Re: [Paddlewise] The ongoing, uninspiring PFD debate

I don't want to belabor the point but there are several questions you
ask that invite answering.  But before answering them I would like to
state two things:

1.  You certainly have a right to choose not to wear a PFD under certain
cirmcumstances or that a person can choose to not wear a PFD under all
circumstances.  An exception would be for commercial or club trips where
the company and club insist that you comply with a wear-PFD mandate.

2.  Sometimes in these kinds of arguments about what a person should do,
it is often worthwhile turning around the question.  So instead of
someone like me coming up to a person and asking them or telling them to
put on their PFD or to zip it up fully, would you or anyone go up to a
person who is already wearing a PFD on the water and tell them or ask
them to take it off? 

Now to some of your questions: 

Dave Williams wrote:
> 
> Ralph wrote:
> 
> <<Hot weather?  I have paddled in 90 percent humidity and 97 degree air
> temperature with no wind and relentless sun beating down.>>
> 
> When was the last time that the water temperature was hotter than the air
> temperature in NY?

Last week we had a few days in which the water was about 10 degrees
Fahrenheit warmer than the air.  Generally you find this kind of
differential happens in August and September.  Of course, I am being
precise in answering your question.  The temperature of the water is
75-78 and those daytime air temperatures were in the middle 60s.  Your
point was that water at 88 or whatever it is out your way does not have
an immediate cooling effect.  But even it would if it makes you wet and
the water evaporating off your wet shirt or body would feel cooling.

> However, standard PFDs have foam inside and foam is an excellent insulator.
> Foam against your body can make you overheat if conditions are right.  If
> you're paddling at any speed faster than lilly-dipping, you're going to get
> hot in a PFD if both the air AND water temperatures are high enough.  Those
> conditions are normally accompanied by dead calm weather over here.  I see
> no logical reason to wear a PFD in those conditions.  Sure, the weather can
> change.  I've got a PFD with me AT ALL TIMES.  It doesn't take more than a
> few seconds to put it on.

Good luck in putting it on if you suddenly capsize and you are in the
water trying to hang on to your paddle and boat when weather has turned
suddenly nasty and the sea is beginning to rage.  Oh, I know it can be
done and have practiced drills for hanging on to that all while putting
on a PFD.  But let me tell you something...it is a lot easier to deal
with all that if you have the PFD already nailed on to you, i.e. one
lest thing to worry about in a self-rescue.

> 
> <<Don't the Tsunami Rangers who famously play in surf wear PFDs as a rule?>>
> 
> Rangers smangers.  Other than the cool name, I don't see that they're doing
> anything special.  There are plenty of paddlers who can do everything that
> they do... but, of course, they don't have a cool club name.
> 
> Don't the Tsunami Rangers <yawn> play in COLD water and around rocks? 

I get the feeling that the Tsunami Rangers would still wear PFDs if they
were in similar surf conditions in hotter weather.  But I don't know
that for a fact.  I doubt though that they wear the PFDs to ward off the
effects of cold water.  While the PFD may help in that department, they
have their wet suits for that.

> <<Flatwater that is absolutely calm?  You never know when conditions may
> change.  The sea, and even a lake, can be fickle that way.  If the PFD is
> comfortable (which it certainly can be) and, if you can cool off if it hot
> while wearing a PFD (methods outlined above), then why not wear it at all
> times.>>
> 
> Do you wear a PFD while snorkeling?  Do you have one nearby while
> snorkeling?  Gee, what if the weather changes?

You are comparing apples and oranges.  There is a difference between
paddling and swimming.  You wear helmet and elbow guards when roller
blading but not when walking or running; why? because one has greater
risk than the other of injury.  Back to paddling and swimming. Generally
in swimming it is a situation you control; you try to stay within your
swimming capacity and range. and, in snorkeling, you increase your
swimming ability with fins and a mask.  You snorkel off a beach or
boat.  In paddling you may be far from shore, out of your range of
swimming ability.  There are chances that you may lose that fine nice
floating platform you paddled out in.  Or you may want to climb back
aboard.  The PFD gives you an added measure of bouyancy that helps you
remount.  If you need to blow up a paddle float, the PFD keeps you from
sinking with each blow into the inflation tube.  Try blowing up a paddle
float when not wearing a PFD; you will find that the action tends to
sink you a bit.  
> 
> This whole PFD debate is beyond boring.  If you feel that you need to wear a
> PFD all the time, then wear the darn thing.  All of these monotonous 'across
> the board' statements about PFDs are truly unsound given the wide variety of
> conditions that exist in the watery realm.  Learn how to swim and work on
> your self-rescue technique.  Use your personal judgement to access the
> situation to see if it warrants having your PFD on or not.

I am sorry you are bored and you find this monotonous.  But thanks for
your questions since it helps illuminate the choices regarding wearing a
PFD and why it is generally a good idea to wear one.

ralph diaz  
-- 
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Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter
PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024
Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com
"Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag."
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