Re: [Paddlewise] Safety in Recreational Kayaks

At 12:09 AM 4/23/02 -0700, Doug Lloyd wrote:
>
>Personally, I think it is good that Scott challenges us with regard to
>our perceptions of safety and gear. I know I did a bit of thinking after
>his last "rant" and finally settled on the compromise of an inflatable
>unit. 

It's good to know I'm no longer a voice crying in the wilderness on this. I
turned to inflatables a couple years ago and find they're the best of both
worlds. If you have the misfortune to be one of those people (I know you
aren't, but I am) that have a larger waist than they do a chest, you will
find that a conventional Type III PFD is not the best solution, anyway.
Most any solid PFD in the water rides up on me to the point where it's a
useless encumberance -- and that goes for the $150 PFDs as well as the $15
versions. 

While the inflatables wear like a Type III, in the water, they're more like
a Type II -- they will turn a wearer upright and keep their head out of
water, where the conventional Type III that most kayakers wear will not.
For that reason alone, iconoclast that I am, I consider that the inflatable
Type III is actually safer than the conventional solid PFD.

Plus, in hot weather, they're cooler to wear, which is an important
consideration in warm weather, especially if you're heavy. Back before I
switched, I will admit to on hot days on quiet flatwater where there were
few objective dangers and the water was warm, putting the PFD under the
deck lines to be legal and damn the purists. I figured that any downside to
not wearing a PFD was more than balanced by the danger of heat prostration
from wearing one -- and don't give me that "you can always roll to cool
off" stuff, since I don't have that good a roll, and probably wasn't
wearing the spray skirt for the sake of being cooler, anyway. Anyway, with
the advent of the inflatable, that issue has gone away.

The PFD that is more comfortable to wear will be worn, and be safer, than
the PFD that's not worn because it's not comfortable.

-- Wes
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Wes Boyd's Kayak Place               http://www2.dmci.net/wesboyd/kayak.htm
Kayaks for Big Guys (And Gals) | Trip Reports | Places To Go | Boats & Gear
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