: (I looked) out my window and saw what appeared to be a waterspout forming.

Same thing happened here only substitute the South China Sea for the Caribbean. The spouts were on the horizon close to each other. One was like the one in your picture and the other was a column that must have been hundreds of yards wide and went from the sea surface to the clouds.

: Now, imagine you're out in a kayak. A quickly passing shower goes
: over, no big deal. You're out there about a mile offshore, when
: suddenly this thing lands on top of you. What would you do?

Recently I was run over by a huge breaking wave and subjected to all kinds of hydrological gymnastics. Miraculously, by bracing my legs from footrest to thigh hooks, I stayed in the boat. I may not be so lucky next time. This has gotten me to thinking about scenarios like yours, which has me thinking about a seatbelt.

JR