Quote Originally Posted by loomis82 View Post
I've been reading this thread as it has grown and debated if I wanted to say something or not. Well I decided I should. It is in noway a good idea to attempt what you want to do. I lost two great friends last April 16th and my friends girlfriend and her niece to lake erie. My buddy was very experienced on erie and many other bodies of water. Mother nature doesn't care about experience or non experience. All i know is I'll never see them again and there are no for sure answers as to what happened as the boat was found structurley sound. No alocohol factor just a pure accident. I would strongly recommend using one of the great captains on here. If something happens to you not only are you putting your life in danger but others also. Many can vouch on here I'm sure that they've had the crap scared out of them on erie and add cold water to the situation its a recipe for disaster. I really hope you rethink your choices. I'm not trying to be a ahole i just don't want to see anything bad happen
loomis82~~ Your opinion is one of the best responses to hit this thread.

Everyone who has fished the big lake for very long knows for a fact that it can go from dead calm and flat to 3 to 4 footers in a matter of just a few minutes and without warning, making it difficult for power boats to stay in control of their own safety, let alone having to basically paddle yourself to safe harbor when time is of most importance to make safe harbor. We all know the weather guessers miss the mark quite often for the big lake, especially wind forecasts which are notoriously wrong early and late in the season due to the unsettled weather! Add to that the high amount of boat traffic that will be in the area, some of which will have questionable boat operators at the helm making large wakes and possibly not paying attention to the possibility there may be smaller watercraft on the water with them just adds another variable to the safety equation.

Early in the season you will have the added threat of extremely cold water to deal with, making hypothermia a real threat. There is a big difference between being wet/soaked and on shore and being wet trying to stay afloat in 40 to 50 degree water where you are immersed or mostly submerged. Just getting soaked with that cold water and trying to maintain your composure while paddling for safe harbor while still in your kayak can be more than what your body can endure as a wind chill factor can be just as deadly as being actually immersed in the water.

I feel that the decision to do this or not is yours to make and I am not telling you not to do it. I am in all honesty trying to make you aware of all of the hazards that you may be facing, and ask that you weigh those hazards very carefully before you make your final decision.