Do you wear your PFD (open water)

Always on the sea but not always on lake

– Last Updated: Jan-28-14 2:02 PM EST –

If it's a big lake with rough conditions or very cold water, I treat it as ocean paddling minus the tidal factor: Wear the PFD.

If it's small, sheltered, and not so cold, I usually don't wear the PFD.

On rivers, I always wear it, regardless whether "open" or with nearby shoreline.

There is also an occasional exception to my ocean rule: If in a sheltered cove or bay with warm weather and water I might not wear the PFD.

It depends on more variables than "openness."

When I bring a VHF radio, it rides in the day hatch.

Life jacket
Always. vhf is in the chest pocket.

"Deciding"
Pikabike’s post demonstrates that “deciding” thing at the launch site. All those factors… Easier (and safer) to just develop the PFD habit, and be done with the deciding ritual.

I’m in Jackl’s boat.
I will wear one most of the time but not always. If the temps are high and I’m paddling flat water I leave it on deck.

I’m the same way with a bike helmet. If temps are high and I’m riding in a low traffic area the helmet stays home.

I know this will send the PC crowd into a frenzy but you have to judge the risks and plan accordingly.

Sometimes

– Last Updated: Jan-29-14 1:04 AM EST –

I paddle (relatively) safe small rivers, small/medium lakes and large but slow rivers here in MN. I only wear a PFD when the water is cold, conditions are rough, or there is some other risky circumstance. I try to avoid risky circumstances (paddle with a group in general) and paddle close to shore when appropriate (not too hard to do in the midwest).

As earlier posts elude, its foolish not to wear one when there are elevated risk circumstances such as fast moving water, cold water, a long distance to shore, rough conditions, or whatever else may likely contribute to an unforeseen accident. Its good habit though; I wouldnt argue that for a second and never discourage others from wearing one in any condition. I basically make the risk assessment at shore. If im 99.9999% sure I wont die, I probably wont wear one. If im 99.9998% sure I wont die, I put it on =) Ill take the 1:100000 chance that something freakishly unlikely happens. But anything is a possibility any time you're on the water...

Every spring during early season paddling, I see ignorant paddlers or fishermen in a T shirt and no PFD on within a couple weeks of iceout...I guess it pays to be lucky? In those conditions, Im cautious even with a drytop and pants, pfd, 2 changes of clothes, fire starter, paddling close to shore ect. The most dangerous ones 'dont know what they dont know'.

always!
In the boat = wearing PFD. And will not paddle with anyone not wearing one (that fits them properly).

Why Is It?
Why is it that people who state that they always wear their PFDs only need a sentence or two to explain why it makes sense to them, whereas the “deciders” need many paragraphs to help us understand all of the many, many factors and variables at play in the decision-making process? I hope they don’t go through those agonies while figuring out whether to brush their teeth!

Ever forget to pack your PFD?
I did once. I was paddling by myself too and I felt so uncomfortable without it. I was in LI Sound but just stayed along shore. (I’m a good swimmer and roller too)



I keep a spare PFd and paddle in my trunk and even an old spray skirt and many times I have bailed out friends who forgot something.



Only beginners who know nothing paddle without PFDs. This is a good winter blues type reading thread. Next post should be “why wear a PFD if you know how to swim”.

PFDs
In the West the water is usually cold, so it makes sense to always wear one. I insist that everyone on my trips wear a PFD. I paddled with a guy recently that always had some excuse like, “I changed clothes and forgot to put it back on.” That was on a trip in Feb. I no longer paddle with that guy.

Well, I Don’t Consider It the “Police”

– Last Updated: Jan-29-14 11:47 AM EST –

But, as I said, things happen in calm and easy conditions and those conditions can change in a hurry. Ever seen a phantom gust of wind come out of nowhere and blow a boat 30' in a couple seconds? Ever paddled full out and an unseen underwater reef or boulder stop your boat cold throwing someone overboard or injuring them? How about a nice, gentle current and suddenly, around the bend is a tree completely blocking the water and you're in the water before you can react? These are just a couple illustrations of things that can happen in otherwise benign conditions.

Summer in the Ozarks is no picnic; we regularly get 95-100 degree temps with high humidity. A comfortable PFD with some mesh makes you no more uncomfortable. Take your time, go slower, keep a wet hat on your head and a wet bandanna around your neck to help keep cool.

Wear a PFD, don't wear a PFD, it's a free country. I'm just trying to reach out and make folks think and make an informed decision about being safer.

It is really very simple
If conditions are such that I would have no trepidation whatsoever to jump in the water and swim, I might take off my PFD. I have even (horrors!) gone swimming in lakes and the ocean without a PFD. And it is possible to slip getting into a bathtub, strike your head, and drown, and I don’t wear a PFD while taking a bath either.

Always. I meet a lot of new paddlers
and I have grandkids watching me on the water. One picture is worth…

Yes, always

– Last Updated: Jan-29-14 12:46 PM EST –

I paddle Lake Michigan, and always have on a pfd, even in relatively flat water conditions, since the truest words ever spoken were "better safe than sorry."

Even on smaller lakes, I'll wear it, since God forbid something happened unexpectedly that took me out of the boat in an unconscious state, at least I'd be easier to spot if floating rather than not. Worst case scenario, at least it'd make it easier on the guys sent to fish out the body. No reason to be a pain in the ass, dead or alive.

totally agree

– Last Updated: Jan-29-14 2:55 PM EST –

I have been out paddling "close to shore" on lake Erie and Ontario when out of NO WERE a sudden little isolated storm comes upon me. Suddenly its 40 mph winds were it was calm moments before. One of the stories I just read in "More Deep Trouble" was when a storm that wasn't supposed to come for another 2 hours showed up early. It came so fast upon them they had no time to put there PFD on.

Been paddling were a submerged bolder which wasn't seen flipped a guy, totally calm flat water but he was in the water.Had he been alone and not capable of re-entry it could be bad thing to happen.

YES
yep, Idiot would not.

The decision isn’t hard
No need to make a mountain out of a molehill.

Always wear a pfd and it saved my life
Ended up in the water in a cold Atlantic ocean and unable to re-enter because it had gotten too rough. After nearly exhausting my energy in trying to re-enter multiple times, I was just barely able to stay functional long enough to swim the kayak into shore against an out-going tide (while my buddy was in the same situation out of sight 1/4 mile away.) Without the flotation of the pfds to help conserve some energy, I doubt either of us would have made it to shore. Stupidly, we both had VHFs but had them stashed in drybags in the hatches, which made them impossible to get to. (“If we need them we’ll just raft up and get one out.”) Ever since, my VHF goes on my pfd every trip, even on glassy August days. It’s been years since I capsized unintentionally, but a heart attack could come any time.

He’s right
This is an important point. If you have on your PFD and someone in your party doesn’t - if something happens, all of a sudden it’s your issue…and you are at risk for someone else’s poor decision.

Always
It keeps me warm in spring and fall and, interestingly, keeps me cool in the summer. If you get one with the right cut around the chest it doesn’t interfere at all with paddling. So there’s really no reason not to wear one.

No agony involved

– Last Updated: Jan-30-14 12:33 AM EST –

The only reason it takes longer to write why they sometimes don't wear the PFD is that they need to describe the benign conditions involved. If you wear it always, no matter what, there's nothing else to write. In any case, when you state that such an explanation indicates an agonizing decision-making process, it shows you are missing something.

As just one example, I've paddled for miles without a PFD on a creek that's only one foot deep. I may need to explain to you that walking the creek is as easy as walking on a sidewalk so that you'll have some chance of understanding why not wearing a PFD doesn't put me in grave danger, but that doesn't mean I needed to spend any time analyzing the situation to reach that conclusion for myself. The things other people write about this are just other examples of the same idea.

And for what it's worth, most people who know me have probably never seen me paddle without wearing a PFD.