Re: [Paddlewise] Kids and PFDs

On Tuesday 17 October 2006 14:27, Dave Kruger wrote:

> I go along with a law 
> demanding kids wear PFDs:   
> they are not capable of  
> making risk vs benefit 
> decisions. 

The question is,
when are we grown
enough to do the 
optimum descisions?
In every moment?

We have a tendency
of becoming lazy
about dangers with 
things we are used to, 
no matter if it is playing
with dogs, handling weapons,
model airplanes, paddling
or whatever.

So most of us develope
simple safety rules, that
we try to adhere to, as not
to end up in trouble.

And most of us learn by our mistakes:

The only time I've been in trouble
while paddling at sea, we were
returning to paddling after a long 
break, and just one wave rolled us,
and deposited us in +3 degree water,
a fair way from closest rock.

Simple details like that fact that we 
hadn't any ballast on board
(a Klepper needs that, if empty),
and we sat very high off the bottom, 
due to inexperience (We had never 
paddled an empty Klepper Ae II 
in waves before). 

But we had PFDs which saved our lives.

After we this we got a good electric
bilge pump as emptying a waterfilled
Klepper with an ordinary handpump took
an awful long time. We tried to lift it
with just some water left in it, which 
with help from bystanders, we eventually 
managed to do, but not without structural 
damage.

Some think cellular phones, pfds, bilge
pumps, maps, weather forecasts, GPS, 
repair kits and spare paddles just stupid 
add-ons, and that they'll live for ever.

I did too, before I had a few close calls,
and a few friends died in young age.

Nobody is safe from
bad judgement at times,
but it is sure better to carry
the safety equipment with
you than leaving it at home!

Eventually in life we come to an age
where nobody depend on us any more,
and at that age I see no need for
extensive safety gear, but you should
still wear a pfd to help retrieving you,
should things go wrong.

An inflatable PFD takes very little room,
isn't warm, and can be equipped for
automatic deployment - a simple line 
connected to the kayak will usually do!

Tord

PS I hope my English isn't too badly
spelt - it isn't my language, just something
I've learned in school!
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