Re: [Paddlewise] What's in the PFD?

Mark Sanders said (snip):

> 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?

Skill level? What does that have to do with it? Oh wait, maybe that's why 
Nigel Foster can stand upright in his kayak, while Timmy perhaps needs his 
sponsons. Of course, Timmy can stand on his head in his sponson-equipped 
kayak. Well, the point is, skill level has everything to do with it. I know 
a fair number of highly skilled paddlers who don't wear immersion apparel 
for every little trip anymore. They prefer not to advertise that fact around 
newbies though. I seem to have a knack for finding trouble (I usually go 
looking for it, otherwise I soon get bored), so I always wear my immersion 
gear and PFD (at the very least, a rolled down wetsiut just below torso 
level, which should give me time to re-enter if wet-exiting on warmer summer 
days).

Mark, I was wondering how you handle spring paddling off your coast now that 
Spring has sprung? Seems the water is still relatively cold, but air temps 
can soar.

BTW, please keep adding to your web site. I usually check back every few 
weeks. This is one of my favorites for a good laugh:

http://www.sandmarks.net/OCKC.html

Doug L 
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