The decision about whether to wear PFD's on any trip you
organize should be a non-issue. To the members of your  paddling
party, putting on a PFD should be as automatic as putting on a
seat belt as they get into their car.
Although it would be very comfortable to paddle without a PFD,
it isn't that much of a hardship. New PFD's are light and
reasonably comfortable. If we have an old one which is worn or
uncomfortable, we should go out and buy a new one - maybe a
jacket designed specifically for paddlers. The alternative to
spending that $50 may be spending a quarter in a pay phone at a
lodge to tell someone's family that he or she has drowned on
your trip. All of a sudden, the cost begins to look like a
bargain.
We have to remember that even the strongest swimmers can tire,
expert paddlers can catch an odd wave or a boat wake, and anyone
can get conked on the head by an aluminum gunwale as they tip.
It is possible to fall into the water from a shoreline that is
very difficult to climb out of, or get dumped into water that is
so cold that it saps our energy very quickly.
We also have to remember that people who are panicking are
dangerous - they instinctively want to get into the closest
boat, and they don't much care how they accomplish that feat.
One canoe tipped over can quickly lead to a second, and we will
eventually have a disaster on our hands.
The bottom line of this
whole issue is this - nearly everyone who has drowned on a canoe
trip has not been wearing a PFD. The number of people who have
and wear a proper-fitting PFD and drown is almost non-existent.
Can we beat the odds? Probably - we may be able to paddle for
years without a PFD without even a close call, but that will be
little consolation on the day that we land in the drink and find
ourselves without our PFD.
We should always discuss
this issue with everyone in our group before we leave on our
trip. We ask the group if they have a problem with a "PFD
at all times" rule. If they do, we have a problem to deal
with, but at least we're dealing with it around the kitchen
table instead of at the dock when we're putting in at the start
of the trip. If the group is in agreement with this policy,
there will be no need for discussions or arguments once we are
underway.
This stern warning aside,
do I always wear
a PFD? I have to admit that I don't. If I'm part of
a group paddling through 6" of water in a marsh or if I'm
paddling a narrow creek or calm lake close to the shore, I
sometimes have my PFD within reach behind my seat. When do
I always (no exceptions) wear a PFD?
- Whitewater or fast
water
- Large open bodies of
water far from shore
- Windy or wavy
conditions
- When I'm paddling solo
As in all things in life,
there is a tradeoff between safety and comfort. The
approach to this issue should be a conservative one, always
erring on the side of caution.
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