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PFD's
... Do You Always Wear Them?
By: Richard Munn
When I began paddling with our group of friends, we established
a rule of PFD's at all times to avoid disputes when we were out
on the water. We felt that we would encounter a situation
where one person felt safe without a PFD, but the rest of the
group felt that it was time to wear the life jacket.
I have to admit that I've re-thought that position and that I
now don't always feel the need to wear a PFD. Yes, I know
that this isn't a politically correct decision, but it's one
that I've only arrived at after a great deal of thought and
consideration.
First things first. Am I recommending to site users that
they paddle without PFD's? Certainly not! Without
knowing an exact situation, and with no knowledge of people's
swimming and paddling skills, my recommendation would be as it
has been in the past ... PFD's at all times. It's never a
bad idea to err on the side of caution.
So why am I deviating from this rule?
I guess I've come to the belief that risk can never be
eliminated, but there are times when the risk is so low that the
decision seems to me to be a logical one. If I'm paddling
a narrow, slow-moving river and I'm 20 ft. from the river bank;
or if I'm on a flat, still lake close to the shoreline; or if
I'm creek paddling in 12 in. of water, my PFD is quite often
sitting tucked behind my seat.
At other times, I would never consider paddling without my PFD.
For example, if I'm paddling solo, or if the water is cold, or
if waves are present, or if there's whitewater, or if I'm lining
a section of river where I might slip in ... you get the idea.
As with all things in life, there are risks involved in paddling
without a PFD, and I have to decide whether that risk is high
enough to make me put on my PFD. I should say that I'm
pretty conservative in my decision making. I'm a belt and
suspenders type of guy, and I don't take many chances in any
area of my life when it comes to safety. If I'm convinced
that the risk is very minimal, I don't wear a PFD.
The reason I'm addressing this issue is because at a recent trip
planning meeting, I got my ears pinned back pretty good for this
philosophy. The group consensus was basically entirely
against my decision. The rest of the group felt that we
should revert to our decision of PFD's always, and were not very
happy with me bucking the policy.
Do I stand alone on this issue? I understand that wearing
a PFD at all times almost eliminates the chance of drowning, but
then again - am I ever going to drown when I'm paddling down a
narrow creek in the midst of a group of eight canoeists?
My take on the matter is that it is a personal decision that can
be made by a person with adequate paddling and swimming skills.
I'm curious to know what the rest of the paddling world does.
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