You were saying Rob: >The apparent statistic that deaths with and without PFD's are fairly equal, even when considering only sea kayaking, not whitewater, looks like a case of "risk homeostasis" at work. Paddlers without PFD's, because they "don't go far from shore", get into just as much trouble as paddlers with more skills, more equipment, but who engage in more dangerous pursuits, like surfing, paddling in rock gardens, cold water, etc.< <snip> Seems to me a fairly straightforward situation with this PFD thing, as far as most kayakers go: 1. Can't swim? Then wear a PFD and/or take up another sport and/or learn to swim. 2. A new paddler? Probably a good idea to always wear a PFD or equivalent. 3. Intermediate paddler? Almost all the fatalities are usually situations where the boat drifted away, etc. Stay with a buoyant boat, and who really needs a PFD as long as you are a good swimmer with immersion apparel if waters are cold. As long as you stay with your boat...and it's truly buoyant... 4. Advanced paddler? Probably don't benefit from a PFD much. See #3..stay with the boat, hopefully you have the skill to re-enter. No strength to hang on to boat? By then you are probably screwed anyway. 5. Me? Wear it for good safety example, carrying gear, PFD on in winter for thermal benefits, perhaps on deck in mid-day sun away from public in summer, ALWAYS on in surf zone/rock garden/caves -- unless the buoyancy of my immersion apparel provides sufficient buoyancy (like a wet suit does for board surfers); and lately, now using inflatable vest with modified gear pouch/Sea Seat storage. 5. Big Brother watching you n' listening to us banter? Just wear the damn thing as much as you can, keep the authorities happy, shut up (not you personally Rob), and go paddle. And if you are in a situation that truly demands a PFD for safety sake, or asked for your advice re same, ask the question: "Prefer Freedom or Death?" Doug Lloyd Victoria BC ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ "Whatever can be said at all can be said clearly and whatever cannot be said clearly should not be said at all." Ludwig Wittgenstein ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Sat Apr 26 2003 - 20:46:42 PDT
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