Re: [Paddlewise] FW: When in Rome do as the

> From: CHUCK_at_multitech.com (Chuck Holst)
<snip>

> This reminded me of the debate about wearing PFDs on Wavelength before
> Jackie started Paddlewise. Caveman asked at one point why one should be
> required to wear a PFD on water warm enough to swim in. At the time,
> this question stumped me, but later it occurred to me that most people
> swim near shore or near a boat or raft; few, if any, swim as far out as
> most kayakers paddle.
<snip>
> Chuck Holst

Hi Chuck,

I believe that as a general rule, wearing pfd's is a smart idea.  I think
some of the paddling without pfd's Caveman was referencing was when
using the boat as a dive platform for snorkeling and poking around
areas where swimmers would go (however, I think he may have also been
one to seldom wear a pfd, regardless).  There was also a discussion about 
wearing pfd's in surf where, if a paddler wipes out, he/she would not be 
able to dive under a wave in heavy surf (a consideration in a discussion
by one of the Tsunami Rangers who preferred a thick wetsuit for buoyancy
rather than a pfd... one also needs to be able to dive under a boat tumbling
in the surf towards him/her).  This discussion was about extremely 
experienced kayak surfers/swimmers.  Not to add yet another controversial
safety device to the discussion :-) but.. probably a helmet might be more 
critical in those circumstances which many surf kayakers wear religiously.

I've mostly paddled off the Texas coast where air temps and shallow water 
temps can both be in the 90's F in the middle of the summer.  We have 
taken boats into shallow areas for viewing wildlife where no motor craft 
go and the water is no deeper than waist-deep.  Many of these shallow 
ponds exist inside the barrier islands where we like to camp (we wear our
pfd's on the trip out to the islands, of course).  The kayak during these
explorations is primarily a moving viewing platform for watching wildlife.  
I consider a pfd in those circumstances about as necessary then as I 
would putting on a seatbelt to vacuum out my car.  Some folks use SOT's 
as diving platforms only a short, swimable distance from shore. 

But I want to emphasize that I think these are exceptions to the general
rule of being a wise paddler by wearing a pfd when kayaking.  

Cheers,

Jackie

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