How important are PFD's (lifejackets)?

[Admin5]

Please take the time to check out this web site. Stay safe and still have fun.

 

[trollhole]

Re: How important are PFD's (lifejackets)?

I agree I'm bad about wearing a PFD though I have them out when I'm on the water I never have put one on. If I were to get knocked out and fall over I'd be a goner.

 

[Scoop]

Re: How important are PFD's (lifejackets)?

I am bad about wearing mine also. I definitely wear when the water is very cold. It helps warm me up and the cold water saps your strength very quickly if you go in. 2 years ago, there were a coupls of guys on Calicokid's lake that went in. they found the boat still going and no sign of rht guys. They were the father and husband of one of my clients. It took them a while to find the bodies. Thanks Admin5.

 

[crab bait]

Re: How important are PFD's (lifejackets)?

i ALWAYS wear one,, the inflatable kind that you wear like a 'fanny pack'... i know they're not as safe as a real one ,, but at least it's somethin'<br /><br />i wear it even on other's boats.. just like my seat belts in vehicles.. cause the day ya don't........

 

[JB]

Re: How important are PFD's (lifejackets)?

My type II PFD is on anytime I am underway, launching or loading. I sometimes take it off when stopped to fish, but if I am alone it is my second skin.<br /><br />A good friend lost his son years ago who didn't have a PFD on because he was "just going duck hunting".

 

[CalicoKid]

Re: How important are PFD's (lifejackets)?

I really don't wear mine as often as I should (always in the cold though). Sometimes I just don't think about it. I need to work on the habit, maybe ad PFD to my pre-launch check list. Thanks for the reminder.<br /><br />Scoop, that boat was found on the bay I live on doing circles, Lake WI and the WI River have a bad history of drowning people. Do you know how this happened?

 

[Mike NZ]

Re: How important are PFD's (lifejackets)?

Timely reminder. The older I get The more I wear it. What does that tell you? I wear mine about 80% of the time. Like J.B. If I'm fishing in a calm sea I sometimes take it off. My main fishing buddy is 8 years old so I have a responsability to him to lead by example. Drowning is a stupid way to die of you havn't got the A B C s in place.

 

[dave buckner]

Re: How important are PFD's (lifejackets)?

i never wore a helmet riding my bike when i was younger. (im 26 now) now every kid has a helmet riding their bike. unquestionably this is safer , but how many kids actually recieve severe head trauma from riding their bike? safety/risk should be a personal decision , not forced by law.

 

[Skinnywater]

Re: How important are PFD's (lifejackets)?

How important are PFD's (lifejackets)? <br /><br />For juveniles and the handicaped they are a matter of life and death.<br /><br />For adults they are most important in inclimate weather and intense or unusual conditions.<br /><br />Otherwise a cool head and common sense is more important.

 

[Ross J]

Re: How important are PFD's (lifejackets)?

Rule three on my boat says -<br />"If you have a problem wearing a life jacket please inform the skipper, so he can put you back on the jetty".<br />They only come off if it's calm and we're settled in a bay somewhere.<br />Ross

 

[Ross J]

Re: How important are PFD's (lifejackets)?

Let me tell you of a nasty experience twenty years ago.<br />I was fishing from a mates dingy in the Manakau harbour. The fiberglass dingy flexed and a crack ran the entire length of the dingy. It opened and we sank within about two seconds. I saw our lifejackets on the surface but alas the wind was quicker than we were.<br />We spent 5 hours in that water and couldn't make land as the current was not favourable. Eventually we touched down just inside the heads and couldn't even drag ourselves out of the water. <br />If we had jackets on we'd have been able to survive much easier. We'll never make that mistake again.<br />Ross

 

[V156]

Re: How important are PFD's (lifejackets)?

When I first got into boating I was terrible about wearing PFD's. Where my dad and I fish the game warden will give you a ticket in a heart beat if you don't have one on while your driving your boat. That's usually the first thing he asks for after checking your registration on the hull. If you don't have enough PFD's on board for the people in the boat you'll get wrote up. So now if we're only going a half a mile to another honey hole we're sure to put them on. The way the game warden explained it was-would you rather be safe or have the states fingers in your wallet? He made it very clear that it's the law and his job is to enforce it. Besides my dad has a few stories about folks who are no longer around because they didn't think they were important enough to wear. It makes good common sense to me.<br /><br />Dutch

 

[RICKRICK1]

Re: How important are PFD's (lifejackets)?

Mine is on when Im by myself and anytime the boat is moving by motor power kill switch hooked to vest. Had a good friend who never wore one, thought he could swim a long distance fall out of a boat about 100 yards from shore, when he finally made shore he had a mild stroke and was just lucky to have an EMT and his family picnicing right where he landed. Now he wears one all the time and will not let anyone on his boat without one. The boat was not under power, but the wind was blowing it faster than he could swim across the lake.

 

[Bart Sr.]

Re: How important are PFD's (lifejackets)?

Definitely a YES YES for everybody in my boat!!! Did the same as ROSSJ a couple of times and really got them PO'D but the next time around they just did as asked. I can carry up to six people and the six adult and two child vests ran over $700 but we all have a better chance of NOT becoming a statistic. Lots of high fives for posting the web site. THANKFULLY AND RESPECTFULLY BART (SEVERELY LANDLOCLED) SR.

 

[sloopy]

Re: How important are PFD's (lifejackets)?

I seldem wear a life jacket.. well actualy I do, since I am a sailor, I always wear this thing called a safty harness, it basicle drags us sailors under water and kills us if we fall of the boat. my harnes is my manual inflation PDF from suspeders (200) I like it alot! so when I fall of my boat and get drageg under I can cut my self free andthen pull the cord, I have 3 of these in my sailboat with eight of thos boxykind. when I use my other boat (john or work boat) I use an inflatable that does not have a harnes, made by mustang i I have 2 of those (one for a friend) in the winter I use one with auto inflate, so I have six inflatable, when I PWC I use a special wake boarding one that is very thin and confortable I like the inflates alot! very comfortable

 

[JB]

Re: How important are PFD's (lifejackets)?

Maybe this post should have it's own thread, and maybe it should be under STUPID Human Tricks.<br /><br />There is what the newsfolk call a "developing story" going on at Lake Ray Hubbard near Dallas.<br /><br />Here is what they reported so far:<br /><br />Ten (10) people in one boat.<br /><br />About 3:30 AM<br /><br />Eight (8) foot boat (This has to be wrong. Must mean 18')<br /><br />Some sort of accident (one boat), boat capsized.<br /><br />Two known dead, three more missing. <br /><br />NOT ONE of these folk are reported to have been wearing a PFD. <br /><br />I hope the updates will sound better than the initial reports.

 

[JB]

Re: How important are PFD's (lifejackets)?

Update.<br /><br />They now report that two persons were in PFDs and call the boat a "fishing" boat. Still looking for the 3 missing.

 

[KCook]

Re: How important are PFD's (lifejackets)?

10 people is still waaaaayyyyyy to many for an 18' boat. I don't care what the "rating" sez.<br /><br />Kelly Cook

 

[Scoop]

Re: How important are PFD's (lifejackets)?

Calico, they never did find out what happened. They think they may have hit a submerged log and got thrown out. The water was so cold, they said no matter what they would have died. It was very sad. They were going to have the funeral before they found the husband's body. The guy's son-in-law works for us now. Personally, anytime I was near that river, I would wear one. A couple years back, that one woman fell in while taking her boat out of the water and drowned. A few years before that they lost 2 or 3 of a family that were out walking on an undercut sandbar. When it went, the current under the sand bar kept one of them under for a couple days. Beautiful river, but it takes it sure takes it toll.

 

[JB]

Re: How important are PFD's (lifejackets)?

Latest report is that the boat was a 15' "fishing" boat. It sank. One of the passengers, an 18 year old girl, swam about a mile in a couple of hours to get help. Four were subsequently rescued alive and two were found dead. Three are still missing.