How often do you wear your life vest?

[mrdancer]

Re: How often do you wear your life vest?

I wear mine all of the time, every time.

I'm not afraid of the water. I swim a mile a day every day at the local pool (takes me about 32 minutes), and can easily swim the length of an Olympic-size pool entirely underwater. I love the water and am very comfortable in it. But, I also respect it.

p.s. - did you know that you can get hypothermia in any water temperature below 98 degrees Fahrenheit? Once water temps get into the low 60's and lower, it takes very little time to become hypothermic. If the water temp is below 60, there is a good chance that you will become too numb to swim or pull yourself back into a boat in a matter of a few seconds. Many many drownings occur next to a boat dock when someone slips into the drink, and many cases where two people drown after the second one tries to rescue the first one and quickly succumbs to the cold. Just an FYI...

 

[torijake]

Re: How often do you wear your life vest?

Have been boating\fishing with my brother for quite sometime in his boat.We rarely if ever wore them.I have since bought my own boat,16' bass boat,you know how low they sit and how fast they go,mine will do a little better than 50 wot and that was enough for me to change my thinking.Its not near as fast as many others but plenty for me and i will as well as anybody else that gets in it be wearing one while underway or in any weather, no questions asked.This Thread also made me think different,many good points brought up in this thread,about safety issues that alot of people take for granted or don't think about at all or maybe enough.
Thanks John

 

[pontooner]

Re: How often do you wear your life vest?

Only when Skiing or Tubing, besides its the law. Never in the boat unless under 12 years old, that's the law as well.

 

[mthieme]

Re: How often do you wear your life vest?

One suggestion that I would make is for you to test PFDs in saltwater, not in a pool. If you are boating primarily in salt water, this is a better validation (or lack thereof) of the ability of a PFD to keep you afloat. The reason for this is that salt water is more bouyant than fresh water, so a PFD that may seem to be marginal in fresh water, may be OK in salt water.

I also recommend calling customer service at Sterns, or other manufacturers. You are certainly not the only large person who has run into problems finding a comfortable and effective PFD. I suspect that these folks might have some suggestions for you.

If they were comfortable, we would all be wearing them instead of 21.69%.
I bought a auto inflatable at the end of the year on sale for $71 at West with the intention of wearing it when I run my hydro. I can't fit in the cockpit with the bulky Type IV.

 

[[FF]Assn.Salty]

Re: How often do you wear your life vest?

Only in bad weather and the little ones must always wear them! I always attach the kill lanyard when under way.

 

[Bard1]

Re: How often do you wear your life vest?

No I don't, and I fish the gulf (Florida) and all the bays around me in a 14' deep V alum. i do carry 6:

 

[idrownworms]

Re: How often do you wear your life vest?

lets see from birth to about 13 or 14 all the time
after that only when i was skiing, then i had a stroke a little over a year ago and my balance , wait a minute i don't have balance anymore, i wear one all the time when by myself. although I have to admit i didn't start wearing one until a catfish almost pulled me into the lake
this happened to me a few years ago I took a friend and his boat to a local lake in early spring. we lauched the boat and while i was parking the truck he thought he needed to do a couple of high speed passes. Well I parked the truck and looked at the lake just as he hit a wave wrong and flew out of the boat. I could have swimmed out and pulled him back except the water was to cold and if I tried there would be two people in need of saving. I got hold of the dnr and they came and pulled him out just as he was ready to give up.
lessons learned
1. don't have a swivel on the drivers seat
2. don't show off while people are parking the truck
3. if your going to be stupid wear a vest
there more but this is family forum but I let him know and I never went out with him again.
jamie

 

[UnregisteredUser]

Re: How often do you wear your life vest?

When I was a kid my father enforced the "in the water rule". Anytime I was in the water I had to have mine on. The other rule was while I was driving, I had to have mine on, with the dead man switch attached.

Now days since I am not as good of swimmer as I used to be, and the fact that my back burns very easily, I always wear mine. My wife just follows suit unless she is laying topside working on her tan, and of course the grandkids, well they usually have theirs on while making the 45 mile drive to the lake.

 

[91sseries2]

Re: How often do you wear your life vest?

This topic is like the seat belt/ helmet laws. I ride a zx6r kawasaki and always get ribbed by my harley riding friends equipped with the little non-d.o.t approved lids. I could care less if it was the law or not, you will never see me without a full face helmet and almost always a good riding jacket and gloves. Same goes for my boat. Things happen too fast to grab that vest when you hit a sumbmerged stump or log while doing 30+ mph. I have seen the aftermath that could have been prevented or at the least reduced just from a lil extra protection. A 50yr old commercial fisherman who had been on the water his whole life in my area, was killed when the boat he was picking up traps with ran over him because he wasn't wearing a tether. I just don't see a reason to not go the extra step in helping to prevent an accident if possible. That being said we are all big boys and girls and have as much right to decide on what safety devices we choose to use (or not).

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: How often do you wear your life vest?

This topic is like the seat belt/ helmet laws. I ride a zx6r kawasaki and always get ribbed by my harley riding friends equipped with the little non-d.o.t approved lids. I could care less if it was the law or not, you will never see me without a full face helmet and almost always a good riding jacket and gloves. Same goes for my boat. Things happen too fast to grab that vest when you hit a sumbmerged stump or log while doing 30+ mph. I have seen the aftermath that could have been prevented or at the least reduced just from a lil extra protection. A 50yr old commercial fisherman who had been on the water his whole life in my area, was killed when the boat he was picking up traps with ran over him because he wasn't wearing a tether. I just don't see a reason to not go the extra step in helping to prevent an accident if possible. That being said we are all big boys and girls and have as much right to decide on what safety devices we choose to use (or not).

Welcome to iboats. Your wisdom will be appreciated by many and ignored by a few. Regardless, this is one of the best posts I've read here in a long time.

As one who goes looking for the missing ones from time to time, I say the following over and over - "when you find them alive, they almost always have a PFD on & when you find them dead, they almost always don't."

BTW - I used to be the same way about the bike. I would never ride without a helmet and had a full coverage helmet when only one company (Bell) made them. I owe my life to a Bell Star helmet.

 

[Big Sully]

Re: How often do you wear your life vest?

Me or my wife never wear them unless we are in the water. The kids wear them on the boat and in the water!

 

[Nippissinger]

Re: How often do you wear your life vest?

I ALWAYS wear this on the water, and everyone else is equipped.

SAFETY FIRST!!!!

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" as quoted by your first President.

Best $160 I ever spent;

Never had to use it but the OPP, NRP, MNR love them....
And so do I as there is NO restriction for casting and reelin in the BIG ones...

Nipper...

 

[woosterken]

Re: How often do you wear your life vest?

I always wear mine,I got sterns auto inflate,a bit pricey but I am not very areodynamic (not FAT ,just to short) and I swim like an anchor
I boat in inland lakes

woosterken

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: How often do you wear your life vest?

Me or my wife never wear them unless we are in the water. The kids wear them on the boat and in the water!

Here's a question for you - other than the law about kids having to wear PFDs, why do you make them wear one?

 

[Nippissinger]

Re: How often do you wear your life vest?

"Life preservers Save Lives"

Nipper

 

[RickV1955]

Re: How often do you wear your life vest?

I'm a fairly new boater.....

Thinking it would probably be a good idea to wear one while underway....at least in any type of rough water.

Some of those smaller, inflatable, less invasive types look good...will have to check them out!!

 

[Nippissinger]

Re: How often do you wear your life vest?

They are pricey RickV but definitely worth the coin. Once you wear them for a while it is like wearing a seat belt. It becomes comfortable, and it becomes so comfortable you forget you even have one on...

Nipper

 

[RickV1955]

Re: How often do you wear your life vest?

Nipper.....
where did you buy the vest that you pictured??

 

[JH3]

Re: How often do you wear your life vest?

When on the lake the children ware them anytime the boat is moving. My wife and I only when tubing, skiing, kneeboarding etc. On the coast, everyone in bad weather otherwise same as above.

 

[Nippissinger]

Re: How often do you wear your life vest?

Hey RickV. Bass Pro Shops. They have a cheaper version of their own(not camo) for $100 less....

Fo Less than $100 you can get a manual inflator and for another $10 you can get an automatic inflator...Definately worth the coin..

Nipper