I was the organizer of a group and our rule was everyone wore a PFD no matter where we paddled for everyones safety. It may not be chic but then drowning isn’t either. Always be safe.
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Ahh…you have arrived. (I got to that point a few months after I was discharged)
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I feel a duty and a responsibility to warn people. What is called being “the watchman on the wall” in the Bible. It is NOT my job to command them and force them into actions even if such actions are better than those they are engaged in.
But I did have one success last year. It was early in the season and in the coves there was still some ice on top. I had launched and when I looked back I saw a rather heavy man and lady getting into an inflatable. I paddled over to them to greet them and was surprised to see both had on swim wear (the air was in the low 60s) and had no PFDs at all. The inflatable was made for 2 people but was a bit narrower then most I have seen and after a few minutes I asked them if they had any life vests. They said no, but were going to stay “close to shore” despite the fact we were already out about 350 to 400 yards.
I asked them to humor me just for a few seconds and told them to both immerse their hand into the water for a count of 20 seconds. The lady removed her hand about 16 seconds later and the man did the full 20 but told me his hand was very cold and almost hurt. So I did a little 2 minute class on thermo-shock and involuntary gasping. I asked them both if they thought they could easily tie their shoes after that 20 seconds in ice water. The both conceded it would be hard to do. So I asked if they thought they could swim almost 1/4 mile if their whole bodies were in the same condition as their hands were after that 20 seconds. You could see the “lights come on” by their expressions. I told them if they would drive to Thermopolis and buy 2 PFDs I’d stay at their camp and watch over things until they got back. They seemed surprised I’d volunteer to do that but after a short time they agreed it would be wise, so I stayed there for about 45 minutes and they came back with 2 new PFDs. I asked them to promise me they would wear them and never get more than about 50 yards out in the water until it got warmer. They did, and I paddled off to the other side.
I never saw them again.
But I have given them both thought several times since and only God Himself knows if I may have done something that morning that could saved them from a cold death.
I’ll never know.
But sometimes people are wise enough to see danger and understand, and act with prudence. I’d like to believe these 2 were in that class of wise people.
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It’s only been since 2021 for me when I saw people masking babies and making people die alone.
I’ll never be the same.
My wetsuit is quite a bit of flotation.
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Actually I used to carry a tube of mentholatum in my pocket for people pulled out of the water and other unpleasantness (squirt some in my nose) Nine years in the Caribbean, I’ve seen my share of drownings but it was usually alcohol and people found after falling off their sailboats.
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Learned a valuable lesson many years ago, capsized a sailboat and struggled to right it. The marine police , Coast Guard responded, neither my crew or I were wearing PFD’s, but our beers (in koozies) were. That event still resonates with me, we valued our $1 beers but not our lives. That day forward, I wear a PFD regardless.
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Spare the beer or spoil the ride. We typically took alcohol on power boat trips when younger. My brother’s wife raised some points, and he now takes only water. We now drink the beer when we get back home. I can deal with that.
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Could the beer have been a contributing factor in the reason for the casize? I do like my beer (at home), but it has no place on board a watercraft or at a campsite.
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So in NM, where I am currently paddling, you are required to wear a pfd when using any personal watercraft.
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The story about Suchi Island gave me chills. I have spent a lot of time in the San Juan Islands and that island is very exposed north of San Juan Island. We check the weather even when going out there in a power boat or sail boat.
The fact that any group would take kids in 55 degree water offshore without wet or dry suits is just plain stupid. The chances of a capsize in that country is pretty high. People die every year in Puget Sound even in calm conditions due to the water temperature.
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a mask! and no pfd!? a mask?!
has rational and critical thought become extinct?
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I thought we could all use a laugh
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Maybe he thinks the mask will keep the water out, ir he likes water boarding.
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Ooo I like this. I wear mine always but it’s so hot and heavy. Think there may be a sporting goods shop coming in the near future.
You wear a BC to snorkel? I am a Divemaster for 30 years and I’ve never even seen that!
Caribbean, Hawaii, California, never seen it
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If I have a weight belt on, I wear a BC. But then I don’t spear fish and a lot of other people do.
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Well first of all they can walk the 20’.
2nd YES my seatbelt is one if the car is in motion,. I do it up before I put the car in gear
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I haven’t heard of that either. However, there are inflatable vests specifically for snorkeling which are like lightweight BCs with a manual inflator only. Like in the picture below.
We got them for our kids to bring on a trip to the USVI two weeks ago, where we went snorkeling once or twice every day. We had the kids wear them partially inflated for the longer excursions or in a current, because it increased our safety margin so we could take them further and see some better spots. We deflated them when they wanted to dive under. It also came in handy when my 8 year old got sunscreen and sea water burning his eyes and pulled his mask off. I just blew some more air into his vest and let him rest at the surface for a minute or two until the stinging stopped. We let them go without the vests when snorkeling right off the beaches and I noticed they definitely got tired faster without them because they spent a lot of energy treading water.
We also did a guided kayak + snorkeling tour and had to wear our Type 3 PFDs while snorkeling per their policy. That sucked and kids were constantly fighting them. Nevertheless, I see people snorkeling in them.
I learned diving from one of the most highly respected professionals in the industry - Dan Orr. He is to this day a leader in dive safety. A BC was just part of the kit like fins or mask if you were in the water. I was a SCUBA instructor and know that many of the programs - NASDS/SSI for one - weren’t as safety aware as I was trained to be. That may have changed, I haven’t been current for decades.
@RedMC illustrates the reasons why we were taught that way - a leg cramp, jelly fish sting, accidental aspiration of water, just tired on the surface or a momentary discomfort and that extra flotation can be useful.