Re: [Paddlewise] PFD For A Man With A Gut

Wes posted:
>Just to take a different approach to the problem, several years ago I went
to an inflatable vest. Since the flotation is all on one side and the
fastening is higher, I haven't had any problems with it. One of the nice
things about an inflatable is that it will float your head
out of water. Solid PFDs may not.<

That was my solution to my possible dissolution from sinking after loosing
my PFD. While I don't have severe Dunlop disease (it dun lopeth over, the
gut that is), it seemed no matter what PFD I tried, they all had a tendency
to ride up in the types of commotion that would force me into the water.
Riding low in the water while trying to set up fixed outriggers for a
paddlefloat re-entries, etc., really can be disheartening. With my older
PFD's, I just added a crotch strap, coiled and ready on the back of the PFD,
available when I needed it. Even with the newer PFD's I subsequently
purchased, ones made to prevent ride-up, I'd still have to cinch too much,
causing more chafing particularly when a drytop was worn, or worse, a nasty
rash/itch would develop in the area of my chest hairs.

I certainly would not want to paddle in the kind of conditions I choose
these days, and still remain in my comfort zone, unless I knew all my
equipment and gear worked properly, as designed to, or was modified to my
specifications or altered to provide a wider safety margin. This is an
integral part of my philosophy. New gear and any modified gear, should of
course, be given sea trials (or in bodies of fresh water if you insist). One
need not be anal about this gear testing, just carry it through to a
reasonable level commensurate with the type of paddling usually undertaken.
I may be a half-wit even on my best days, but I do recognize the importance
of _essential_ proper gear, and personal flotation in particular. I have
stories about PFD issues that would easily fill a few digest versions.

Doug Lloyd
Victoria BC
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