g. a 7mm suit... and of course if the water is cold but the weather is warm, something has to come off... So can you help me out here a little more - so I understand what you are saying:

A beavertail ... Is that a (long arm)jacket with a flap that acts as a crotch strap when fastened?
And a long john neoprene pants underneath?

I can paddle in a long john (free arms, free arm pits...) (with whatever regular clothing on top...)... paddling in a thick neoprene jacket or one piece suit has me worried and obviously taking off an putting on a jacket on the kayak would be a lot less trouble than a one piece suit... but then, some suits (like my 5 mm) peel off to the waist quite easy - but that zipper in the back won't always cooperate - and I need a warmer suit...)
My situation: Have suitable kayak (OK prowler trident 15) sort of know what to do with it ( I paddle and kayak camp with it and another yak...) Learned diving a bit over a year ago.... and got bit by some sort of a bug there. Want to practice the combination (kayak diving) a bit locally when it's warmer (Midwest...). Do not have proper colder water exposure protection yet (have a cobbled together 5mm suit and a vest hoodie thing I use underneath when it's too cold w/o, another hood, gloves and boots of course... but it only gets me so far... (like not more than 20 min at 45F to 50F and then it's no more fun and I need to fin a lot to stay warm enough burning up air fast...)
Have to watch the budget. A drysuit would be a bit of a stretch at this point (budget and I am not sure I like the idea when overheating on a kayak, opening it and taking the top down to the waist and finding a way to get soaking wet on the way to the dive ...) So, if I look at thick (semi dry if good deal) wetsuits I feel that paddling a yak in it is impossible for me when the air is warm.

Tons more questions, but they can all wait and I will read more anyway... but getting the exposure protection in place prior to spring that I in colder water and yet can use when paddling in warmer temps too (presumably by taking the top part off) and care to afford ... that... would be nice... The more I look at it the more I seem to wonder... It seems like everybody and their brother says (none kayak diving so) "go with a drysuit" and the odd one out says a good 8/7mm hooded semi dry wetsuit will work (in conjunction with my natural insulation) - but I don't see that I could paddle in that unless the air is quite cold too and I can deal with the chafing under the arms... - And everyone seems to "poo poo" a thick farmer john and jacket combo. "You look and feel like Michelin man and they leak like a sieve, are cold and stiff and the extra weight you will need to carry with 14mm of neoprene around your torso will cause you to instantaneously combust" ... something like that... Anyway I can deal with the weight, have the lift and redundant lift for in case. But still want to invest in a decent approach for staying warm UW and being able to paddle in it... And I sort of can't afford to get it wrong before I get it right...
--- Farmer John + Jacket?
--- or a good one piece suit (hooded maybe) with front zip that actually is manageable w/o help and can be pealed down to waist by myself (some semi dry ones (like the older price reduced model that caught my eye) you read horror stories about)? suggestions?
--- or what else could I look at?
Appreciate your thoughts... / shared experience.../ pointers...

You got the beaver tail right. My farmer john pants are 7mm that's what I use in cold water. Last year the water above 50fsw got warm enough for a switch to 3mm farmer john pants and a 7MM jacket.

I'm with you I don't picture myself paddling any long distances in my 7mm farmer john pants and the step 7mm jacket over it, or a 7mm one piece suit. My dry suit is also out that's 4mm crushed neoprene. None of those seem easy to paddle in to me. I have a hard enough time putting my mask on in that suit! The step in jacket is awkward to get on laying in the yak but do able. I've got an old 1/4" beaver tail jacket that I will try this summer.

I found that inverting the yak is an easy way to get the rig off the yak. I'm still working on getting it back on that way. I think a bungee would hold it in place, it wants to float up by slipping around the side of the yak. Then I could use both hands to tie it down good.

Look at pictures of yak divers on the west coast. They mostly have their one piece suits rolled down or have their jackets off. The air is warm but the water is about the same as in NE. I'm looking at yak diving as a summer activity.

Using a yak along the Newport, RI shore line to dive in the summer would be a very rewarding experience IMO.
In RI as long as you stay below the high tide mark you can stop anywhere along the shore. Above the high tide mark is private property. We have really good access to the ocean here in RI.

Rockport, MA would be another great place to paddle and dive!
 
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