my wife wears hers all the time as she cannot swim .
but if you end up in the water its not the swimming I worry about .
maybe i should also as the new boat still leaks even after being fixed.
12 liters an hour . hopefully they will get it right this time as I have had to point out
where the leaks are . please water test the boat this time .
cheers fae haggis
I agree with most comments on the kids, however would like to add that once in the water they panic and wear themselves out very quickly. My rule is simple under 12 jacket on before the boat hits the drink (for all kids), I have however bought 3 pfd1 kids jackets to suit them at a cost of about $70.00 each for the good quality nice fitting jackets.
Personally I don't have a drama wearing a jacket over a bar crossing I think its a good thing, you just never know what your gonna find no matter how many times you have done it before, complacency being more the issue.
Regards
Honda
Hasnt there been incidents of boat roll overs where the crew have been trapped and drowned in the boat's cabin because they had lifejackets on?
I think once again its a matter of what vessel, the conditions and whose on board that determines when a jacket should or should not be worn.
Its a case of common sense, no laws will give people common sense...foxy
Good point foxy..maybe the inflatables would be more suited in case this happened.Originally Posted by dfox
To be honest, I have never even asked any guests on my boat if they can swim.
Over here wearing PFD's has been a law for the past several years (30+). In Alabama anytime the boat is under way by means of a gas powered engine all people in the boat must be wearing a PFD. If you are caught without one the owner/operator of the vessel is issued one citation per person not wearing one. Also the person not wearing one is issued a citation. Once the gas engine is shut off you can go without. Also if you are within 800 ft. of the water discharge of a dam you must wear a PFD at "all" times. There are so many boats on the water these days, with many traveling at high speeds, that wearing a life jacket is just common sense. I always wear one while running around on the lake and make anyone with me wear one whether they like it or not. After all I'm the one responsible for their safety.
Casey
Good point foxy..maybe the inflatables would be more suited in case this happened.
To be honest, I have never even asked any guests on my boat if they can swim.
[/quote]no wonder you're so paranoid about life jackets
Have been wearing an auto inflate jacket whilst fishing alone recently and it isn't a problem at all. Don't even know it is on. Have even started wearing it when out with mates now as the extra security comes with very few negatives. Having lived in the tropics for a number of years I really don't think the problem stated with the jacket being too hot is a real problem. It is bloody hot with or without a jacket and the yoke style jackets don't heat you up much at all.
As for the cost how much does your boat, tackle, rego, insurance, bait, etc. cost??? An extra $300 for 3 inflatable jackets isn't that much is it?
It may be true that people have been trapped in overturned boats with jackets on but how many have been saved by having them on? It is always possible to find an exception/problem but the laws have to cater to the overall risk to benefit ratio.
Does anyone remember the debate when compulsory EPIRBs came in. Who would now think about going out without an EPIRB even if it wasn't the law?
It's a pity though that we can't let people make rules/legislate for their own situation but unfortunatly there is a big population of people out there that were standing behind the door when commonsense was handed out.
Kev
That's it backhoe, the rules need to be defined for everyone, the irresponsible and safety uneducated included.
Some people have to be made to comply, because if it's left up to their own judgement, well, you'll see them on the 6 o'clock news soon enough.
Also, commonsense or lack of it is a poor defence in a judicial hearing.
rgds
offshore fishing maybe, but are you kidding for river, etc. make sure everone can swim.
of course in the states (US) it's law - have you ever bought a late model american car - they've got more stickers plastered all over them than an icecream truck - warning you about everything - don't drive this vehicle drunk, etc.
It's to stop litigation, not lives.
I can tell you now, that wearing one up here would be ridiculous. what sort of f**ked up world are going to end up living in?
people die, people do stupid things - too bad - live with it.
Has anyone thought of the health risks involved by wearing a PDF all the time. Heat Stroke can set in very quickly. I agree that off shore can bar crossings can be hazardous and this comes down to the safety responsabilities of the boat owner, but as for us boaties that only go boating in rivers and esturies, give us a break. What next a smoking ban.
no smoking, no drinking, no people under age of 12, no people over age of 65, no disabled folk, must have full foam flotation, must wear suncream, must wear a scuba tank, must have a liferaft on any boat above 4m..........
I'm sure it will be interesting in 10 years time. >
Here is another poll the same as this that I ran, its only a very small board.
http://www.##############.com/module...iewtopic&t=188
Cheers
James
Here's a little bit of a reason to wear a PFD while under way. Alabama just had its 13th boating "fatality" of the year. The person killed was running the lake he lived on when he struck an underwater object. He was ejected from the boat and drowned. He was not wearing a PFD. There have been close to 60 "accidents" this year in the state.
Studies over here have shown that a person who is ejected from a boat moving at just 30mph hits the water with the force of jumping from the third floor of a building onto concrete. I'm a good swimmer and I seriously doubt that I could survive that and still swim to safety. Also the average boat these days will run in the 50 to 60mph range.
I will however say this...It should be left up to a persons judgment whether to wear on or not, but those not wearing one should have to forfeit their insurance coverage. If you choose to take that chance, you shouldn't have a safety net.
Casey
Like seatbelts in cars, I believe they should be compulsory for kids while under way, that's the rule in my boat anyway. As for adults, that is at my discretion, I am responsible for my passengers safety so they do as I say when it comes to safety.
Geoff
The problem with common sense is, its so uncommon these days.
Everyday, I still see kids in cars not wearing seatbelts. Every-single-day I see this!
I agree with Fat_Chilli in that the QLD regs are fine by me. Hey, it is what I do on on my boat as a normality!
PDFs are a good thing and if the conditions are such that you think, just for one instant,
"Hmm . . . Maybe I should put a PDF on . . "
Then DO IT! If you don't, you are a moron and shouldn't be in charge of vessel!
But that is just my opinion,
Fred
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