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

Steve Holtzman said:
>Any chance of your sharing them with us either on Paddlewise, in Sea
Kayaker Mag, or.........even a book?<

I'm waaaay behind with articles for Sea Kayaker these days, but really have
been up and down with health the past few year (fibrillation was back again
this past weekend, drats!) .

A book? Too many out there these days - then there's all the effort for
little return financially, though I hope Rev. Bob gets published one day as
he has an articulate, natural way with the fusion of spirituality and
padding-outdoors adventure. A book by me would be full of my mistakes over
the years. I can hear my published buddies howling already. Besides, once
John Lull's very positive book came out, nothing could replace it in my
opinion - certainly nothing by me.

As far as PFD's, most of my issues are past history. PFD's for paddlers are
so much better than ever before for most individuals. I do keep a normal PFD
around for surf duty, and use the inflatable type for touring/storm
paddling.

I noticed a few posts about PFDs with integral tow belts. Actually, any PFD
with a facility for a web belt can be easily converted to a tow rig by
replacing the belt with a tow-belt tow line (the kind that deploys from a
bag on the back, with quick release on the front). Anyone wanting a e-mail
attachment of this set-up can give me a shout back channel (my buddy won't
mind me sharing the shot).

I've done a lot of cold-water swims over the years, some with my boat, some
without. In some cases, I had to remove my PFD for certain reasons. Good
buoyancy sure helps with rescue set-ups, but makes swimming much slower.
That's why I like my inflatable, though you do sit in the water much lower
unless you inflate it, so it's a trade off.

My only recent issue with PFDs was a few years ago now, just after my flesh
eating disease episode, where I took off paddling too soon after hospital
discharge. I was very dizzy at the time and blew an offside roll, came out,
could not re-enter, and figured it was easier to swim to shore (took 20
minutes) with my kayak in tow. The inflatable cartridge was used to inflate
the vest, as I was getting that "sinking feeling" without it inflated, of
course. Even though the swim was slow and cold, it was nice being lifted
high out of the water with 35 lbs of buoyancy and no chance of drowning if I
did black out.

Guess if I could relay anything to this list, it is that unless you are a
trained ocean swimmer or something like that, the need to swim to shore even
over relatively short distances is a very poor back-up plan. Distances that
look relatively short while seated in your boat are amazingly far away once
swimming in the water. The same can be said with respect to swimming in
opposing tidal currents and contradictory undertow in heavy surf zones or
river discharge over bars (don't ask?). I would never contemplate surfing
without a PFD, though I know some don't wear one, which is the freedom of
choice all good democracy's allow for.

All of my many PFD's over the years have been modified to some extent. I
currently use a Mustang inflatable with left and right rescue pouches with a
Kokatat hydration/gear backpack intricately sew on the back. Most tent and
awning shops or shoe repair facilities can sew through heavy webbing.

And then there was the time I swam in heavy wool trousers/ running shoes in
near hurricane-force winds, boat blown away, inadequate buoyancy from my
cheap British PFD, and struggling to keep my lips above water level...

Doug Lloyd
Victoria BC
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