Why Wear a Life Jacket?

[padlin]

When I was younger if the water was warm and the weather was good I’d just have one along, it was my backrest in the canoe, the rest of the time it was on.

 

As I get older and fret about such things I wear one pretty much all the time. Getting an inflatable took care of it being too warm. My main concerns now are hypothermia and can I trudge thru the muck to get out.

 

In Ma we have to wear them Sep 15 thru May 15

[Catt]

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/DYaZrvoV6fxk94vX/?mibextid=D5vuiz

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

I wear an inflatable pfd 100% of the time on the water running or not. I feel more likely to fall overboard moving from deck to deck, running the TM, bucking wakes and waves etc. 

[Crow Horse]

I have to correct myself in a previous post. I'm a safety Nazi. Things can go wrong at the speed of thought and I want to be prepared as much as humanly possible. My buddies kid me about this but are happy when they need something.

 

Other safety items to consider:

waterproof strobe

waterproof flashlight(s)

2 way radio with weather band

whistle

tow rope

knife (dive knife with blunt tip)

 

These items might sound like they're over the top, but they'll be valued when they are needed.

[A-Jay]

1 hour ago, Catt said:

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/DYaZrvoV6fxk94vX/?mibextid=D5vuiz

These threads always remind me of the Four stages of competence.

(That boat handling failure clip in particular)

 

1. Unconscious incompetence

The individual does not understand or know how to do something and does not necessarily recognize the deficit. They may deny the usefulness of the skill. The individual must recognize their own incompetence, and the value of the new skill, before moving on to the next stage. The length of time an individual spends in this stage depends on the strength of the stimulus to learn.

 

2. Conscious incompetence

Though the individual does not understand or know how to do something, they recognize the deficit, as well as the value of a new skill in addressing the deficit. The making of mistakes can be integral to the learning process at this stage.

 

3. Conscious competence

The individual understands or knows how to do something. It may be broken down into steps, and there is heavy conscious involvement in executing the new skill. However, demonstrating the skill or knowledge requires concentration, and if it is broken, they lapse into incompetence.

 

4. Unconscious competence

The individual has had so much practice with a skill that it has become "second nature" and can be performed easily. As a result, the skill can be performed while executing another task. The individual may be able to teach it to others, depending upon how and when it was learned.

 

Stay Safe

A-Jay

[Crow Horse]

7 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

4. Unconscious competence

The individual has had so much practice with a skill that it has become "second nature" and can be performed easily. As a result, the skill can be performed while executing another task. The individual may be able to teach it to others, depending upon how and when it was learned.

What spins off of unconscious competence is a positive mental attitude. Knowing what to do, how to do it regardless of the situation & conditions at hand AND be proficient in those skills fosters clarity of thought. This is huge and one's mental state often dictates success or failure.

[TnRiver46]

I call it “drive your boat on top of the water, not under it “

[MN Fisher]

@Delaware Valley Tackle - Mike, exact same reasons I keep mine on. 14' boat on 14,000 acre lake with moron wake-boat pilots and inconsiderate fishing boats plowing by close to me at speed...despite having plenty of room to give me space.

[TnRiver46]

Sounds like @MN Fisher fishes eerily similar water to mine, tellico and ft loudon are both 14,000 acres with abundant morons 

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

1 hour ago, MN Fisher said:

@Delaware Valley Tackle - Mike, exact same reasons I keep mine on. 14' boat on 14,000 acre lake with moron wake-boat pilots and inconsiderate fishing boats plowing by close to me at speed...despite having plenty of room to give me space.

Funny right after I posted that I came across a FB reel of that exact scenario. Stay safe

[slowworm]

4 hours ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

I wear an inflatable pfd 100% of the time on the water running or not. I feel more likely to fall overboard moving from deck to deck, running the TM, bucking wakes and waves etc. 

You and me both.

[T.J.]

Whenever running outboard I wear a PFD and the lanyard remains attached. Anyone else in the boat must wear a PFD as well.
 

When I fish alone I also wear a manual inflation belt. That gets put on when I’m unhooking the transom hold down in the lot and doesn’t come off until I put the hold downs back on after pulling the boat out of the water. The full PFD still goes on over it when running the outboard. If the water is semi rough I will wear the belt even when someone else is with me. I will keep the regular PFD on to fish when the water was very rough. The states I fish require a PFD Nov 1 to May 1 whenever not anchored or tied off to dock. 
 

[Zcoker]

Lotta folks get the idea that PDF's are bulky and uncomfortable and since they've never had a bad accident or feel in some way that they are immune to accidents or harm, they simply decide to do without. 

[Crow Horse]

22 minutes ago, Zcoker said:

Lotta folks get the idea that PDF's are bulky and uncomfortable and since they've never had a bad accident or feel in some way that they are immune to accidents or harm, they simply decide to do without. 

A great many people try to economize when purchasing a PFD and subsequently end up with one that isn't comfortable. This is an area where economizing is very foolish.

 

My NRS Chinook is on the higher end of PFD's and it's extremely comfortable. I'll bet other brands of a similar price point are equally comfortable. I believe my hide is worth the extra sheckles I had to pay.

[gim]

39 minutes ago, Zcoker said:

since they've never had a bad accident or feel in some way that they are immune to accidents or harm, they simply decide to do without. 

I would say that this is pretty much every person who doesn't wear one.  Quite often it takes a serious incident to change someone's mind on this too.  And the majority of people will never experience a problem either.  But a few will, and for those people it may end fatally.

[Zcoker]

17 minutes ago, Crow Horse said:

A great many people try to economize when purchasing a PFD and subsequently end up with one that isn't comfortable. This is an area where economizing is very foolish.

 

My NRS Chinook is on the higher end of PFD's and it's extremely comfortable. I'll bet other brands of a similar price point are equally comfortable. I believe my hide is worth the extra sheckles I had to pay.

 

If naysayers tried on the higher end PDF's, then they just might have a different outlook. I, too, didn't realize just how different they were related to fit and finish. I opted for the NRS Chinook as well and I can wear that thing all day hardly noticing that I even have it on. Even when it's a trillion degrees out mid-summer in the Florida everglades, I can still wear it without burning up. I can cast and cast and it doesn't get in the way. The overall design is for the active fisherman in most any condition. 

[Crow Horse]

6 minutes ago, Zcoker said:

 

If naysayers tried on the higher end PDF's, then they just might have a different outlook. I, too, didn't realize just how different they were related to fit and finish. I opted for the NRS Chinook as well and I can wear that thing all day hardly noticing that I even have it on. Even when it's a trillion degrees out mid-summer in the Florida everglades, I can still wear it without burning up. I can cast and cast and it doesn't get in the way. The overall design is for the active fisherman in most any condition. 

I agree 100% about the Chinook. My only complaint might be that the current version is different than the ones I have and if I had to replace them I would get the current model and adjust accordingly.

[MN Fisher]

I wish I had the money to afford an upper end PFD (*cough* Mustang Elite *cough*) - I got the best I could afford, and it does have good reviews and is used by many on the tours...so I'm in good company.

[TnRiver46]

I swim in my $30 life jacket all the time, it’s comfortable and floats . 
 

I was also given two NRS that aren’t quite as comfortable but still float.

 

the price only matters to your brain and wallet, the $6 orange ones around the neck are excellent and what they modeled inflatables after 

[Crow Horse]

Here's good article on how to choose one.....

 

Choosing a PFD

[TnRiver46]

my two favs 

 

[Bluebasser86]

I'm sure I've told the story before but I'll tell it again.

 

Friend of mine, avid outdoorsman, hunter, fisherman, fished the PWT for a while, strong swimmer, went out by himself on a nice summer afternoon several years ago to chase walleye, he never came back. The found his body floating against some trees a couple hours after finding his boat floating across the lake without him in it. He wasn't wearing a lifejacket and they never really figured out how he ended up in the water. It wasn't rough, no damage to the boat or injuries to him. The only thing that is certain, he ended up in the water and didn't have a lifejacket and it cost him his life. 

 

I use to not wear mine except when I had to. Since Steve drown, my wife asked me to wear it all the time and I wear it every time from the time I step onboard, until the day is done. 

[osummerer23]

I usually follow tournament rules and if the big motors on, life jacket is on, and always connected to the kill switch. 

 

NJ recently added 2 laws. 

1. Kill switch must be attached if on plane. Makes sense, i like it. 

2. Life jackets must be worn from Nov 1 - May 1. That I don't like, and I feel is a huge over reach. 

[Crow Horse]

9 minutes ago, osummerer23 said:

2. Life jackets must be worn from Nov 1 - May 1. That I don't like, and I feel is a huge over reach. 

Survivability tanks in cold water. Wearing a PFD will save recovery divers a lot of time.

[gim]

53 minutes ago, osummerer23 said:

2. Life jackets must be worn from Nov 1 - May 1. That I don't like, and I feel is a huge over reach. 

 

This is interesting.  I didn't realize that any state was actually mandating people wear them all the time.