Thanks for having the guts to put this up and take in all the comments. Everyone can learn from this. One good thing to do is a Coastguard 1 night course on crossing bars. Well worth it.
Bro you are an absolute legend to put this on the net for our learning. Not everyone would have the guts to put their misfortune online and open themselves for a criticism. The two things that I observed which are highly praiseworthy are your demeanour and how calmly you handled a life-threatening situation and also I'm extremely glad for the fact that your missus was wearing a lifejacket. With that being said, looks like you'll be on laundry duties for the next 12 months.
one of the first things i'd do is go on land as high up and as near as i can get to the bar...take a thermos of tea and homemade peanut brownies...and watch what's going on...tides are worth checking up on as well...and just see what's going on...if you're not a local...find them,the ones that use the bar,and talk to them.Make sure your craft is seaworthy,lifejackets etc...before you even get in the water.Do that stuff before you get in the water.The water stuff is a whole 'nother matter!
Phew mate , glad you both made it. Everytime you get into bother in a boat is a great learning experience, and you learn to be a bit more careful next time. great vid too.
My advice would be to be more patient. Get out there, sit in the entrance, and assess what's happening. There's always a gap that will open up, and you can attack that gap with ease on the jetski. Always be patient that is the key. The mokau is my faroured bar, but will always claim a boat or 2 every year.
Scary stuff, well done on posting this vid, we all make mistakes as I lost a close friend to this very scenario. Always try to remount on the back of the ski as well.
Wow! I love transiting over bars…….on a ski, if you’re going to double up, think of towing a rescue mat, makes for easier getting out of there! I think the biggest and most important lesson is to sit back and watch the bar, watch the spacings, timing of sets. It can be a valuable 20 minutes that isn’t a waste of time……….good luck, keep safe…..
Glad you both made it back safe, I can imagine what that experience felt like, have had my ski flooded and close to sinking before, not much fun. I've never attempted a bar crossing on ski before, been on a few boats with experienced skippers doing it and its still scary. The coastguard offers bar crossing seminars and courses if you're interested
If you havent already i would highly reccomend you take the coastguard boating course and also learn more about bar crossing timing the waves, making sure you have a plb with you at all times could have ended a lot worse
I would have sat back and watched it for a while before having a crack and just hitting the waves at a bit less pace and as you said definitely hit the waves head on
Professional seafarer here. Think about control. You never want to lose it. It’s ok to go fast, but only in the right situation. It can go from having fun to tragic in a second. Think what forces are in play, yours and nature. Think consequences, what happens if this turns to custard. How do i get out of this if it turns ugly. If it has got serious, don’t panic. Stay calm and think about regaining some control. In the video, I think it might have been better to just sit and watch the bar for a few minutes before tackling it. You would be surprised how quickly it changes and offers safe opportunities to have fun and get out. Once you lost control you probably should have retrieved your passenger and moved back to the safer water for a while to reassess. Get your vessel into a safe condition where you have more time and can think about what to do next. Get trained
Good on you mate for asking for advice. Be patient and spend a little time watching the sets waiting for the right moment to go. I could be wrong but when you both came off the ski it sounded like the ski was still running which possibly means you weren’t wearing the kill cord and are lucky the ski didn’t run away from you. Always wear the kill cord and make sure both people riding have a kill cord or there is an extra in the center console. Don’t turn your back on the waves when picking someone up and maybe practice some recoveries with your mrs. in calm water. Awesome that you are reaching out, keep it up and stay safe bro.
At least you had the guts to put this up. Practising how to get back on the ski would be a good start as well. Trying to get up on the footwell only causes trouble in these situations and you should always get on from the back of the ski. Otherwise I’m glad you guys are ok, it can be scary crossing a bar.
Jeez, where do I start?! This is a perfect example of why there needs to be a licensing and training system for people wanting to go out on the water. As for where you went wrong, you appear unable to read the water and waves at all, poor control of the ski, a passenger that can’t get on from the water, and worst of all you turned your back to waves while just idling. All in all an educational video that should be used to teach people what not to do. I’m glad the 2 of you made it out of their safe.
100% agree. Bluntly, You are putting yourself and your wife in a life threatening place without being aware or skilled to cope. Playing in surf on a bar means you should be swim fit, wearing fins on a belt and prepared for self rescue by swimming without the ski Which means you should have studied the tide and current, trained and set up your jetski for retrieving people in the surf and spent hrs and hrs practicing in flat water and setting up you ski properly. Your ski looks reliable, and the surf was small and forgiving. Those are the only good points. If you have to do it, train for it with a surf lifesaver and start at high incoming tide and a calm day on the bar. Bars become monsters at out going tide especially low tide.
Bro, as someone else on here has mentioned, you should definitely get a foam rescue sled on the back, gives you more room and perfect in this situation. Also a proper vest. The trick is to punch all whitewater as straight on as possible. If its too big, youve got the power to run away and come back as the size and power has dropped
Looks like good conditions for the west coast, first thing like others said stay in the calm areas and just watch the waves observe them. make sure your passenger is holding on very tight where the waves are. Best to ride square into the waves that will stop the tipping over action when you know when the waves are about to break you can ride the swells then on a angle to make the ride smoother. When riding square into the white water just just a slow smooth throttle.
Ditch the inflatable jackrts, go to neiprene impact vests. Practice deep water boarding and rescues. Anyone who falls off in surf does need to be able to self rescue and be OK in the water for a while. But a good learning exercise :)
When its only very small waves you just square up straight and just punch thru it. Ive gone over the Lakes Entrance bar for over 40yrs and have never had a problem
I would suggest spending 15 to 20 minutes timing the sets and just watching the bar, the Mokau bar is a big bar with a lot of water moving around. Take time to watch the channel and see how the waves are breaking and once you commit go don't hesitate.
Hey bro, you made a couple of mistakes - when heading out sit in the pocket and read the wave sets before attacking them. - ditch the inflatable PFD that your wife had, they make it harder to get back on compared to a vest and take a throw rope with you incase wifey takes another swim.
Thank you for the help, that life jacket really did stop me being able to get up. I’m covered in bruises from trying. We will learn a lot from people like you. Are the JetSki jackets enough to keep you afloat?
I jumped in the water to check out my Jet Pilot lifejacket. Yip, it kept me afloat. I also have a crotch strap attached just in case. I also have a safety harness on which is attached to my ski just in case. My Seadoo Fishpro has a boarding ladder to climb back onto ski which is a great feature for safety purposes.
you said it in your video, never hit a wave sideways, not even slightly. take it on the nose but make sure you got enough momentum to carry you over the wave. skis are quick enough to 180 when needed and also wait and watch the set for a bit. see what its doing, how far apart intervals are and time it according. see where waves break alot and where they might stand up for a bit longer before breaking and use that as your chanel. always alot of learn but confidence is key, ya cant just go blatting it out over the bar 40kmh
There are p;enty of paces to have fun. Just keep away from those areas in a small craft like that otherwise you will become another water drowning statistic.
Bars can be scary. Play around with reverse using throttle a bit more. The skis can turn really fast which helps when you’re trying to pick someone or something up.
You would be best watching boats going over bars in real life and on the net. Dont rush. you need to learn to read the waves, when to back off and sit, and when to go
Thanks for having the guts to put this up and take in all the comments. Everyone can learn from this. One good thing to do is a Coastguard 1 night course on crossing bars. Well worth it.
Cheers
Bro you are an absolute legend to put this on the net for our learning. Not everyone would have the guts to put their misfortune online and open themselves for a criticism. The two things that I observed which are highly praiseworthy are your demeanour and how calmly you handled a life-threatening situation and also I'm extremely glad for the fact that your missus was wearing a lifejacket. With that being said, looks like you'll be on laundry duties for the next 12 months.
Thankyou , yep I will be.
Thanks for that I'm thinking about getting one myself legend
Way to keep a cool head with the missus not getting on properly
I felt yr frustrated stress - all men have been there haha
Good job
one of the first things i'd do is go on land as high up and as near as i can get to the bar...take a thermos of tea and homemade peanut brownies...and watch what's going on...tides are worth checking up on as well...and just see what's going on...if you're not a local...find them,the ones that use the bar,and talk to them.Make sure your craft is seaworthy,lifejackets etc...before you even get in the water.Do that stuff before you get in the water.The water stuff is a whole 'nother matter!
Phew mate , glad you both made it. Everytime you get into bother in a boat is a great learning experience, and you learn to be a bit more careful next time. great vid too.
Hey bro great upload, unfiltered and super educational. You handled yourself well under pressure to the best of your knowledge. Thanks for posting
Well done for being humble. Every day on the water is a day learning
Hi, your video is like a horror story unfolding, especially when you were both off the ski, glad it all worked out.
My advice would be to be more patient. Get out there, sit in the entrance, and assess what's happening. There's always a gap that will open up, and you can attack that gap with ease on the jetski. Always be patient that is the key. The mokau is my faroured bar, but will always claim a boat or 2 every year.
Scary stuff, well done on posting this vid, we all make mistakes as I lost a close friend to this very scenario. Always try to remount on the back of the ski as well.
Watching this unfold would've been interesting! Glad you're both safe.
Wow! I love transiting over bars…….on a ski, if you’re going to double up, think of towing a rescue mat, makes for easier getting out of there! I think the biggest and most important lesson is to sit back and watch the bar, watch the spacings, timing of sets. It can be a valuable 20 minutes that isn’t a waste of time……….good luck, keep safe…..
Glad you both made it back safe, I can imagine what that experience felt like, have had my ski flooded and close to sinking before, not much fun. I've never attempted a bar crossing on ski before, been on a few boats with experienced skippers doing it and its still scary. The coastguard offers bar crossing seminars and courses if you're interested
If you havent already i would highly reccomend you take the coastguard boating course and also learn more about bar crossing timing the waves, making sure you have a plb with you at all times could have ended a lot worse
I would have sat back and watched it for a while before having a crack and just hitting the waves at a bit less pace and as you said definitely hit the waves head on
Professional seafarer here. Think about control. You never want to lose it. It’s ok to go fast, but only in the right situation. It can go from having fun to tragic in a second. Think what forces are in play, yours and nature. Think consequences, what happens if this turns to custard. How do i get out of this if it turns ugly. If it has got serious, don’t panic. Stay calm and think about regaining some control. In the video, I think it might have been better to just sit and watch the bar for a few minutes before tackling it. You would be surprised how quickly it changes and offers safe opportunities to have fun and get out. Once you lost control you probably should have retrieved your passenger and moved back to the safer water for a while to reassess. Get your vessel into a safe condition where you have more time and can think about what to do next. Get trained
Attach the safety lanyard so the ski turns off when you fall.
Good on you mate for asking for advice. Be patient and spend a little time watching the sets waiting for the right moment to go. I could be wrong but when you both came off the ski it sounded like the ski was still running which possibly means you weren’t wearing the kill cord and are lucky the ski didn’t run away from you. Always wear the kill cord and make sure both people riding have a kill cord or there is an extra in the center console. Don’t turn your back on the waves when picking someone up and maybe practice some recoveries with your mrs. in calm water.
Awesome that you are reaching out, keep it up and stay safe bro.
Cheers mate.
At least you had the guts to put this up. Practising how to get back on the ski would be a good start as well. Trying to get up on the footwell only causes trouble in these situations and you should always get on from the back of the ski. Otherwise I’m glad you guys are ok, it can be scary crossing a bar.
@tommi6 cheers mate , we have a big chilly bin on the back of the ski which makes it hard to get on, but that was the idea. Cheers for the comment
Jeez, where do I start?! This is a perfect example of why there needs to be a licensing and training system for people wanting to go out on the water. As for where you went wrong, you appear unable to read the water and waves at all, poor control of the ski, a passenger that can’t get on from the water, and worst of all you turned your back to waves while just idling. All in all an educational video that should be used to teach people what not to do. I’m glad the 2 of you made it out of their safe.
Cheers mate , yep learnt alot. Hope someone else can learn from our misfortune.
Love to do some kind of training so far only seen TH-cam videos and that’s nothing to going out with someone experienced.
Skippers course with coastguard is a must
100% agree. Bluntly, You are putting yourself and your wife in a life threatening place without being aware or skilled to cope. Playing in surf on a bar means you should be swim fit, wearing fins on a belt and prepared for self rescue by swimming without the ski Which means you should have studied the tide and current, trained and set up your jetski for retrieving people in the surf and spent hrs and hrs practicing in flat water and setting up you ski properly. Your ski looks reliable, and the surf was small and forgiving. Those are the only good points. If you have to do it, train for it with a surf lifesaver and start at high incoming tide and a calm day on the bar. Bars become monsters at out going tide especially low tide.
It's quite a stark contrast between NZ and Aussie with regards safety and licensing.
Bro, as someone else on here has mentioned, you should definitely get a foam rescue sled on the back, gives you more room and perfect in this situation. Also a proper vest. The trick is to punch all whitewater as straight on as possible. If its too big, youve got the power to run away and come back as the size and power has dropped
Looks like good conditions for the west coast, first thing like others said stay in the calm areas and just watch the waves observe them. make sure your passenger is holding on very tight where the waves are. Best to ride square into the waves that will stop the tipping over action when you know when the waves are about to break you can ride the swells then on a angle to make the ride smoother. When riding square into the white water just just a slow smooth throttle.
Ditch the inflatable jackrts, go to neiprene impact vests. Practice deep water boarding and rescues. Anyone who falls off in surf does need to be able to self rescue and be OK in the water for a while. But a good learning exercise :)
When its only very small waves you just square up straight and just punch thru it. Ive gone over the Lakes Entrance bar for over 40yrs and have never had a problem
I would suggest spending 15 to 20 minutes timing the sets and just watching the bar, the Mokau bar is a big bar with a lot of water moving around. Take time to watch the channel and see how the waves are breaking and once you commit go don't hesitate.
what was the reason for turning around when you did the first time?
Hey mate, the wave looked bigger than it looks on the video. Probably just dropped nuts a bit really.
Are you the same couple that hit the sand coming back in after you got back over the bar?
😂, yeah that was us
Hey bro, you made a couple of mistakes
- when heading out sit in the pocket and read the wave sets before attacking them.
- ditch the inflatable PFD that your wife had, they make it harder to get back on compared to a vest and take a throw rope with you incase wifey takes another swim.
Cheers mate , will do
Thank you for the help, that life jacket really did stop me being able to get up. I’m covered in bruises from trying. We will learn a lot from people like you. Are the JetSki jackets enough to keep you afloat?
Yep they’re designed for comfort, keeping you afloat and less bulk in the front makes it easier to climb back on 👍
I jumped in the water to check out my Jet Pilot lifejacket. Yip, it kept me afloat. I also have a crotch strap attached just in case. I also have a safety harness on which is attached to my ski just in case. My Seadoo Fishpro has a boarding ladder to climb back onto ski which is a great feature for safety purposes.
Inflatable PFDs really are for dry boats where wearer never plans on getting wet.
you said it in your video, never hit a wave sideways, not even slightly. take it on the nose but make sure you got enough momentum to carry you over the wave. skis are quick enough to 180 when needed and also wait and watch the set for a bit. see what its doing, how far apart intervals are and time it according. see where waves break alot and where they might stand up for a bit longer before breaking and use that as your chanel. always alot of learn but confidence is key, ya cant just go blatting it out over the bar 40kmh
They are just fooling around, another annoying jet ski endangering itself!
This has to be one of the daftest 'boating' excercises I have seen. Oh yes, I detest jet skis.
Wow. Wish to cross the channel, soon😮
Why the hell did you take the missus
West coast can be hearty !!
If 1st attempt would prob be wise to go 1 up and with someone on another ski that is experienced
There are p;enty of paces to have fun. Just keep away from those areas in a small craft like that otherwise you will become another water drowning statistic.
You should practice recovering someone before you end up in that situation. Im guessing you are cooking your own meals for a while 😂😂
Watch this you tube video- See How a Small Inflatable Crosses a Big Set of Waves at a River Bar
Yeah looks like they had a much better idea than me. I think that was Whakatane ?
Ill have your jetski. Ill treat it better brother
Haha , cheers for the offer. Like a horse mate , ill be back on there when the weather plays ball.
Natural selection ! But glad you both all good. Take a bit if time to watch and think bout ehat you doing
Hmmmmmm a bike 🏍 is looking a safer now 😜 😊
You want a TH-cam ban???
😂😅@@Alectraaify
Bars can be scary. Play around with reverse using throttle a bit more. The skis can turn really fast which helps when you’re trying to pick someone or something up.
Cheers bro , will practice that
Where you stuffed up is...taking the missus. Bruh, unless you need an anchor leave the missus at home
Looked scary, could have been a lot worse. Did you catch any fish ?
Nah , she was shivering so came back in, and the tide was getting low. Yeah bro extremely lucky
You would be best watching boats going over bars in real life and on the net. Dont rush. you need to learn to read the waves, when to back off and sit, and when to go
You need to be to right of that front pole not to the left.Have a look at low tide.
Cheers mate , will do
That does not look like a fail to me. You got out there in one piece. No injuries, no damage.
Dumb and dumber