Moron

 

I retrofitted my 1973 Evinrude 25 tiller to add a kill switch...and I wear my PFD ALL THE TIME.

1 hour ago, Ski said:

 

Lucky man but dumb. No life jacket or kill switch. When will people learn 

That guy was lucky.

Kill switch is the law here. I don’t wear a life jacket though.

16 minutes ago, Bankbeater said:

That guy was lucky.

Darwin Award wanna-be

 

 

Pretty astonishing that there were no injuries and even more amazing there appears to be no damage to the boat or outboard either.  That should be a life lesson to him.

People may call him all sorts of things but I prefer plain lucky and more than likely grateful. I’m not a boater so I can’t and won’t comment but it does remind me that people including myself take all sorts of chances. When I rode bicycles in my younger years I didn’t wear a helmet but when I rode my brothers or dad’s motorcycles I wore a helmet 99% of the time. Although I’m older and haven’t pulled the Schwinn down in quite a few years when I rode with my kids as recently as 5 years ago I never thought twice about putting on a helmet as “I know what I’m doing “.

Kill switch is the law everywhere in the US now per USCG.  I doubt it's enforced many places.  I've gotten good at attaching my lanyard every time I start the big motor.   Sometimes I still forget to remove it when I stop.   

 

I only wear my PFD when it's really cold.   I know, but it's my choice.   If I had a super fast boat like some of y'all I'd wear one while running.   

 

I fish quite a bit at Lake Wylie (NC-SC)  The lake get's pretty crazy on weekends.  I'm surprised there's not accidents all the time.   I go early and usually leave before it get's crazy.  

 

 

 

 

2 minutes ago, Woody B said:

Kill switch is the law everywhere in the US now per USCG. 

Unless the motor did NOT have one installed originally - so older motors are exempt.

 

3 minutes ago, Woody B said:

I've gotten good at attaching my lanyard every time I start the big motor.   Sometimes I still forget to remove it when I stop. 

I keep mine clipped to my PFD, which I wear 100% of the time I'm on the water...so to re-start the motor, I have to re-insert the clip into the switch...no forgetting the kill-switch.

32 minutes ago, Woody B said:

Kill switch is the law everywhere in the US now per USCG.

You sure about that?  I thought it was only required on "federal" waters.

16 minutes ago, gimruis said:

You sure about that?  I thought it was only required on "federal" waters.

 

I "think" so.  USCG laws apply to "Navigable" waters.  I asked a NC Wildlife Officer about the kill switch (which at this point isn't mentioned in NC law)  He said they were checking, but not issuing any citations at this point.   He said he expects kill switches to be mention in NC law since the Coast Guard law came into effect.   

 

 

@A-Jay are the inland lakes we fish in considered "Navigable" waters?

 

 

18 minutes ago, gimruis said:

You sure about that?  I thought it was only required on "federal" waters.

Nope - anywhere the Coast Guard has jurisdiction - which is all navigable waters.

 

So yes, on Minnetonka you're required to use the kill switch if existent.

I've seen too many videos like this and we lost a friend that hit a reef up on Rainy Lake and was thrown without his PFD, so,....

 

kill switch stays clipped to PFD and PFD is worn any time big motor is running

15 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

anywhere the Coast Guard has jurisdiction - which is all navigable waters

Ya, I think you're right.  After some digging that appears to be the law of the water now.

1 hour ago, Woody B said:

 

I "think" so.  USCG laws apply to "Navigable" waters.  I asked a NC Wildlife Officer about the kill switch (which at this point isn't mentioned in NC law)  He said they were checking, but not issuing any citations at this point.   He said he expects kill switches to be mention in NC law since the Coast Guard law came into effect.   

 

 

@A-Jay are the inland lakes we fish in considered "Navigable" waters?

 

 

Any single waterway that borders or is with in the bounties of one or more states as well as any bordering countries, (Canada & Mexico come to mind) will fall under federal law hence USCG regs apply.

There are very few instances where state & Federal regs will differ on these waters.

So the Mississippi River system, The Great Lakes, Lake Tahoe, Lake Champlain, Lake Fork just to name a few, but I think you get the idea.  When I was conducting enforcement actions on recreational vessels in these type of situations, we usually bowed to the state regs and just turned the offenders over to them.  Commercial and international maritime traffic is a different deal and it's when the USCG Marine Safety Office gets involved.  

A-Jay

 

 

3 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

Nope - anywhere the Coast Guard has jurisdiction - which is all navigable waters.

 

So yes, on Minnetonka you're required to use the kill switch if existent.

Local law enforcement doesn’t enforce federal laws (in general) and the coast guard isn’t coming to check Lake Weatherford, TX. State law must mention It for local law to do anything. 
 

ps it’s state law in Texas

I don't even fish in my kayak without a PFD on.

 

Why some people refuse to wear one is beyond me.

 

You see a body that has to be hooked and dragged up, you'll start wearing one.

old rotten kill switches can break so make sure your lanyard is in good condition, happened to me in an atv wreck, didn't really matter since the impact was enough to KO the engine and most people dont use them on atvs anyway, but still a good lesson to carry over to boating.

Wow, just wow!

Wearing a PFD any time the boat is under power is just common “fishing” sense. I don’t wear one when using the trolling motor but always when using the big motor.

 

The guy was lucky someone else was on the lake near him.

All of this hurts my brain.

i LOVE my PFD.  hell, i own two.

 

drowning is my fear death.  haha.  kill switch, i sometimes have to remind my friend to clip in when we are on his boat.   to be honest, if i die fishing, it will be off his boat.  my kayak is totally safe by comparison.  i am not super comfy racing across angry water in a bassboat.  i feel like a stone skipping across the surface.  i am just not used to it.

 

back to kill switch.  those guys that put the spot lock trolling motors on the nose of their kayaks.  no kill switch.  my buddies eyes went wide when i pointed it out to him.  if he fell out under power (rare i suppose) he will watch his kayak move away slowly.  i see guys standing and casting while on the motor up front.  slow, but faster than he can swim i bet.  

11 hours ago, CrashVector said:

Why some people refuse to wear one is beyond me.

Because its not required by law.  Until its required by law, there is a certain portion of the population that will not do it.  Like wearing a seat belt.  Make it law, and there will eventually be full compliance.

Compliance is right... My issue is I really dont need the government making laws about EVERY aspect of our lives, but that's an area of conversation we don't need to get into.

 

The main reason I agree with kill switch laws is the danger to others caused by a runaway boat! I would hate to think my not wearing one if something happened would lead to someone else being hurt.

Just now, FrnkNsteen said:

Compliance is right... My issue is I really dont need the government making laws about EVERY aspect of our lives, but that's an area of conversation we don't need to get into.

 

The main reason I agree with kill switch laws is the danger to others caused by a runaway boat! I would hate to think my not wearing one if something happened would lead to someone else being hurt.

Yes, that is correct.  You not wearing a PFD has absolutely no bearing on me or someone else's safety, so its not mandatory you wear it.  You not using a kill switch could have a catastrophic effect on someone else's safety, so that's why its mandated now.  Again, really would not be that difficult to change the PFD law and say its required while a power boat is moving at any speed on plane.  Just my opinion of course.

 

Right now in MN it just has to be accessible.  Which is subject to variability but as long as you can access it, its legal.  If you're digging around for it or can't find it quickly, that would not be accessible.

 

BTW just for transparency I wear my PFD while on plane and a lanyard is attached with the kill switch.