Lifejackets should they be required by law ?

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Lifejackets should they be required by law ?

Yes Required All the time
4
19%
Yes but only required while underway
11
52%
No we don't need any more laws
6
29%
Undecided
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Total votes: 21

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SkeeterJohn
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Lifejackets should they be required by law ?

Post by SkeeterJohn »

I know this is a topic that tends to come up in the middle of winter when nothing much is happening but it's something that may happen one day. There's all the usual arguments about enforcement and the bulkyness when fishing. Let's see what most people think out there.

Personally i know i don't wear mine nearly as often as i should. I know i'm considering getting an inflatable so that it's something better than nothing.

Should they be required when travelling... perhaps.... if you hit something and fly out of your boat, banging your head on the way, then the chances are it'll save your life... When are accidents most likely to occur.. probably when leaning over the side to hmm take a leak :lol: or to retrieve a fish... The reality is i'm sure most only wear them all the time when in smaller boats or when it gets rough...

I think we all DO keep them handy though and not locked away out of sight. This is something i thought i'd bring up at a time of the year when falling in is the last thing you want to do !

What are your thoughts... do we need more laws ?
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toobinator
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Post by toobinator »

In tournament fishing, the rules state that you must have your lifejacket on whenever your big motour is running. I stand to be corrected but I believe your kill switch must be attached to it as well. Doesn't seem to make sense to go flying out of a boat only to have it come around and run over you while you are bobbing around on the surface. I know first hand of one instance where this happened in a smaller boat where the person who shall remain unnamed fell out of the boat and then had to dodge it for 5 minutes while it kept circling around him. We are all guilty of the "won't happen to me" syndrome, but it can and will in a heartbeat.

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Post by SkeeterJohn »

It's the one time you don't bother.. i know... I've heard of that happening and again it's something i tend to do only when it's rough... I can only imagine what injuries would occur if a boat ran over you.. it's a scary thought..

It's funny that we never think twice about putting out seatbelts on but when it comes to a lifejacket/pfd it's always a poor excuse like.. it's too bulky.. it's awkward .. or god forbid it doesn't match my boat colour... I'm sure there are worse reasons than that.


Would i be right that in the US pfds must be worn all the time ?
Last edited by SkeeterJohn on Wed Nov 19, 2003 9:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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SkeeterJohn
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Post by SkeeterJohn »

opps double posted..
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Cancatchbass
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U.S. Regs

Post by Cancatchbass »

John:

The various states set their own regulations, and can vary within the state based on the waterway.

CCB
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Post by Weeder »

Good topic and good time of the year to think about it. Man, it would be cold if you fell in, while retreiving a big fish, while taking a leak....

I do travel around in a small boat and always have it on when I am alone. When I am with somebody I usually have it loosely strapped to my pedesatal seat, which I am usually sitting on (I know that would not help me if I was thrown from the boat, but like everybody else, we think "it will never happen to us".

I guess it goes back to the responsibility thing. We are responsible for our own actions. I think the law is fine as is - you must have one for each person, but not extend it so far and require them to be worn at all times.
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M.T. Livewell
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Post by M.T. Livewell »

Boy the last thing we want is another law to police our common sense, best left that to us. Because every law has so many interpretations, it could get ugly (don't let PETA know about this or they'll find some way to make it happen).

For what it is worth, when I bring my kids in the boat with me, they are required by law to wear it (up to the age of 16). Now my babies don't seem to notice that Daddy may or may not be wearing one. But my 14 year old sure does. I have worn it on occasion to endure the hardship and make him feel better about wearing it. But it is clumsey, and when the weather hits 30 odd degrees, I don't want to wear a shirt let a lone a "jacket" (ugly visual of MT running topless).

Anyway, I suppose the best thing to do would be to buy nicer, more comfortable life jackets for everyone. It would make things a lot less clumsy, and a lot more likely for me to wear mine, thereby setting a better example. But the truly nice jackets run about 80 odd dollars, and for a family of 5 ... well you can do the math.

Besides, my life jackets don't match my new boat. :wink:

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Post by spinner »

Comment and question.
One thing that is important in many bass boats and other boats(especially high speed)is the kill switch and if connected to the driver,at least the engine will shut off if the driver goes overboard.
My question--Do any of the tournaments around the area include a kill switch as necessary equipment in the boat and are drivers required to use them?
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Yep!

Post by Cancatchbass »

Most ( in fact every major trail I know of) tournament trails require an operating kill switch, AND that it be attached any time the main motor is running.

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M.T. Livewell
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Post by M.T. Livewell »

How do you attach your kill switch?

My key is on a lengthy red coiled plastic thingy. So in my case, do you have to clip it on a life jacket. And how do you get up and down without killing the engine?

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Post by McQ »

Over the last 10 years I've taken an unexpected swim three times. Once when my partner hit the electic motor at full speed to get out of a snag, once when a neutral safety switch didn't work on a lodge boat up north and once at speed when I barrel rolled my bass boat.

Other than being cold and wet when the first two incidents occured I didn't have any problems getting back into the boat. On the occasion when I ran into an unexpected rogue wave and lay the boat on it's side at 40 MPH + I was wearing my jacket with the kill switch attached. I took a nasty spill and credit the jacket with saving my life. At the time i was using a jacket with a roll collar and I am sure it saved me from breaking my neck.

There are many options when it comes to life jackets and if comfort is what you are looking for then try the SOS sospenders, they did have a problem with improper inflation a few years back but are quite reliable today. You may want to consider a canoeist jacket that has the flotation around your belly and is very comfortable to wear.

Check out http://www.protexionproducts.com for a look at the Boy O Buoy lineup.
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Post by Fishhawk »

toobinator wrote:In tournament fishing, the rules state that you must have your lifejacket on whenever your big motour is running. I stand to be corrected but I believe your kill switch must be attached to it as well. Doesn't seem to make sense to go flying out of a boat only to have it come around and run over you while you are bobbing around on the surface. I know first hand of one instance where this happened in a smaller boat where the person who shall remain unnamed fell out of the boat and then had to dodge it for 5 minutes while it kept circling around him. We are all guilty of the "won't happen to me" syndrome, but it can and will in a heartbeat.

Ed Toobinator Puddephatt
Was the boat's name Christine?

Forgive - I'm glad the person is safe. But it sure conjures up a funny image.

John, this is a really good topic. A far better swimmer than average (this is something I am confident that I can boast about), it has become second nature for me to put my life jacket on when I start up the main motor. I take it off when fishing because I feel the risk is not enough to warrant being uncomfortable (don't tell my wife), but when you are zipping around a lake, sometimes ducked behind the windscreen with tears in eyes from cold, the risk is infinitely increased.

I think of the Rideau River and the wakes that we get launched over when we're not paying attention for two seconds. Heck, Bobber's wake nearly rolled me out of my boat last November.
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re: Inflatable PFD's

Post by Cancatchbass »

Like everything else in life, Inflatable PFD's have their good and bad points.

I have worn one 5 days a week, from April to Nov. or Dec., for two years (no choice at place of employment).

The type used by my employer are Mustang Survival Air Force manual inflatables.

They won't do you much good, though, if you happen to lose consciousness before pulling the tab. :lol:

We went with manual inflatables since there are still instances when an auto-inflate version will self-inflate when subjected to extensive rains or if stored while wet. $$$ may also have been a factor. :lol:

Inflatables do allow more freedom of movement and are cooler than normal PFD's. However, they do tend to feel heavy on the neck if worn for extended periods. They also don't provide the insulating value that normal life vests do on cold days.

The pouch-type version is approved for paddle sports only, so is of no use to most of us while angling. Some juresdictions mandate that, if you are wearing an inflatable, you must also have a regular PFD aboard. :?: :?:

I have not decided whether I am in favour of mandatory use of PFD's. Like many, the tendancy is to say we don't need any more laws governing our time on the water. But I think back to the three days I spent on Big Rideau Lake a number of years ago, aiding a police search for a drowned angler from the Ottawa area. His life jacket was found in his boat. They suspected he fell overboard while messing with his motor or something. I don't recall if they ever found his body...

CCB
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Post by SkeeterJohn »

CCB it's stories like that which highlight the need for us to wear them more often. I think it was the mnr that ran a tv campaign that had two kids wearing their pfds in a boat and no parents to be seen except for a pfd that wasn't being worn.. Like MT says when kids are in the boat we set a good example... perhaps that's a reason alone that we should wear them more often.

I don't think we need another law and all the hassle of enforcing it but perhaps just highlighting the fact that we don't use them enough every now and then will help us all to wear them more often and not just when we think we should.

McQ's roll is a prime example of when an inflatable would probably been useless. I know high speed accidents like that aren't as common as you think but we've all 'nearly' fallen in when reaching down for something or we've knocked on the trolling motor and had to find our fotting quickly.

The cold water in spring and fall is also something to consider. it's ok saying your a good swimmer and perhaps some are in july but when you have 5 layers on and heavy boots and the water is around zero swimming will become nearly impossible i'm sure... and 100 yards from the bank may as well be a mile. They always recommend if your boat is still afloat stay on it as distances over water can be very decieving..
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Post by Steve G »

In the "How Stupid was that" section, I supplied a quick story on a time I did not have my Life Jacket...Opps

Since then I have received as a Xmas gift a Mustang Fishing vest with the inflatable bladder...the only time I'm without it now is when I'm too HOT.

Works great when wading as well, you never know when you might fall into a hole...(has happened more than once)

Hers's a picture, (Oh, and my first Muskie, beautiful!!!) 8)

Image

(Notice little red handle for CO2 emergency deployment)
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