Lightening generally passes through thousands of feet of air between the cloud and the ground. Air is a excellent insulator. Don't be under the impression that a fraction of an inch of plastic, wood or fiberglass will effect the lightening in any manner. There is nothing you can put between yourself and lightening that will provide any additional insulation. Wood, plastic or fiberglass will make absolutely no difference to the lightening. The only possible form of protection is providing a better path for the lightening than your body. This is the principle of a lightening rod. Many people know that it is safer in a car than outside. Most people assume that this is because of the tires. This protection is provided by the metal shell of the car which provides a better conduction path than your body. The tires are almost irrelevant (although steel belted radials may make a difference). The insulation provided by rubber tires would be vaporized instantaneously and would not effect lightening that can course through miles of air. If anything an aluminum framed kayak will be safer than a non-conducting boat. If you tuck down into the cockpit, you will have something like a Faraday cage which may provide some modest protection. The boat would probably not survive a direct strike, but possibly you would be alive to swim out of the skin. Nick On Saturday, October 25, 2003, at 07:42 PM, alex wrote: > The boat that PeterO paddled - Feathercraf Kahuna - is pretty much > aluminum > (frame), with sythetic skin around which doesn't help much, being very > thin. Such object may be doesn't attract lightning, being very low, > but is > not protected from not only direct strikes, but from close strikes as > well > (they may get you through surface of salty water, albeit with reduced > power). Fiberglass or playwood kayak is probably more safe. > >> Hi All, >> >> Are there any records of paddlers struck by lightening, as >> distinguished from sailors in boats with lightening rod masts, etc.? >> We are not even paddling aluminum watercraft. Our paddles are usually >> wood or fiberglass. > Nick Schade Guillemot Kayaks 824 Thompson St Glastonbury, CT 06033 USA Ph/Fx: (860) 659-8847 http://www.guillemot-kayaks.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/ ***************************************************************************Received on Mon Oct 27 2003 - 06:38:49 PST
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