One thing I have not seen mentioned here is that if you have to help rescue a swimmer or floater who has been injured or is suffering a health crisis, it’s a lot easier to grab and tow them to shore if they are wearing a PFD.
One of the reasons I take precautions when I am doing any outdoor sport is so that I don’t put others in a precarious position if they have to help me out. Also, if I have to enter the water to help somebody who is struggling, I want to have the extra flotation myself AND have the items I carry in the pockets of that PFD (like signal whistle and serrated knife) to aid in that effort.
Does anyone know, if you did have a sudden medical emergency that caused you to loose motor function or become unconscious, would a PFD keep your mouth above water if you rolled in your kayak. I’m figuring that becoming unconscious would result in a roll, and the paddler might be held in the cockpit with the PFD keeping their torso floating in a sideways position. It seems that the head would then droop down and go under water.
I wear a manually activated inflatable PFD, so I can’t test this myself. But one argument against my approach is that I can’t pull the inflator if I suddenly loose consciousness. But with a full-time (non-inflatable) PFD, it’s intended to keep your head above water when floating freely. Would being stuck in the cockpit, unable to do a wet exit, cause a problem?
Note that I’m not trying to argue whether inflatable versus non-inflatable PFDs have advantages or disadvantages. I’m just curious what would happen to that person who suddenly looses consciousness while in a kayak.
Most paddlers use a type III or an inflatable which are not designed to turn an unconscious person’s head out of the water. Types I and II are designed to keep most victims’ heads out of the water but they are too large and bulky for water sports.
I’ve read of cold water drownings where after a short while the victim loses motor ability but is still conscious. They will aspirate water, know they are breathing water and aware they will shortly die but, are helpless to do anything about it.
Yeah, the usual type III PFD will not float your head like the old “horse collar” orange things we used at scout camp. But they will help you keep your head above water while you set up for a kayak or canoe re-entry or having to tow it to land if you are near enough to do that. They also insulate your core to some extent, which could add a slight margin of safety in a colder water immersion.
But, as I mentioned before, beside offering flotation assistance, they provide an organized means of carrying everything from your car keys, knife and paddle float to an EPIRB (emergency locator beacon). When I see people out blithely paddling shirtless in nothing but shorts and flip flops I have to wonder: where are their car keys and phone if they capsize?
I agree with this as well. I doesn’t need to be take your breath away tight, but on local club trips we ask that it be “zipped, buckled and property adjusted”. “Properly adjusted” is a relative term - I prefer mine snug. If you go over its still better to have a loosely fitted PFD on than trying ito find the PFD and get it on in the water.
We are camping and paddling all over Europe and I never even get one when we rent boats.
I see eighty year olds swimming across the lakes everywhere we go.
We wear the waist type for calm lake paddling and I like to keep my vest on deck.
Neither one of us worry about a medical event or falling off a dock because I prefer to go that way and not in a hospital. To each their own, a lot of it is cultural or how you were raised. I get satisfaction out of making my decisions about risk and wearing a PFD “all the time” would definitely make it less fun and we couldn’t swim and free dive off our kayaks.
I feel zero responsibility to anyone else to stay alive since it’s my life. We try and avoid people that would be offended and look for other places to recreate.
I’m curious how you feel about other things. How risky does it have to be for you to “not be friends?”
I couldn’t even be married
I try and be a positive influence on him but I’m sure not going to nag him crazy enough to run off with a wild woman.
How would you feel about me telling you what you should eat for example? I think it’s a much larger problem. Why does a PFD have “special status” over other choices?
I always wear my PFD. If you are ever out of your boat and not wearing your pfd, most all of your energy will be spent keeping your head above water. Rescuing your boat and gear will become secondary priorities. With a PFD on you can actively participate in your rescue, others who are helping will appreciate that you are involved in the recovery.
The last time this topic came up, I spent too much time explaining that I don’t always wear my PFD, and why. I came to the conclusion that I wasted my breath and since I feel no need to explain myself to anyone, I quit trying, and won’t bother to do it again.
BTW, rowing that beautiful rowboat in that incredible scenery makes me a little jealous.
My take exactly… I am perfectly capable of exercising my own judgment(word choice intended) for what I may encounter and accept full responsibility for my actions, in exchange for that freedom I promise not to point out the poison you are putting into your body or your other “choices” in life. Funny how some choices are statistically much more likely to kill you and yet so much more socially “acceptable”
Mohave,
We have crossed paths before.
Life jackets are a matter of life and death in cold moving water. They are a habit and a safety feature, so I don’t compromise.
Your other assertions make no sense and are offensive. I have no “larger problem.”
Heat and humidity present an equally dangerous problem, especially with air temperature above 98° and relative humidity above 90%. Water temperature is now 78° and getting warmer. As a compromise, I keep the bottom strap snapped tight around my waist, but the zipper is open to ventilate. The PFD may not stay in the best position, but I wear a 38" belt at my waist and a size 54" suit. If you do the math, the PFD is not going to slide off. At least I don’t have to struggle chasing then putting on the PFD while treading water. I recall how long it took to don a gas mask on command and how the action was complicated when exposed to a chemical agent.
All y’all can do what you want, and you have my blessing. It don’t make no never you me to me! I got my own skin to worry about. I was dehydrated once while 10 miles from the launch. Thunderstorms were popping up, and I just didn’t care. If I had to stop and put that darned thing on in that condition . . . Do what you got to do to survive the unanticipated. It’s your life decision. In reality, there are precious few people on this earth that the outcome really impacts. In my case, the generous life insurance policy could salve quite a few broken hearts and dry the tear stained cheeks. In truth, I’m probably worth more to many if I were in the by and by. That gives me peace of mind, but not a motive for a death wish.
You can tell me all you want . . . I see your point. Enjoy life, that’s the point right? Sometimes I stay in bed, afraid to go out, then I think: it’s hot and humid, the wind is blowing, I already drank my coffee, why not go out and see if I can kill myself paddling - that sounds like fun. I can wear a PFD so I might survive if pitched in the water by a rogue wave or if the boat gets upset by a sea monster. But why? Why bother? Because I look forward to another cup of coffee in the morning. Ain’t life grand. It’s always the little things.
