What personal incident convinced you to always wear your PFD?

Some people drown in their bathtubs.

Some people die of health problems while doing other things that make it look like that other thing caused it.

I really want to play with training with cold immersion but my husband isnā€™t interested so Iā€™m not sure Iā€™ll do it solo. Supposedly a lot of health benefits and improves vagal tone. They say you can begin with cold showers for a minute or two.
Iā€™m no daredevil and I use the camera as a way to calm and focus myself.

The shower method works.

When I took a February trip to the Padre Island area, the sea water wasnā€™t that cold, and I wore a thick wetsuit. Rather, the shockingly cold water came from the showers at the campground! Unheated concrete bathhouse with unheated water. As the week went on, I was able to stay under that cold shower for a longer time. Not pleasant, but yes, that method helps. And it is probably the safest way to do it.

At the beach, you could just go in the water and stand in it for slightly longer times each session, working your way up to being in it completely. Since childhood, it was always hardest to get in cold water from the waist up,

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We used to road bike in SoCal along coast highway twenty years ago and it was ā€œokā€ but the last time we rode we were in the middle of a large intersection at a light waiting for it to change. All of a sudden, I could feel the disdain and hatred from the vehicles. I later told my husband I was done with road biking. Too many people on their phones, checking FaceBook with total disregard to human life. The drivers drove around us like they hated that we were there and I used to hear ā€œfriendsā€ talking about how much they hated cyclists. I ā€œmadeā€ ā€œaskedā€ my husband to sell his Ducati because I worried so much when he commuted to Seal Beach on freeways. I can only suggest so much and every relationship is different. He would just say
ā€œthank you for your input.ā€As long as he doesnā€™t commute on a motorcycle, I am satisfied with just about anything in comparison. :wink:

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I blast friends who denigrate bicyclists. I almost bought a road bike, then I came to my senses. It only takes one ignorant driver to kill you.

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Or one of these:
Parallel grate

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Or one of those. I though they were changed out.

Me too, but the local hiway dept recently asked the public to report any still around. Maybe there are still a few along low use streets that havenā€™t been repaved in a long time.

Road hazards and comfort is the reason I ride bikes with wider tires. itā€™s slower, but fast enough for my purposes. I also ride bikes where the riding position is more upright improving my vision and visibility.

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I just had gravel tires put on my road bike for the cobblestones.

I laughed out loud at her grate because weā€™ve all had our tires go in those.

Bikes are like kayaks. Go where you want to go. Do what you want to do. Itā€™s about being free.

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I dropped my ear bud in there :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

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I sold my fave road bike several years ago for the same reasons, plus I moved to a place about 3 miles from paved roads ā€¦ not friendly to sew-ups!

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Nothing. I wear my pfd, but its just a personal choice. I paddle mostly flat water creeks and rivers, mostly a few feet from shore. I spent years surfing, going out in storms with nothing but baggies and a 6ft surfboard. No pfd, in a storm, in the ocean.

If we are going out paddling together, wear your pfd or donā€™t, itā€™s your choice. Many people think I am being risky because I paddle around big gators (and crocs occasionally), using my camera to get great pics. We all do things that have risk and evaluate the risk versus reward in our lives.

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I hear you there. I was a once avid cyclist, racking up 100+ miles a week. A couple of accidents, a friend almost dying after getting doored, and a prolonged incident with a couple of young men who spent several hours ā€œbuzzingā€ me and slamming their hand on their car door as they passed put me off of doing serious cycling.

I was one of the ā€œgood onesā€ too, stopping at lights and signs, and obeying rules of the road as best I could. I just bought a Catrike, so maybe I can get back into shape.

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Is that a sponge bunny?

@brianmurfy I think youā€™re crazy, but I canā€™t think of a better way to get pictures of gators. Keep being crazy. Its a lot easier for the weak-hearted paddlers like me.

Paddle the Myakka River at low water and gators become not so intimidating by sheer numbers. 10 footers are common and most take off when they are approached BUT the 14 footers are not intimdated. I felt like they were wondering if we were edible.

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They knew you were edible just didnā€™t want kayak mixed in. :scream::flushed:

Chewy on the outside, soft and juicy on the inside.

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