That is an essential piece of safety
equipment. Dehydration is an ever present danger and we must do all we can to remain well hydrated 
Boating Deaths
Who would guess that ‘arm powered’ are the most deadly of all watercraft? Further, who would guess that the arm powered watercraft that hang in the calmest waters and closest to shore would be the most deadly within that group?
It’s the blanket statement I don’t like
"Personally, I would like to see those cheap orange Mae West style PFD’s outlawed for use in personal watercraft 30ft or less in legnth. "
When you’re in a kayak, things happen fast, it’s important to be wearing a PFD. On a 27 foot fishing boat with decent freeboard, if things go bad, there is usually time to prepare. We sometimes take turns sleeping aboard our boat on long offshore runs. I’m not wearing a PFD during my nap below decks. On the other hand, when we’re offshore I see guys taking 16 foot skiffs with no wall between their toes and the sea. On a boat like that I’d wear a PFD, and I always wore one while sailing - a type III on a 420, and SOS suspenders when up on deck in anything bigger.
We ONLY keep the “orange Mae Wests” on board our fishing boat - Type IIs. Type III vests are ENTIRELY INADEQUATE to the job. I wonder how much boating experience beyond paddle craft paddlingpals has, if any at all, to make such an ininformed statement.