[Paddlewise] How Would You: Change to. . . .

Fred writes:





>Two decided to make for shore about 100 yards away.  They both >died.
Reason:  Hypothermia???  Drowning.  Real reason:  Neither had >on a PFD, were
not dressed for the water temperature and the others >stayed with the boat.





This is confusing.  Not being dressed for the water still implies hypothermia.
That others stayed with the boat is irrelevant to the cause of drowning
(although, of course, the others might have saved them after the cause
occurred).  And, if the cause was hypothermia and others stayed with the boat,
PFDs might actually have contributed to the drownings.





PFDs are paradigmatic for paddlers.  The simple assumption is that, if you're
wearing a PFD, your life is not in danger.  That is a vast oversimplification.
The PFD paradigm needs careful assessment.  When are PFDs advantageous and
when are they not?





I recall reading the fantastic story of a man who fell off a commercial ship
in Lake Superior and swam four miles to shore.  The reporter was incredulous
because the man was not wearing a PFD.  In fact, had this man been wearing a
PFD, he most likely would have succumbed to hypothermia long before reaching
shore, since the PFD would have impeded his swimming and kept him in the water
longer.  





In a personal experience, I once capsized my canoe in a river and had my PFD
snag in a strainer.  Driven into the strainer by the current, I escaped only
when a rib snapped, allowing me to roll off a pointed branch and reach the
surface for air.  Had the PFD snagged two or three inches lower, It would have
held me underwater and and caused me to drown.





When the human body floats, only the face remains above water.  A PFD adds
perhaps two inches of "freeboard" to the body.  The question is one of
trade-offs -- are the extra couple inches worth risking other problems?  For
sea kayakers, who are liklely to capsize in open water off shore and stay with
their boats, the answer is clearly yes.  But if a good swimmer decides to swim
for shore, jettisoning the PFD might be a consideration.  And, if paddling a
small river with deadfalls, the best place for a good swimmer's PFD might be
on the deck.   





Finally, another consideration is the PFD itself.  Many current CG "approved"
PFDs fail to turn swimmers onto their backs, and many float up around the
neck, where they make swimming all but impossible and actually impede kayak
reentry. 





The assumption that a PFD will always save one's life is almost as dangerous
as not wearing one.  I would enjoy a discussion by experienced paddlers of the
REAL pluses (and minuses) of PFDs.





Rick





  





***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not
to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission
Submissions:     PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net
Subscriptions:   PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net
Website:         http://www.paddlewise.net/
***************************************************************************