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

Dave Williams wrote:

>BTW, thanks for all the replies about getting in trouble in warm water under
>calm conditions.  I thought I'd get some feedback on that.  I agree that
>conditions can and often do change rapidly.  We've got to be ready for those
>"what ifs"!  A PFD certainly gives you an added bit of protection in almost
>all circumstances.  I admit that I don't wear one all the time when I'm
>paddling with my buddies in calm conditions. It's always nearby, but I'm
>taking a chance.  Hey, at least I admit it!

Hi gang,
I take this issue of flotation devices, personally <g> just because I
expose myself to more risk than the average Pacific Northwest kayaker
(don't know about other locals). The few times I've had to "swim", my PFD
was a pain in the butt. Cases in point: swimming out of a eddy, trying to
dive under an exploding wave, doing a reentry and roll, etc, were all
impeded by the wearing of my PFD -- or more precisely, its superior
buoyancy. Yet the couple of times I separated from my kayak, or could not
get back in for a while, I then truly appreciated my "life jacket". I don't
imagine many of you on this list have had the experience of bobbing up and
down in a rough sea in a real emergency, trying not to suck in seawater
while you gasp for air, but a PFD properly sized and fit, makes all the
difference. Overall, wearing a PFD still makes sense, and our club insists
upon it for entry level participants on up for sponsored trips. Instructors
always wear them too, even when not needed such as in the pool -- just to
emphasize and reinforce their use.

A couple of years ago a famous manager of a west coast hockey team fell out
of his boat and floated in the whitecaps all day out in the middle of the
Straight of Georgia before the hovercraft found him. Statistically, he
should have expired within two hours, but he managed much longer, being
rescued just in time. He was wearing a PFD. 

However, just like I don't always use the guard on my table saw, I don't
always wear my PFD. The coast guard worldwide, consistently hammers home
the need to wear PFD's, so I try to comply when in public view or with a
newbie. The only real rule up here is that your PFD must be readily
accessible -- that, I always comply with. Paul Caffyn circumnavigated
Australia in blistering heat around an incredibly challenging coastline,
with his PFD in an accessible net bag on his front deck.

I usually like to remove my PFD on hot days too. Sometimes I remove it
because I start getting a lot of chaffing, and you know what that feels
like when the salt chuck makes contact -- ouch! I run into a fair number of
open water canoeists in the summer, and many of them are wearing the new
"Mustang" inflatable devices. They look like suspenders and are very
non-restrictive. Emergency gear is carried in a fanny pack. I think I will
follow suit next summer. BTW, I've paddled in extreme heat in my wetsuit. I
roll every 30 minutes. Two issues here. 1) The second I come back up, my
glasses start to steam up -- this is no good. 2) I've never suffered
hyperthermia in the wet suit (sorry Jackie, no accounts), but I sure stunk
something fierce after a few days!!  

PS We had a record lightning storm around here a couple of nights ago with
thousand of hits in a few hours. Half of Victoria lined the waterfront
roads as we watched the Olympic Peninsula get hammered. Any Paddlewisers
live near the Olympics? How did you make out?

BC'in Ya
Doug Lloyd 
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