A good inflatable PFD would be very comforting insurance. After working with canine search and rescue years ago, and more recently The US Coast Guard Auxiliary, I can state with certainty that I have never recovered a body off the bottom wearing a life vest..
I second saltydog. I flipped a canoe in Maine a few years ago wearing my PFD. Blew my whistle and this guy in a power boat came by, picked me up and said "We'll get tow the canoe back to shore". To which I replied, "Do you take AAA?". We laughed, I got back to the camper where my wife almost died of oxygen deprivation trying not to laugh. I lost no equipment, just a little ego, but now trust my PFD to the max. I think everyone should go over, in a controlled sense, and see how the PFD works. I just leaned back, enjoyed the warm water. Can't swim in that PFD!
Mike
Years ago when me and my brothers first started going out in a boat my dad had all of us always wear a PFD when in a boat and he always wore one himself. I still always wear one even though I have never needed it. I figure all you have to need it is once in your lifetime and it's worth it and as my life is not yet over I'll continue using it.
I'm a kayaker. I would actually like to participate in some deep-water recovery training with my boat.
I always wear my PFD while on the water. I need to go fall into a pool, either standing or from a sitting position, to get an idea of how well it keeps me up.
When I first started to fish out of my kayak, I was in about 3ft of water in the Indian River Lagoon, had not put the rod holder on the yak yet, so the fly rod was laying in the bottom of the yak. As I was starting to paddle out, I noticed a manatee crossing in front of me, so I stopped the yak to let it go past me. When it was a prudent distance away, I started to get moving again, and when I took the first paddle stroke, unbeknownst to me, there happened to be another manatee under my yak, which proceeded to flail the water with it's tail while under my kayak. Needless to say, me, the fly rod, and the paddle all went flying from the kayak. And it continued to raise cain for 40 ft. Recovered everything an went along my way, I was lucky that it happened in shallow water. Started wearing a PFD after that.
Great to know you are alright! Sorry about the creel but very glad that was all you lost. Regroup and go fish, take care, John.
Originally Posted by AllenOK
I get a regular news email from paddling.net and they have a host of articles on canoes and kayaks and below posted their safety archives. On particular article that I neglected to read was about righting a turned over canoe in deep water. My experience in sort of "friendly waters" was a golden opportunity to give the technique a try but I missed it! Since my mishap happened where it did (and being very lax about safety), I took it as an omen for future strange waters. Anyplace else I would have been wearing a PDF.
(Here's that link just in case you don't have it)
http://www.paddling.net/sameboat/archives/#technique
Thank you!
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