wind speed and float tube safety

[happybob91]

I was curious how fast the wind would have to be before it is unsafe to be in float tube. How fast does the wind have to be to create waves? Just curious as I will be in my float tube towards the end of the week and the weather calls for wind 5-10 mph
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]I usually check in with at least two or three weather forecasting sites. If winds are forecast for much in excess of 5mph early...and rapidly rising...I usually cancel my planned trip.

I can deal with cold but wind messes up my action when I want to fish finesse...or for fly fishing. If you can't maintain position and properly present your fly or lure you are going to miss strikes or just plain not be able to entice the fish right.

On the other hand, a bit of fishing ripple often turns the fish on and they bite better. Not always.

One of the keys is the passage of fronts. If you fish a breeze ahead of a front you will usually do better than fishing wind after a front has just passed. I usually like to plan trips after there has been a couple of days of calm after the last blow.

Unsafe? If the wind is so strong you cannot move against it to get back to your vehicle that is too strong. I have had to get out on the shore and wait out a blow in order to be able to return to my vehicle. And I have also had to walk a long ways back to my vehicle and drive to where I got out with my tube.
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[pontoonman]

[quote happybob91]I was curious how fast the wind would have to be before it is unsafe to be in float tube.

PM: Doubling the wind speed from 5 to 10 mph cubes the power to a factor of 8X. But it also depends on the geography and direction of wind. Middle of big wide open lakes generally the worst place to be at 10+ mph. But I've been out in 20 mph on rivers with protection of high trees or high banks. I always try to launch from the side that goes INTO the wind and make my way to the lee side so I can be blown back to launch. Going into wind lets you test your power, control, discomfort level, and ability to hold position. Also, I propel/fish/stay close to shore on the PROTECTED side, if there is one. So long as you sit low in the water, go with the wind toward shore, and hang your feet down for a keel, it is very unlikely you will flip or be in danger. If your tube leaks there will normally be at least one compartment to keep you afloat, but hypothermia may be an issue. There is more danger for leaks if using a troll motor/battery because of the weight imbalance on deflation- make cause sinking.

How fast does the wind have to be to create waves?

PM: Middle of lake, maybe 10 mph will get at least small waves in my area.

Just curious as I will be in my float tube towards the end of the week and the weather calls for wind 5-10 mph[/quote]

Hope this helps.

PM
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[kandersonSLC]

For me, wind is the biggest negative to fishing in 'toon -- especially if you're just powered by fins. The wind can spin you around, blast water in your face, and make it difficult to impossible to get back to your car. Not sure it gets unsafe unless you're poorly balanced and a big wave rolls your 'toon. Certainly safer than a canoe or kayak. I've seen more than a few of those get swamped when the wind comes up.

I carry a small anemometer when out on windy lakes like Henry's and Strawberry. Calm to 8 mph is great. When it consistently hits 12 mph, it starts to get less fun real fast. When it hits 18 mph, its time to go in. Maybe I'm a wimp.
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[flygoddess]

Kevin, don't forget the rescue at Deer Creek last year. That wind was crazy. With a pontoon you have the option of oars. I have been on 4' swells on both Strawberry and Henry's and in a donut, a V and a pontoon. I was totally beat up by the pounding waves in the donut and the SFC. Pontoon I ride over the waves, rowing is the biggest plus. I even have had to row with motor on full speed before.
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[kandersonSLC]

I'll never forget that. Guy and his kid in older kayak when strong wind came up. A big wave landed square in the cockpit and that thing sank in one second. Guy got tangled in anchor rope and wind was blowing kayak over top of him (a few inches of bow remained above water). I really think two or three minutes more and he would have been a goner. Mojo saved the kid while I untangle the old guy. This experience has made me more cautious when the wind blows.

I agree that pontoons handle wind waves better than other small craft, and I too have both rowed and motored at full speed to get back to shore.

Henry's is fun cause it sits on the Continental Divide and one minute its blasting from the east, then the west, then the north. Crazy. At least on Strawberry the wind is generally from a consistent direction.
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