My brother pulled a guy from 50 degree water who had fallen out of his boat while alone and driving full throttle. Got me to thinking, how many of you use the following most of the time?

[ebox]

[Eyecrosser]

I always clip the kill switch on. More for the protection of my boat that anything else.

[Heiz]

A good friend of mine needed to be pulled out of the lake about 3 years ago. He was close to drowning, ever since my lifejacket is a priority. One quick mistake and it's all over.

[Box]

I hadn't been using mine, but as my bro said, we pulled a guy from 52 degree water, and he wasn't sure how long he'd been there - he said it seemed like forever. His 25HP on a 16' lund was spinning in the "death circle" at WOT, not more than 40 feet or so from him. I still don't know how he avaioded getting hit.

He was a 35 something old guy, no alcohol involved, by himself, on a relatively calm day. He hit a wake and was thrown "really fast - it all happened so fast"... He'd been driving boats since he was young.

Anyway... there were a couple boats that I can't figure did NOT see him or his boat, and they did nothing. We came around a point and I saw the spinning boat and knew right away it was not good. I am a pretty safety concious guy, but have not used a kill switch even after being trained as a water patrol deputy (volunteer). We will rig up a kill switch now that is easy to use and effective. This guy probably never thought he would be tossed from a boat, and while I still don't, I don't EVER want to be in the position of trying not to get hit by my own boat. It was scary. All turned out well, and I'm sure many other have similar stories, but it could have been totally different-worse- if only the waves were bigger or the water colder...

Happy (and safe) fishing,
-Box

[BlackSilver]

My boat won't leave the dock until every soul on board has properly donned a PFD.

PERIOD.

I don't care how well they swim, how calm the water is, or how slowly we intend to proceed.

PERIOD.

If you don't enforce a similar rule in your boat, then you are an idiot.

PERIOD

Walk softly and carry a big fish.

Hans/MN

[Fish_on]

I bought a couple of those inflatable life jackets like you always see Ray Scott wearing in the ads. When the water is rough, I put it on at the beginning of the day and forget about it. It's light and I just forget I have it on.

[Peanut]

Hey - they sound like a decent idea. Is there anywhere on the 'net that a guy can find out more about them?

derrek.

Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get me.

[Box]

Well, I certainly see your point, and won't argue it for safety.

But it is also safer to drive 55 mph than 70... but I drive 70.

There will be people who say anything above a 25 hp motor is not needed, and they may be right. But I have larger as do many safe people.

It is "best" if everybody would WEAR a pfd, no doubt. But trolling in the summer, or in cold weather, really should not cause you to fall out. Of course, you never know if somebody might hit you, or you hit a submerged log... who knows. And most boating accident deaths are by drowning, not impact, so the pfd's would save most dead boaters, no doubt.

But I still won't institute a "pfd all the time" in my boat. My eyes were opened some, maybe they still have a ways to go. It's a balancing act, for to be totally 100% safe, you would NOT even set foot in a car or a boat.

-Box

[JLucPicard]

You can find info on the Sospenders brand at www.sospenders.com.

I bought a couple of the automatic model from Cabelas. Thankfully, I haven't had occasion to need it yet, but it is on the whole time I'm on the water.

[WileyWalleye]

You know, my wife is my fishing partner and we are pretty conscientious about using the PFD's when the water is rough. But, I am glad EBOX made this post. I will be fishing Canada for 2 weeks alone this summer ... and the idea of being thrown out of my boat in CALM water by hitting a log had not really occurred to me. When I am alone, I will be wearing that PFD after thinking about this post and reading the other replies. Think I will look again at the Cabela's catalog.

Do any of you just wear the PFD while the motor is running??? That might be a reasonable compromise for me to use while alone.

[Airwave(OH)]

I'm sure I'll take some heat for this but I believe a person has to look at his own boat and decide. You would have to be trying to fall out of my boat to do it. It's like seat belts,I appreciate there concern but let me decide. If anyone ever wants to wear a jacket by all means do it. Some of the boats I see out there I would wear a full Dive Suit if I were in it. If your driving 50 mph 8" off the water- Ya wear one. This is a Proposed Law that Ohio passed on this year.Thankfully. I don't want to be out there in 80* weather and have to have that jacket on. Just sorta takes alittle out of kicking back and relaxing. It like our helmet law -sometimes I do but it's nice to have the option. THEY can't make a law to prevent everything, if so just make one Law. "You must have some Common Sense" or it's illegal. That should eliminate about half- Just my Opinion !

[JMC]

No heat Airwave I could'nt agree with you more.


Joe

[crawlerman]

This should be a no brainer. Heres my two cents. I wear a PFD all the time, period. Anyone in my boat wears one as well. There is a reason for this, I would like the chance to live if I fall overboard.

Here in the Detroit River, we have alittle bit of a current. Now and then you hear of someone falling overboard who drowns that did not have a PFD on. What amazes me even more is to see a family out with vests on the kids but none on the adults. I remember an individual where I worked who took his family to an inland lake over 20 years ago. He loved to fish.. His two children had PFD's, but him and his wife did not. Anyways both adults ended up in the water with the kids, the kids survied, but both adults drowned. Very sad indeed.

You have a better chance with it on, than without it. Now this choice factor. I am alive today because I was wearing my seatbelt in an auto accident and continue to wear it today. I cannot even think of driving my car without it on. However, there is no margin for error on the water. You read about fishermen complaining about close calls on the water in this area all the time. Given that we have a few people operating boats who are intoxicated, speed without observation, or are just fools should raise the caution flag for anyone on the water. Being a strong swimmer is nice, but it does not help if your unconscious or injured. The PFD is not fool proof, but it gives you something you would not have without it, a chance to live.

Look at it this way as well....If you fall overboard with a PFD, chances are someone will get to you in time. If you don't make it, and drown, then other individuals will spend a great deal of money, time, and their own safety (applies wearing a PFD as well) trying to find or recover you. But worse yet, what about your family at home? Can you imagine what must go through their minds? Sorry for rambling, but to me, it just makes good sense to protect yourself and others. On a last note, I wonder who will be next in the sight of some of our sharks (Attorneys) for a civil suit when the operator of his small craft is sued for failing to adequately protect those in his craft. Don't say it won't happen, juries can be a funny thing. Just my two cents.....

[AquaMan]

I am with you Airwave. We don't need more laws to protect ourselves from ourselves, just more common sense.

I put one on, and ask my passanges to do the same, when I am running from one spot to another or on crowded lakes or in rough weather. But it is there perogitive whether they do so or not. I am glad they have the CHOICE. The jacket(s) comes off when drifting or trolling.

However, ALL kids (Under 16) in my boat MUST wear one at all times. Period. The love to lean over the boat and stick there hand in the spray. They don't see wakes coming and hop up to get here or see that, so there ya have it.

AquaMan~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just add water

[Nancy]

There is a double funeral in a small southwestern Minnesota town this afternoon for a father and his 15 year old son who were thrown out of their boat Saturday afternoon. Both were not wearing their life jackets The jackets were found on the bottom of the boat, so they did have them out, but not on. So, please pray for the family they leave behind.

[Stehle]

Wow, Hans. Are you the only one with a PFD on Ferry Crossings or Cruises?...PERIOD. Your comments are extremely caustic and do little to explore the topic.

[Rapaleye]

A friend of mine, (6-2 and 250lbs in great shape) flipped his canoe in 45 degree water. He is a good swimmer but was so overcome by the temperature that he didn't make it 20 feet towards shore. If we hadn't made it to him in the couple of minutes it took, he would have surely drown.
Ever since then I wear a PFD. Any of you who don't like the discomfort I would encourage you to buy a pair of auto inflating sospenders (by the way it provides heads up flotation so if you were knocked unconscious you will likely still survive). I have worn mine in 95 degrees and humid and forget it is there. I don't do it for myself I do it for my wife and kids. Many of us on this board will spend $100-300 on a rod or reel, we'll spend $10-20,000 on a boat but you won't spend $100 on a comfortable PFD. That is nuts.
I doubt your kids will be all that excited about inheriting that nice loomis rod right after Dad's funeral.

[Time to Move]

My wife and I have spent many days on Lk St Clair (near Detroit, MI)helping the US Coast Guard searching for people, no..., bodies that all of a sudden just fall out of the boat when under way for no apparent reason. Sometimes they get run over by other boats who never even see them ... not a pretty sight. In almost all drownings the victim has no PFD (Personal Flotation Device) on. It is interesting to note that many males are found with their zipper down ... you can deduce what they might have been doing.

Once you get a comfortable PFD and start wearing it you'll feel naked without it. We wear ours always. It just becomes habit and normal.

Remember ... it won't work if you don't have it on.

Be safe.

[True Minnesot-en]

Would't it be safer yet to just stay at home???????????

[BlackSilver]

I've fished two bodies out of the water in my life. One fell out of a 12' rowboat on a calm day, the other from a bass boat which was anchored and rocked by the wake of another boat passing close aboard.

Both would have survived with PFD's.

I'd prefer to be caustic and cause you a second thought about PFD's, rather than to haul your limp body out of the drink.

PERIOD.

Walk softly and carry a big fish.

Hans/MN

[GJN]

At the last boat show there was a report reviewing all the boating fatalities that took place in New York in 2000 prepared by the State. Of those 70% involved people not wearing PFD's and 50% involved alcohol. I recently ordered two Mustang inflatables for my wife and I figuring it's cheap life insurance.

[Scott Richardson]

Great topic for this _ National Safe Boating Week.

Wish I could tell you that I wear my life vest all the time. I don't. But I am pretty good about it. I wear it when underway at the very least. When I am alone, I wear it all the time. A slip, a head against the hull, and it's all over.

Scott Richardson

[ebox]

Its interesting to see everyone's different takes on this issue. The only time our PFDs have made it off the backs of ours seats in the past has been in rough weather. Since my brother's ordeal on Monday and reading some of these posts I will certainly reconsider my current habits and try to be more safety conscious.

[CarpetBagger]

I tend to wear one while under power with the kill attached to me...thats about as good as it gets on my boat...

CB

[Box]

Erik,

I think our next purchase will be 3 or 4 SOSpenders. Should not be hard to get used to.

...but I still don't always wear a helmet when riding motorcycle unless on freeways... as some people have mentioned, it is a choice... but I sure hate the idea of what a family would go through with a drowned Dad, brother, husband, wife, Mom... that would s_uck.

Anyway, I hope everybody who has read this at least thinks about it a bit more.

Happy (safe) boating,
-Box

[bluelund]

There was an article in a recent issue of Boating magazine about a phenomenon called Truncal Immersion Reflex or TIR for short. This is what happens when a person suddenly falls into cold water, I think they said anything below 65 is considered cold water. The lungs gasp instinctively for air when you are immersed and you sink like a rock. If you are not wearing a PFD your chances of survival are very small. It was an interesting article, I wear a PFD almost all the time and after reading this article I will be wearing it always. I also remember seeing that 50% 0f all drownings involve alcohol and most of these occur when the victim was urinating over the side. Maybe we should have a law requiring a portable urinal or pee can for every passenger. LOL


Take care and good fishing,

Bob M