C'mon Julio, who are you kidding? A type III pfd may not turn an unconscious wearer, but it will certainly keep a conscious wearer conscious and upright longer than someone who is using all their energy to stay afloat. I always wear my pfd when kayaking, as insurance against the small but real chance that despite whatever judgment and skills I possess I may find myself separated from my kayak. I know that I would stay conscious and breathing a lot longer with my pfd than without (and certainly a lot longer than 5 minutes). If having a pfd gives me 2 hours to be saved rather than half an hour, I have certainly improved my chances dramatically -- probably even long enough to swim to shore where I usually paddle. In most places people paddle, there is a good shot at being seen by a boat, or being reported late, within the time you will stay awake with a Type III pfd. There is not so great a chance during the time most people can stay awake and afloat without one. If you are so afraid of water that you cannot stay upright even while wearing a Type III pfd, you probably dont belong in a kayak in water over your belly-button. Earlier this year there was a post by someone who capsized in the Hudson in a thundersquall. He certainly believes that the only reason he lived to tell about it was because he was wearing his Type III pfd. If you are worried about the 5 minutes indicated on the Type II label, then, by all means, get a type I pfd and wear it. I certainly do when I go coastal sailing at night. If you are trying to provoke some heated discussion you are succeeding. Professor Karl S. Coplan Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic, Inc. 78 North Broadway White Plains, N.Y. 10603 kcoplan_at_genesis.law.pace.edu (914) 422-4343 *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************Received on Tue Oct 06 1998 - 15:58:46 PDT
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