> On Aug 11, 2007, at 12:09 PM, Will Jennings wrote: > > >> 2) no PFD (would an experienced kayaker call it a 'life jacket' or is >> that reporter speak?), > On Aug 13, 2007, at 1:31 PM, Nick Schade wrote: > I have been paddling for 30 years and prefer to call them "life > jackets". I really don't like the acronym "PFD". It is typical > government bureaucratic gobbledygook. "Personal Floatation Device" > doesn't really tell anyone what the thing is. "Life Jacket" seems > to me to be a much better. > > The only reason I can think of to call them a PFD is as jargon to > separate those in the know from newbies. A reporter trying to > inform the general public about what he was (or wasn't) wearing, is > doing the correct thing to call them a life jacket. Right on. I think (I know) a lot of people who are not into water sports (yet) don't know what the heck a PFD is. I personally think it stinks of marketing-speak and is supposed to imply that it is in some way hi-tech, such as in it's design. As if geniuses spent years using computer models to make a high functioning... life jacket. Paul Montgomery paul_at_paddleandoar.com http://paddleandoar.com *************************************************************************** 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 Mon Aug 13 2007 - 20:08:31 PDT
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