In my more morbid moments, I view a PFD as something to make it easier for the coast guard or SAR to find and retrieve your body after you drown or die of hypothermia. But this is up in the Pacific Northwest where the water is cold enough to be the main killer. Never mind any arguements about whether it restricts you ability to swim. If help is close by, you can huddle and conserve heat while a rescue attempt is being made. Trying to swim or thrashing about you just lose heat that much faster. If help is not close, lets hope you can get back into your kayak fast, and get someplace to warm up. If you are wearing something to keep you warm in the water, it might provide approx as much flotation as a PFD. Though not as likely to help keep your head out of the water. Still most of those wont work indefinately, they just slow the heat loss. dave *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************Received on Mon Aug 21 2000 - 11:09:08 PDT
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