Still seems hard to really calculate your actual risk. Did the dead without PFD still die of hypothermia? Could they even swim? What was their over all skill level? I think you're safer with one on, so I wear it, but there are plenty of times where I think the risk of not wearing it is minimal. I don't think people who choose to take that risk are unreasonable. Mark Sanders -----Original Message----- Yes, there is very good data from the Coast Guard that supports using a PFD when paddling. At least here in the First District (East Coast from NY to Maine). Your mileage may vary, but in the last five years or so that I have been involved in Paddle Safety education, the percentage of paddler corpses pulled from the water that were not wearing PFD's has been around 80%. We had a single fatality last fall off of Mount Desert Island where the kayaker was actually wearing a PFD and apparently died from hypothermia (no wet or dry suit). That is the only case I can recall where a sea kayaker died while wearing a PFD. The far more common case involves the non-PFD wearing public. You are free to dance as close to death as you want, but I'm wearing my PFD. Mark *************************************************************************** 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 Thu Mar 22 2007 - 11:01:18 PDT
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