Re: [Paddlewise] PaddleWise PFDs

Speaking of idiots and victims (and not all are both), on the busy 
Southeastern WW rivers, if you tried to help out every swimmer near you, 
you'd never make it to the take-out in daylight. Unless the problem is 
life threatening, we mostly watch them float by.

I was once doing a canoe course on our local Class II in June. Warm day, 
warm water. That river tends to be full of young people in bathing suits 
paddling Keowees, no PFD (the outfitter gives them one, but....), no 
skirt, lots of beer. I had to rescue one of my students who had 
broached, flipped, exited, and pinned the boat on a rock. Before I could 
respond, a young lady as described above pinned on top of my student's 
boat.

When I got there, she was in the water clinging to the rock. I told her 
"This is your lucky day, because if you weren't on top of my student's 
boat, you'd be on your own." I pulled her PFD from her boat, handed it 
to her, then unpinned her boat and dropped it in the water so she could 
grab it. She put the PFD on.

Me, I always wear my PFD. It's not that damn uncomfortable, even in our 
95 degree Georgia summers. If I put it on before I head to the water, 
it's one less thing to think about, and I never end up wishing I had it. 
I've tried doing deep water re-entries with and without PFD. With is easier.

Steve

On 1/5/2010 4:47 PM, Doug Lloyd wrote:
> Those guys were idiots Tord, no, Idiots with a capitol I.
-- 
Steve Cramer
Athens, GA
http://www.savvypaddler.com
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