Re: [Paddlewise] Pfds and new rules.

I don't think that the value of a PFD is the core of the issue here; no one
is going to say that a PFD is useless. The issue, as far as I'm concerned,
is the *requirement* to wear one regardless of the circumstances. Just as
there are situations in which one would be stupid not to wear a PFD (as well
as take along other safety equipment) there are also times when actually
wearing the PFD is not all that important.

This is why I was so sarcastic in my posting about simply passing a law
against death and being done with it (a sarcasm which appears to  have been
largely lost).

If *they* pass a law requiring me to wear a PFD then I'll have to wear one
even when I'm paddling from my dock across to the grass islands to have
lunch. In air temps of 98F over water that's 84F. I'll wear the damn thing
because otherwise it will give the sheriff's patroll boats an excuse to come
over and make comments about how truly experienced boaters always wear their
PFDs. And that will raise my blood pressure to the point where it will
likely be unsafe because none of those boys in that patrol boat will have a
fraction of the experience in boats that I have.

This past summer 5 of us were obviously practicing rescue drills in kayaks
in front of our lake house. The sheriff's patrol came over and wanted to
know if we had whistles. Perhaps enough of us raised our hands to indicate
that we did, indeed, have whistles... but not all of us had one. More
importantly, under those circumstances NONE OF US NEEDED THEM. There was no
wind, we weren't drunk, we weren't doing unsafe maneuvers, we were all
paddling kayaks that were either expedition grade or rock-garden grade (all
either Nimbus or Mariners), several of us were wearing full drysuits in
addition to a PFD and yet they STILL came over to see if we had whistles.

I don't like living in a country where a police agency can question clearly
competent (if not expert) people just to show that they can.

It's not likely we'll be able to train law-enforcement officers enough to
give them the ability to recognize competent people when they see them (and
then leave them alone). So I'm in favor of not giving them another tool
enabling them to stop and question everyone on a whim.


Craig Jungers
Radical in Royal City, WA
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