Re: [Paddlewise] Paddle colors

> 
> Bob Denton wrote:
> > 
> > Jeff Bingham has painted his Toksook blades red on one side and yellow on
> > the other, so not only can you see them from a distance, you can tell what
> > direction he's paddling.
> > 
> 
> But if I had had time or thought about it I would have used some day-glo
> paint.  I don't think the reflective tape is as visible except under
> some lighting conditions.  One of these days I may try to get the best
> of both worlds; temporarily mask the reflective tape and spray paint the
> blades with day glo paint right down to where they meet the shaft.  I
> suspect the paint doesn't hold up that well over time and so would need
> retouching every so often.
  
  Someone else mentioned a paint job on a Toksook paddle.  Derek
  Hutchingson painted his as well.  If I remember correctly he
  painted the powerface side of the blade on the right and the
  non-powerface on the left bright orange.  That way some looking
  from the stern and and someone looking from the bow would always
  catch a glimpse of paint. Not painting both sides makes it easier
  to tell left from right easier when symetrical blades are used.

> I agree with Matt Broze that is the paddles that show the most but I
> don't at all agree that boat color and PFD color don't make much of a
> difference.  I can see a yellow boat at well over a mile and a yellow
> PFD pretty far off too.  A person with day-glo paddle blades who is
> wearing a yellow or bright orange PFD in a bright yellow or orange boat
> stands out quite sharply.  While not foolproof, such bright color
> display has a better chance of catch a corner of an inattentive
> motorboat operator's eye than black paddles, olive drab deck and black
> PFD.
 
  I've also read that red is not a good choice of color for a boat
  because at night it looks black and just blends in with the water
  unless a light is shown directly on it.

> Remember the two rules of boating safety:
> 
> 1) Do everything you can to make yourself visible.
> 
> 2) Act always as if you cannot be seen at all.
  
  My father told me the same thing when I started riding
  a motorcycle on the street for the first time.

  I've got a hot pink paddling jacket.

--
John Fereira
jaf30_at_cornell.edu
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