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Do you wear a PFD?

Do you wear a PFD?


  • Total voters
    43
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You know, reading this thread from the beginning I was a little startled to be reading Willis's thoughts. And then I got to thinking; when we're gone, the physical part is pretty much gone, but they say that these things we share on the internet remain forever. Now I don't know about forever but for a pretty long time for sure, and that doesn't seem like a bad thing. Kind of a gentle way to remember him or indeed any of us when the time comes. I've always liked that line " a little touch of Harry in the night". It's kind of like that.
Gentle musings, Rob
 
When our kids were young, wearing pfd's was part of our safe tripping routine. When tandem, my wife and I (empty nesters) still wear them, except for warm, calm days on small lake crossings...We paddle carefully, but not fearfully. When alone, even for a quiet dawn solo while my love slumbers, I always put it on. Besides, if I ever needed to disturb her for an early morning rescue, I'd be making breakfast from now on!!
Brad
 
I always wear a PFD. It's kind of second nature...like getting in a car and buckling up! Working in the news business I have unfortunately covered far too many drowning stories where the victims were not wearing PFD's. It's always disheartening to me when we're out canoeing and we pass others not wearing their life jackets.
-Wayne-
 
Yeah wear mine, while most of the drownings I have been on rescue for have been due to rips in the ocean I been to a few where a capsized boat lost folks that didn't have on jackets. A survivor once was saved by a cushion, by chance, by the time we reached him he was going hypothermic and almost could not keep the cushion with him.

Dont take much to drown, but understand some knee deep mountain stream. Flat water, cold water that is more than a few feet deep, wear it. Shock hitting cold water can throw you off your game, or make you inhale water and panic, best to be floated while you panicking and recovering your game switching into survival mode.
 
Most of the time we paddle with kids, I got my son to wear his as an example to his son. Now its like buckling the seat belt, I just do it, most of the time its open.
 
Always - now that I've got some sense in my head. I know a woman who drowned in the outflow of the last rapids on the Flambeau River in Wis. Her boat flipped in two feet of water with current that the rescuers had no trouble standing up in. She is glad to be able to tell the story of watching them retrieve her, drain the water out of her lungs, and get her breathing again. She was wearing a PFD.
 
Did she have a out of body experience or something?

Yes. She witnessed the rescue from 4-5 feet above. She watched the entire process, from her friends dragging her out of the water to getting drained and resuscitated.
 
Hmmm....I've often wondered about these "out of body experiences" seems like if once you got on the other side, 'over the hump' so to speak, a person would really resent being pulled back through the knot hole to this vale of tears. My sympathies have always been with Lazarus: "All right Lord, I'm coming, but I don't much like it!"

For my part, once I'm safe on the other side, I'm going to paddle like mad to get the pick of the camping spots, I've got to get some GOOD coffee made before Robin shows up!

Best Wishes, Rob

P.S. Got to apologise for our Seahawks; first time they got invited back east to play and look at what they did. No manners, probably never get invited again.

PPS. Caught the Gallopin' Galapagos, laid me low for a bit, getting better now; there goes the neighborhood.
 
  • oldie moldy said:​
    • PPS. Caught the Gallopin' Galapagos, laid me low for a bit, getting better now; there goes the neighborhood.

      Welcome back, missed ya.​

 
I always wear it. The only time I didn't was on a trip where I became "spatially disconnected" from the pfd and my son, who was 12 at the time, worried for the rest of the trip that I was going to drown.

Even though I always wear them, I don't expect much from my pfds. At best, if I somehow flip the boat I won't have to concentrate on swimming and can work to get my stuff to shore. I don't have much confidence in surviving if I get clonked on the head. The Type 3 pfds we wear while canoeing are not designed to keep an unconscious person's face out of the water.

I have thought about getting an inflatable, horseshoe-collar pfd because they appear to do a better job with the latter, but I haven't found one that was comfortable (All the ones I have tried rubbed on my neck.), and needing to rearm them seems like a pain.

Pete
 
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Lake Superior = almost always.
Moving water = always.
Early spring in rough conditions, or very large, rough crossings = yes.

All other conditions = no.
 
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OM said "There goes the neighbourhood."
I say, lucky ol' neighbourhood. I'm glad you're feeling better.
As for your Hawks game, well, I mean't to watch the big game, but some of the kids came over. After making pizzas and stuff, a Monopoly game broke out. My game was as good as the Broncos'. Sometimes the tailgater is way better than the game.
 
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I voted for "sometimes" because there are conditions when I choose not to. The one place I don't usually wear a PFD is when paddling in the Okefenokee NWR. Between the lack of current and high temperatures, I just don't feel it's worth it. That being said, when on salt water or a windy Adirondack lake you can be assured it's on. The other time I wear my PFD regardless of conditions is when I'm alone. If nothing else it will make it easier to find my body; and no, I'm not trying to be morbid on that one. I apologize if anyone finds that comment offensive but I think if you travel solo you also need to do whatever possible to ensure would be rescuers are able to find you; be it dead or alive.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...Be well.

snapper
 
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