Re: [Paddlewise] Fatality Rates and Paddler(Boater?) Age (was: Immersion Gear Revisited)

From: Nick Schade <nick_at_guillemot-kayaks.com>
Date: Fri, 9 Nov 2007 11:21:36 -0500
Dave,
  It was fatality rates for all boaters, not just paddlers. I would  
need to dig around to find the data again. It was data from the Coast  
Guard for recreational boaters.

  I don't remember the exact scale of the graph but the fatality rate  
(deaths per person-boating-hours) started high with inexperienced  
boaters, dropped quite quickly around 100 hours as people got more  
experience, leveled out for a while before making a long, slow climb  
as the boater's experience level grew over years. It kind of makes  
sense in that those boaters doing the most dangerous things (going  
far off shore, in bad weather) are likely to be those with the most  
experience.

  If you want more detail, I will try to dig up the data and see how  
accurate my memory really is.
Nick

On Nov 9, 2007, at 10:34 AM, Dave Kruger wrote:

> Nick Schade wrote:
>
>> I did a study on boating deaths a few years back. Most happen for  
>> boaters with less than 100 hours of experience. After that the  
>> fatality rate drops precipitously. For a while. When experience  
>> starts climbing up into years, the fatality rate starts climbing  
>> again.
>
> Nick, this is to important to bury in another thread.
>
> How much does it climb, for which segment of experienced paddlers  
> (hairballers, old fogey-style paddlers, or everybody?), and after  
> how many years?
>
> You said "boaters," so does that mean it was across the entire  
> spectrum of boating, including power boating?
>

Nick Schade

Guillemot Kayaks
824 Thompson St
Glastonbury, CT 06033
USA
Ph/Fx: (860) 659-8847
http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/
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Received on Fri Nov 09 2007 - 08:21:48 PST

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