Like a rock.  

 

I assumed the OP was asking about wearing a PDF while boating, not while swimming for recreation.  If I was swimming shallow and at the shoreline I wouldn't wear the PFD. I think the risks are far less when swimming for recreation than they are while boating. In the yak or boat and not swimming? PFD 100%. It's the accidental swim that I fear. Swimming for recreation in far out water? Not sure what I'd do because I'm not likely to do that.

I know what he was asking. I was just saying that yes I can swim and sometimes will for recreation.

And even though it's frowned upon, I never wear a PFD on my kayak. A couple times when oil tankers came up the river I got a little worried.

I can...Around the time I got a kayak.. had to test that theory in gator infested water when I was dared to try stand up in a sit-in kayak...Didn't know how to get back in...So I had to swim back to the pier which was about a quarter mile...and had my buddy grab my kayak and follow me.....Everyone on the pier was staring at me lmao

I've been swimming since I was a little kid in the '50s.

 

 

"Try swimming with your cloths on including shoes"

 

Did it in the Boy Scouts. You have to shuck the shoes, lose the pants, and then tie the legs in knots to make water wings.

Unrelated cross talk was removed.  Carry on.

I  swim like a fish when im leisurely  swimming..when im fishing im fishing ...pfd and all i gotta be able to  save my stuff

On 1/6/2018 at 12:31 PM, WRB said:

Try swimming with your cloths on including shoes, you don't fall overboard in a swim suit.

Tom

You do if you fish in a swim suit!

Very strong swimmer too. The  "Michael Phelps" of the kiddie pool.

On 1/15/2018 at 1:54 PM, Mr.Gump said:

I can...Around the time I got a kayak.. had to test that theory in gator infested water when I was dared to try stand up in a sit-in kayak...Didn't know how to get back in...So I had to swim back to the pier which was about a quarter mile...and had my buddy grab my kayak and follow me.....Everyone on the pier was staring at me lmao

Mistake #1 is accepting a dare to stand in a sit-IN kayak! But if gators were in the water, I'd figure out how to get back in FAST. Swimming 1/4 mile in gator water? You just earned the brass * award.

 

My mom made my brothers and I do swim team for 3 years when we were younger. We hated it, but her reasoning was that if we were going to be spending all of our time on the water, we needed to be very good swimmers. The endurance obviously is all gone but I'm pretty darn confident in my swimming abilities. Thanks Mom

Yes, I’m not sure if I could save a life today but I’d try.

On ‎1‎/‎6‎/‎2018 at 12:31 PM, WRB said:

Try swimming with your cloths on including shoes, you don't fall overboard in a swim suit.

Tom

Tom, when I took lifeguard training a the Y one of the things we had to do was to learn to float with our clothes on.

 

I learned how to blow up my shirt and keep air in it to help me float.

 

And you are right: swimming in a swimsuit vs. fully clothed with shoes on are two totally different situations.

We were lucky enough to have our own above ground pool in the back yard.

I was made to wear this swimming vest all the time that zippered in the front and let me tell you I HATED THAT THING.

Being so little and made to wear something that felt big and bulky did not please me one bit.

I gave my mom such a hard time and used to hide it and when it was found she'd put the thing on backwards just so i couldn't get it off.

Long story short, We came to an agreement if i could swim from the pool stairs to the middle of the pool and back i didn't need to wear the vest.

I can still swim to this day but i'm no mile swimmer!

Edit: In middle or high school i ended up joining the swim club and we used to swim in doors in a heated pool and not only was i fast at doing laps but also figured out i could hold my breath longer than others.

like a fish, i was born in the water haha.  i used to dive under my uncles lobster boat when i worked with him, middle of the ocean, dove down to cut rope from the prop. used to spear fish and catch lobster with my hands.  i once dove 20 feet deep with just a knife and a mask. stabbed a fish on the bottom and ate it for dinner.

so a buddy and i were wade fishing in our bathing suits, we waded to an island, not catching anything i decided to swim to a rock on the other side with just my rod and the lure i had on.  got to the rock started casting. a monster inhaled my  lure. a weedless rigged  lunker city fins fish 6 inch.  so i land the fish and im on the other side of  the pond from my gear and my buddy.  i had to swim back.  so put the rod handle in my mouth, the hawg bass pinned against my chest. swam back
fish was 24 inches long, 7.5lbs 

Not a bad swimmer, could certainly get to shore on the small places I fish.

I didn't think much about wearing a pfd for a good number of years but the last five years I have read enough tragic or near tragic stories to change that mindset. There are also a good number of the members here that have given very sound advice with regards to safety and pfd's in general and I now wear a pfd all the time. I can swim and feel fairly confident in my ability to swim my way out of trouble. BUT... I know Durn well I'll be wearing a pfd while doing that.

I vividly remember mom taking me to swim lessons as a kid.   Grade school age until middle school.   Every summer.  By fifth grade I was taking lessons with teenagers.    One of the many great skills my mom forced me to learn.   Swam in high school.   Partly because I was pretty good.   Mostly to get the attention of a girl.   I am lucky enough to have a pool close by to still swim laps in.   All 3 of my kids, youngest is 5 oldest is 18, all have taken lessons and can swim like fish.   But even though we can all swim well we still use life jackets when the situation calls for it.   Water is not forgiving and anything can happen in a blink of an eye.   

Yes i can swim but at 50 years old, lacking practice.

Another thing about wearing a pfd regardless of how well you can swim is that if you do go in it allows you to focus your mental and physical energy on figuring a way out of the situation instead of putting it towards keeping your head above water.

Do any of you guys ever "test" your PFDs to make sure they will actually hold you up? The full, non CO² style ones I mean. Thinking of doing this to mine in a pool. 

20 minutes ago, DINK WHISPERER said:

Do any of you guys ever "test" your PFDs to make sure they will actually hold you up? The full, non CO² style ones I mean. Thinking of doing this to mine in a pool. 

I test mine every year. I jump into the lake from my boat and use the boat ladder to get back in the boat.

I surfed the better part of my life so yes, I'm pretty comfortable in water including cold water. And clothing doesn't weigh that much in water. Most shoes I fish in float. Pants and shirts are fairly neutral buoyant. Throw some cloths in the water. They don't sink like a brick. Pulling yourself out of the water is another matter as those wet cloths now weigh a lot once you clear the water.

My dad and mom were both gd swimmers and made it a point that we all knew how to swim.  He always said to keep your head in the water and don't panic and you can pretty much survive any situation.  When I was younger and went to a lake I would always swim to the other side, wouldn't attempt that today. 

I swim enough to save my own ass. If i have to tread water or float, that's another story.

Yes. If not, my time in the Marine Corps would have been that much more entertaining (for others of course).

 

But to answer the real question, I know and understand my capabilities on the water. However, there are many things that can happen that I cannot control. Because of this, when my big motor is running, my PFD is on (regardless of laws and tourney rules - I've seen too many videos to ignore that). I don't however wear one when my big motor is not on (unless chop calls for it or I'm so excited to fish I forget to take it off). 

As far as kayaking, I always have one accessible, but rarely wear it.
 

I am not a strong swimmer but regardless I am wearing my pfd while in the yak.