Re: [Paddlewise] Life Jackets Saves Lives in Cold Water Too

    One difficult task is get get a lot of boaters and/or officials simply to accept the use of lifejacket at all.
Even in a state like Pennsylvania which has a fish & boating commission that supports a lot of paddling safety programs. (They even placed billboards advocating wearing one on roads leading the the Lehigh River in NE PA.)
    Nonetheless, you Cannot get legislation passed in that state to require wearing one.  New Jersey's not any better.  We tried hard here, and the best we could do (after years of trying) was to get a low passed requiring the wearing of one in the winter months between October and April.  --And even then there was a big controversy regarding the adult age cutoff.  Much agita about 12 year olds (included or upper limit for children?)
     Some state parks or management areas  have made their own regulations requiring the Wearing of a lifejacket, and they do enforce it.  
     Once, when I was a scout commissioner years ago, I had a scoutmaster who absolutely refused to have his scouts wear a lifejacket.  He maintained that they were already good paddlers and didn't need a 'training bra'.  It's amazing how emotional people can get about this topic...

   Insofar as local paddling clubs are concerned, nearly all I am involved in require the Wearing of a pfd at all times on the water -- and they do enforce it.  So do the paddlers.  I've been on more than one trip where someone forgot his lifejacket and if a spare wasn't available from someone, they became the shuttlebunny -- and they accepted it.  
   And from about the beginning of October through mid-May around here, dry or wet suits are generally required.  At the very least paddlers must carry a drybag with a complete changed of clothing.  Most local paddling takes place on streams so the bank is close.  We carry extra pieces of clothing as a matter of course.
    Having written that, there are also a few clubs in this area who decline the use of a pfd.  They consider it an infringement of their personal rights.  

Joe P.



-----Original Message-----
>From: Craig Jungers 
>Subject: [Paddlewise] Life Jackets Saves Lives in Cold Water Too
>
>Unfortunately, I was not surprised to receive this:
>
>"WASHINGTON- The best way to survive an accidental cold water immersion is
>to wear a life jacket. "
>
>While the best way to remain afloat is probably to wear a life ja.... er....
>PF...... oops... "life jacket" it's clearly - CLEARLY - not the best way to
>avoid hypothermia if you become immersed in cold water. Your press release
>has not one single word to indicate that protective clothing is recommended.
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