>>50% of fatal kayak accidents occurred while wearing a PFD, 44% while not >>wearing a PFD (no explanation for the other 6%). John wrote: <SNIP>>>> So the question is, does my little SK survey accurately reflect what is happening in the world of sea kayaking? Probably not. But then again, my percentages are startlingly close to the ACA's findings of 50%, 44% and 6%! In both the ACA report and my own SK survey, which I would like to remind you deals only with sea kayaking related incidents, the percentage of people dying with their pfd on is higher then that of those who died without it! Why is that? >From the percentages (and the largest common denominator) it looks to me that 6 people died with a PFD on, 5 died without and ones PFD status was unreported, unclear, or undetermined for some reason. Since the vast majority of paddlers do wear PFD's and those doing more dangerous things are even more likely to be wearing one purposely. I'd say that what little we can conclude from the above small sample definitely favors wearing a PFD. I was involved in the investigation (and often the writing) of many of those Sea Kayaker articles on accidents and fatalities. Other than the fatality in the very first issue, fatalities that Sea Kayaker magazine became aware of, but which were attributed to alcohol impairment, were not given much coverage (although some might have received a mention or a short notice in the magazine). The accidents given the most coverage were those that had some new lessons that could be learned from them that hadn't been reported before. Many times it was hard to know what caused a fatal accident in much detail because with a fatality to a solo paddler no one was able to report on it because "the dead tell no tales". The vast majority of fatalities were to solo paddlers. I've paddled with a friend who didn't like wearing his PFD. What bothered me most about it was that I wouldn't be able to use any otherwise good photos I might have taken of him because they would be of a bad example. That was the best argument I had to get him to use a PFD. I figured who was I to question the preference of a guy who has paddled the entire outside coast between Seattle and Glacier Bay, much of it solo, and survived. He would also stand up in his narrow kayak for a better view and could leap out of the water along side his kayak and land his butt in the seat without the aid of a paddle float or any other stabilizers. I figure a guy that skilled can make his own choices of what's best for him (especially if he is doing it where few will see him being a bad example). He may have photographed some covers for Sea Kayaker but he is unlikely to ever "make" the cover himself without wearing his PFD. More good news on the stolen kayak front. The unique "Huntercraft" wood-strip kayak (with the chevron pattern on the deck) stolen last November has been recovered. The owner wants every body to know that so when he paddles it again he doesn't get reported as the thief. The recovery: It had been offered in trade for a ski boat that was for sale and the ski boat owner looked up "Huntercraft" on the internet to find out more about what it was and its value. Since the Huntercraft decal looked official but was actually unique to this kayak all of the several mentions of it to be found on the internet were to it being a stolen kayak. The ski boat owner reported it to the owner and a little police work aided in the recovery of the kayak to the owner/builder (and gained the $100 reward to the tipster). That makes five kayaks recovered in the last month. Just two (two of the five found) were reported stolen in the same time period. Let's keep up the good work and check the stolen kayak database for any kayak that may seem suspicious for any reason. I once found a kayak that was stolen because I followed up on a phone call (made for a different reason) where the caller mentioned seeing a guy in a rubber raft towing a kayak. That just seemed kind of backwards to me too. If you had an inflatable raft and a kayak, which one would you tow by paddling the other. I only expected to possibly discover what access point to the water a kayak thief might be using, but instead found the stolen kayak barely visible behind a houseboat nearby. If something just doesn't seem "right" to you there is a good chance it isn't. Memorizing the serial number (while admiring the kayak or rudder system) and later (from a distance) noting the license number of the car it was on could be enough to positively identify that kayak (that maybe just didn't seem to fit right with who was in possession of it). The kayaks Coast Guard number (found a foot or less from the stern on the right side) and a car license number would provide all the information needed for the police to recover it later if it is found to have been stolen (which often you can check out yourself on our website). Matt Broze http://www.marinerkayaks.com *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
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