Shawn said, "... Don't tell anyone, but I bought a bunch of grosgrain ribbon with a Scotchlite strip from Seattle Fabrics to put on my PFD! Maybe I can make removable loops of the stuff that slips onto the shoulder straps to escape the PFD-Nazis!" It's not the addition of retroreflective tape that's likely to violate the Coast Guard certification of the PFD, Shawn. It's material modification --- like adding another pocket or something --- that's going to compromise the manufacturer's certification. For what it's worth --- and not wanting to get into my annual rant about retroreflective tape --- it's by far and away the single best passive safety measure you can add to a boat, paddle, PFD or clothing. That, and a mirror and strobe, are the best things you can carry, in my opinion --- not because you're planning to go night paddling but because your day trip could go long, earlier sunsets, and a chance at inadvertent night paddling gets better this time of the year. And the tape comes from personal experience in the South China Sea, where there's a guy walking around today who, by all rights, shouldn't be. He had reflective tape on his helmet --- which is about all the idiot had when he punched out of his plane --- and the reason I got his dumb derriere back to the ship was 'cause he at least had tape on his hat. The stuff flat out works, folks. Buy some SOLAS stuff if you're going to buy anything --- ACR stuff at a boat shop is not that expensive --- and use it on th! ! e upper parts of your PFD. White's brightest --- colors are okay, but not as bright. And it coordinates and accessorizes so well! Jack *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Wed Oct 27 1999 - 12:42:32 PDT
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