Hi! I took a cold weather survival class (kayaking) a couple of weeks ago and have a question for this group. When I practiced the "hug" or "group hug" in the water, to conserve heat and prolong survival time, I kept drifting up and ending up higher than the person I was with, which tended to overbalance me to the front and, poor result for the other person, push them underwater. Since this was practice, we simply let go or actively repositioned. My drysuit was well burped. I have been thinking about this and just realized that I carry a PFD backpack with a package of flares in it (in plastic with air), and lightsticks in (air filled) plastic wrappers. Also, the pad on the back of the backpack seems to be minicell foam. In the opinion and/ or experience of this group, would this cause enough buoyancy to push (float) me forward? If so should I consider removing this backpack ASAP if I'm alone, in the water and unable to self rescue? Seems to me it would tend to float ME in the face down position as I became less competent. Any suggestions to put rocks in the backpack will be contemptuously ignored. Thanks! Pam in Washington State ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.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/ ***************************************************************************
Pam, The only way you are going to be able to know for sure is to wear the PFD in a controlled environment (i.e. a swimming pool) and test it with and without the backpack. I carry one also and my test indicate that the items do not have the buoyancy to effect the position of the PFD in the water. I would leave the pack on the PFD incase you are ever in the dire position of being seperated from your boat and having to signal for rescue. By the way I carry survival gear in my PFD pack which includes matches, garbage bags, first aid and a power bar. Just in case. stay safee Bob > > In the opinion and/ or experience of this group, would this cause > enough > buoyancy to push (float) me forward? If so should I consider removing > this > backpack ASAP if I'm alone, in the water and unable to self rescue? Seems > to me > it would tend to float ME in the face down position as I became less > competent. > Any suggestions to put rocks in the backpack will be contemptuously > ignored. > Thanks! > Pam in Washington State *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
G'Day Pam, It's great to hear about your group practices. Clubs that acquire skill at running training sessions are worth their weight in gold. Like you, I carry flares in my PFD. The bags that I've come across tended to leak slightly after a lot of time practising in the water. I became concerned that the plastic bags were trapping moisture and humidity that might degrade the flares. I sometimes use a dry bag packed inside my PFD to hold a small emergency kit including a hand held dual smoke/flare and a few other small emergency items; a tethered water proof telephone bag for a pack of mini rocket flares and a separate tethered bag for an epirb. I'm trying out various ideas in which the epirb is either tethered to the bag or operable within a modified and tethered bag. The nice thing about bags is that they can be opened and dried out if they get a few drops of water inside. All the best, PeterO *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
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