yes do it, some of these guys don't want to go out. PS: It's ridiculously dangerous.

yeah dude, buy better eqt, than you can afford

I also paddle mostly solo due to my schedule and time off requirements.

I find paddling solo leaves me to my own time and schedule. I do have a good friend that I paddle with but its rare that the two of us can get the same amount of time off to do extended wilderness travel.

I completed the Wilderness Water way last year solo and had a blast. No problems and had good weather.

My advice to people that want to solo long distances....

Have a VERY good roll and be able to self rescue. Being confident paddling a loaded boat in the conditions you're likely to face is also very important.

I agree with magooch.

I enjoy kayaking solo. In fact, I would rather be solo. The only person I have to kayak with is my girlfriend. And she doesn't like being to far from shore at all times. She doesn't like any chop or long paddles. Damn,I really need a new kayak partner.
I like soloing because every second on the water is on my terms. I go where I want and how fast I want. I don't have to wait for my girlfriend or anyone else for that matter. And its a good time to clear my head and enjoy a little solitude. However, I am aware that I have to respect the weather and my limitations because I won't have help. But at least I don't have to worry for another paddler with less experience. I am only responsible for me and I like it that way.
As to the post above, I feel that a GPS should not be a complete substitute for a compass, appropriate charts and maps and solid navigational skills, but rather compliment them.
Safe kayaking.

Hey WanderingHorizon. Where did you complete your solo? And how long was it?

Interesting the suggested "requirement" of a compass. In 2-1/2 decades of paddling, with quite a number of multiday trips solo, I've only "just about" needed to take a compass bearing a couple of times. Once in NZ and once in Fiji. If I hadn't had a small handbearing compass and it had actually been necessary to use one we would have waited for a short time for things to clear (squall to pass). So it does depend where you paddle.

As for charts, I find a topo map of more use. I navigate by what I see and ground shapes are relevant as are indications of where there might be somewhere to camp.

Alex

Alex, it remains self-evident that a compass is an essential fitting on a sea kayak if one is to be considered a mariner--charts and a compass.

Alex, I think it does matter where you paddle. I have never kayaked on the ocean but I do on the Great lakes. Kayaking on the Eastern side of Georgian Bay in Ontario Canada is absolutely beautiful. You can be kayaking amongst literally hundreds of islands. From the vantage point of maybe 2 1/2 feet above the water as you sit in your kayak islands blend into eachother making it very difficult to distinguish them from one another. It now becomes very difficult to keep track of where you are and a kayaker can become easily disoriented.
Although I always have my deck compass and a gps, often enough they aren't even used because I am able to follow a shore and keep track of landmarks. There are no obstacles to create any confusion of where I am.
So basically all I am saying is I think it is a wise idea to always have a compass and know how to use it when the situation calls for it.
I mostly use topo maps too.

Which of course means the Polynesians, Irish (Brendan the Navigator) and Vikings weren't mariners. ???

You do carry a sextant I hope? Or own one?

What I'm saying is tools for the job/area. If one is competent at using the sun as a compass and a topo map for assessing the coast, then those are the tools to use. It also depends how many times one has been in the area as well.

Alex

Lot's of them ended up dead mariners I would guess. I think they would have taken a compass if they were offer one for sure. In a fog you need a compass. I would guess with heavy clouds it would be handy too. I am no expert and just started leaning but I have experience boating. I have been in the fog and swore the compass was wrong but followed it. They work and for 50 bucks they are cheap. Granted smaller bodies of water it doesn't matter but on a large bodies I would vote YES! I may not hit an exact beach but I could get back to land.

Alex, I'm sure you are a reasonable person. As Dog Paddle suggests, and as everybody else who read your last post immediately thought: Would the Polynesians, St. Brendan, etc. have deliberately chosen not to carry a compass, had one been available to them? The answer is clear. You have no case: a compass costs very little, is easily attached to the deck, and is quite a help in properly orienting one's chart to the actual location, and orienting oneself to the chart. As a user of charts, you know all this. You're not getting anywhere with this argument; maybe a compass will show you the correct path.

It was great when my first vehicle had a compass at least I knew if I kept in one direction I would hit the highway again some where along it.

I like to get out on a solo trip (3-4 days) at least once a year. I day solo boat all the time (3-4 hours) for a workout. But, it is a good escape to go on a trip by yourself once and a while. I am a salesguy that deals with a lot of people, so it is good to escape on a solo trip to do some reflection and long distance paddling with no distractions. Here, in washington State, we have the San Juan Islands and it is a virtual Sea Kaykers paradise, especially in the early spring before all the tourist get up there and spoil the solitude with the ever noisy motor boats.

Some thoughts on going solo:

I have been a backpacker longer than a sea kayaker, and have done many solo deep-wilderness trips, such as in Alaska. Virtually all of my kayaking since starting a couple years ago has also been solo. I wouldn't have it any other way. There are things one experiences and things one learns about oneself solo in the wilderness that just can't be had in other ways.

The judgment real comes in understanding all the potential dangers and threats, and then finding the appropriate level of challenge. To restrict oneself only to that which is completely comfortable would miss the point for me; I want to challenge myself, but in a responsible way (I have a wife and kids). This isn't all about entertainment either; courage grows with exercise, and life often requires courage. We can develop this with things like kayaking solo.

I don't think one can underestimate how critical rolling is. We need to become rolling experts. I do serious rolling practice every time out. And one should really try to do this in a way that develops the skill for the kind of conditions where one would actually capsize. For example, find a friendly beach and a stiff onshore wind, and practice rolling in the surf. Roll both sides. Capsize in strange positions, or with the paddle in unusual positions. Hold your breath for a bit, and then capsize, then roll up.

I have found that while my rolling motions are "bombproof", the tougher part is to make my mind "bombproof". You have to train yourself to think about nothing else except good set-up, good roll technique...and NOT think about the waves, the wind, how shallow you are in the surf, etc.

Another critical point is dressing such that you would be safe for a significant period of time in the water temperature in which you will be paddling. This seems like an absolute must to me. keep a neoprene hood on deck when appropriate; makes a huge difference.

One critical piece of hardwear: a floating personal locator beacon with GPS. This is a sure way of 1) notifying rescue authorities that you are in a life-threating situation, and 2) your precise location. Can't imagine a more important tool. Of course, it's still a back-up. Paddle as if you don't have it.