This thread must have started somewhere in Digests numbers 3215 through 3224 which I didn't get and have yet to see. When the ABYC was first starting the process I volunteered to be part of a committee of kayakers interested in the subject. Having the reputation as being both a kayak safety "expert" and a kayak manufacturer I thought I might be able to make a valuable contribution to the process. Also, having seen what they had done so far I was sure they were going to really blow it. They, or some in the kayak trade group working with them, had asked for volunteers but apparently I was not an acceptable volunteer for some reason as I never heard from them again after volunteering. I got the impression from reading the notes from the early ABYC committee meetings that mentioned the "kayak problem" back then that they were just looking for ways to get those "sea fleas" off the water and out of their way and had decided that they might be able to regulate them away if they took over jurisdiction and started adding new rules. That said, some of the Rec kayaks sold at the big box stores are absolutely scary. I've tried to talk to a couple of folks in the paddle departments of those stores about their kayaks lack of flotation and asked them why they don't also at least sell float bags with those kayaks or even just carry flotation for them in the store. They seemed to not even understand there might be a problem. They may have a point, "They sell canoes don't they". Matt Broze www.marinerkayaks.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 Jul 07 2008 - 20:18:47 PDT
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