Flipped by a whale Tues

[scoop]

Wow, brown waders time! Glad you are OK. Sorry about the gear.

[Jim Sammons LJKF]

I have had some pretty close encounters over the years out there but nothing like that. Things like this should really drive home why you should always wear a PFD. Things happen fast so always be prepared.
Glad it turned out OK.

[Hypoxic1]

I was wearing my spray jacket, with the waist tight and the wrists tight. I also wear a hobie inflatable harness incase things go real bad. if you inflate the harness right away there is no way you are getting back on the boat. it will become too bulky.

When I was tossed I was completely submerged for a second. Water did trickle into the waders , perhaps a cup or two at most. I dont wear a belt, just the tight waist of the spray jacket. the belts seem to want to keep air in the wader pants and for me its an annoyance.


Late report. Looks like my homeowners is covering most of the loss.
Merry Christmas.

[Jim Sammons LJKF]

Ok lets look at this as a worst case scenario. You get dumped into the water and bonked on the head. As you now know first hand crazy things happen fast. I have had free jumping Threshers launch over the bow of my kayak. Inflatable PFDs won't save you if you can't inflate it. You are much safer in a normal PFD.
IF you are going to be thrashing around in the water for an extended period not having a belt could also be an issue.
Just my thoughts but I would at least reconsider your choice of PFD. I know those inflatables are comfortable but I think comfort will take a back seat to floating when it really counts.

[erinoo]

Even though it doesn't appear that Jim is wearing any PDF in his Avatar picture, he is correct about the inflatable PFD V the Standard.

[Jim Sammons LJKF]

You are totally correct about me not having one on in my Avatar. That is the exception not the rule with me though. Kind of like when I was in Panama. We shipped the kayaks down but the PFDs never arrived, I certainly was not going to just not fish because I didn't have a PFD. Kind of the same thing happened the day I got that Dorado. I do though wear a PFD 99% of the time.

[Dean Machine]

Don't they also make water activated pfd's that inflate after being submerged in the water? Of course there would be some trade-offs, but it could solve the comfort vs safety problem. Either way, a pfd is a must 100% of the time. I know, sometimes stuff happens that prevent you from wearing it, either way, Jim is right, we are not all perfect. I used to be a 99% of the time seat-belt wearer until I was thrown from the passenger seat of a pickup truck. I swear to god I will never ride in any vehicle again that I can't get a seatbelt on EVER but that's another story.

Any way........anybody ever heardof the water activated self inflating pfd?

[Fiskadoro]

Originally Posted by Jim Sammons LJKF

Inflatable PFDs won't save you if you can't inflate it. You are much safer in a normal PFD.

I agree with Jim. The thing people forget is if they end up in the water and they do not have a PFD on they then end up have to save themselves, rather then save their gear.

I'm not talking about rods here I'm talking about the things you need to get back in. I had a friend who lost his paddle and radio when he rolled with his PFD sitting on the bow. By the time he got to it and got it on most of his gear including his paddle had drifted away.

I almost always wear a PFD saltwater kayak fishing, usually just a standard foam extrasport, because honestly you never know what could happen out there.

Freshwater I do sometimes use a inflatable but only in my sit inside which is almost impossible to roll, and I wear it mainly to save space and be compliant with lake rules.

Jim

[driftwood]

I also agree with Jim and i should wear my PFD more often. and not so much because of whales..... its the Crazy PBR's that i'm more afraid of. most common cause of casualties and fatalities while boating remains plain old ignorance. Though the Feds are quietly working toward mandatory boater education, regulations currently exist on a state-by-state basis.

Virtually every state has some sort of boating-education requirement except for Alaska, Arizona, California (yeah, can you believe that?), Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, South Dakota, Wyoming, and the territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. You can see exactly what each state's requirements are by visiting americasboatingcourse.com/abc_website/state_boating_law.htm.

[Jimmyz123]

Originally Posted by driftwood

Virtually every state has some sort of boating-education requirement except for Alaska, Arizona, California (yeah, can you believe that?), Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, South Dakota, Wyoming, and the territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. You can see exactly what each state's requirements are by visiting americasboatingcourse.com/abc_website/state_boating_law.htm.

Now look at the money making they could be doing with that class? If you required each boater to take a class it would generate money for the state that they could use to really do some good.

[old_rookie]

Originally Posted by driftwood

I also agree with Jim and i should wear my PFD more often. and not so much because of whales..... its the Crazy PBR's that i'm more afraid of. most common cause of casualties and fatalities while boating remains plain old ignorance. Though the Feds are quietly working toward mandatory boater education, regulations currently exist on a state-by-state basis.

Virtually every state has some sort of boating-education requirement except for Alaska, Arizona, California (yeah, can you believe that?), Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, South Dakota, Wyoming, and the territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. You can see exactly what each state's requirements are by visiting americasboatingcourse.com/abc_website/state_boating_law.htm.

That is really eye-opening. I think I'll go out and buy a 45' Bayliner and cruise around the bay and open waters. What's the big deal, just get in it and start it up. There are no lanes in the water so why do I need a class? What is that white thing in the water with the 5mph on it? Funny, last time out I made it bounce up and down like crazy.

[Jim Sammons LJKF]

Originally Posted by driftwood

I also agree with Jim and i should wear my PFD more often. and not so much because of whales..... its the Crazy PBR's that i'm more afraid of. most common cause of casualties and fatalities while boating remains plain old ignorance.

And it will only get worse when the MLPA comes into affect, because we are all going to be crammed into a much smaller area. Tensions will be high and there will be issues I believe.