Wear your PFD’s folks

[7mmfan]

A good guys life was changed forever today and his friends family no longer has a dad/husband. They were fishing this morning on the SW coast somewhere and their boat swamped and capsized. I don’t know all the details but I know they weren’t wearing PFD’s. This all could have had a very different end result if they had just been wearing them. So so sad, my heart aches for everyone involved.

Be smart on the water guys, don’t take chances, none of them are worth it. Wear your PFD’s and make sure you go home at the end of the day.

[h20hunter]

I put it on when i get out of the truck and take it off when the boat is on dry land.

[WapitiTalk1]

That's horrible!  Thoughts and prayers go out to your family and friends as they go through these horrific times. 

[7mmfan]

I will be the first to admit that I am a intermittent PFD wearer. But the more of these stories I hear, and this one pretty close to home, just reinforces the fact that stuff can happen when you least expect it and the only way to watch out for yourself is to make sure you have it on. Going to invest in inflatables for the boat so everyone can have one all the time.

[Bango skank]

For all you "i dont need a pfd, im a good swimmer" types, you might want to watch this.  http://www.coldwaterbootcamp.com/pages/home.html

[SGTDuffman]

The statistics in that link say that being a strong swimmer works better than properly wearing a PFD. 10% of the fatalities were strong swimmers (12% were average), 14% were wearing a PFD(12% correctly, 2% incorrectly).

I still would advise against counting on your swimming ability alone. You never know what circumstance will put you in the water. I’m a better swimmer unconscious in a life vest than Michael Phelps is unconscious without a life vest.

[Fidelk]

Even with a PFD, how long are your survival chances in 50 degree (F) water? I got taken out by a rip current years ago while abalone diving in Northern Cali and was on a ride to Japan. I was in the water for over two hours, part of the time while diving and the rest while fighting my way back to shore...….but, I was wearing a wetsuit with 14mm of Neopreme covering my body's core. I was never cold and never panicked, but I was also aware that I might not survive the event. Without the wetsuit, not sure I would have made it back in. I think your survival might require more than a PDF if you are miles offshore, once the blood leaves your extremities and tries to protect your core. Hypothermia will make your swimming ability very minimal as your arms and legs become less capable of movement.

[Stein]

Even with a PFD, how long are your survival chances in 50 degree (F) water? I got taken out by a rip current years ago while abalone diving in Northern Cali and was on a ride to Japan. I was in the water for over two hours, part of the time while diving and the rest while fighting my way back to shore...….but, I was wearing a wetsuit with 14mm of Neopreme covering my body's core. I was never cold and never panicked, but I was also aware that I might not survive the event. Without the wetsuit, not sure I would have made it back in. I think your survival might require more than a PDF if you are miles offshore, once the blood leaves your extremities and tries to protect your core. Hypothermia will make your swimming ability very minimal as your arms and legs become less capable of movement.

A guy can last longer than most think, but if you are not near other boats or quick rescue I would fully agree that carrying some type of beacon, radio or other means to summon rescue is critical.

For people that think they swim well enough, just jump in the water with your clothes on some day and see what happens.  Between the cold and the drag of clothing it is not a fun experience to say the least.  That assumes you don't have any injury or get knocked out.

[HikerHunter]

A guy can last longer than most think, but if you are not near other boats or quick rescue I would fully agree that carrying some type of beacon, radio or other means to summon rescue is critical.

For people that think they swim well enough, just jump in the water with your clothes on some day and see what happens.  Between the cold and the drag of clothing it is not a fun experience to say the least.  That assumes you don't have any injury or get knocked out.

If you hit your head, it doesn't matter if you can or can't swim. That's the way I've always thought about it.

[dilleytech]

Even with a PFD, how long are your survival chances in 50 degree (F) water? I got taken out by a rip current years ago while abalone diving in Northern Cali and was on a ride to Japan. I was in the water for over two hours, part of the time while diving and the rest while fighting my way back to shore...….but, I was wearing a wetsuit with 14mm of Neopreme covering my body's core. I was never cold and never panicked, but I was also aware that I might not survive the event. Without the wetsuit, not sure I would have made it back in. I think your survival might require more than a PDF if you are miles offshore, once the blood leaves your extremities and tries to protect your core. Hypothermia will make your swimming ability very minimal as your arms and legs become less capable of movement.

My father and two friends survived a boat sinking 2 miles off shore of neah bay back in the late 90’s. They were wearing pfds after they realized the boat was sinking. They swam to shore and ended up on two different beaches.They figured they were in the water for at least a few hours. The coast guard said they weren’t supposed to survive that long. I believe you will survive a lot longer then they say.

I wear them when water is sketchy or when I’m running in dark or whatever but how I see it I could also die driving to the boat launch. Stuff happens sometimes it’s fatal, that’s life.

[Stein]

A guy can last longer than most think, but if you are not near other boats or quick rescue I would fully agree that carrying some type of beacon, radio or other means to summon rescue is critical.

For people that think they swim well enough, just jump in the water with your clothes on some day and see what happens.  Between the cold and the drag of clothing it is not a fun experience to say the least.  That assumes you don't have any injury or get knocked out.

If you hit your head, it doesn't matter if you can or can't swim. That's the way I've always thought about it.

Yeah, cold water shock can do a very similar thing.  I just took a swim test at my kid's scout camp and the water was 54 degrees (roughly equal to Puget Sound).  I have done cold water training, ocean swimming and 1/2 ironman distances and jumping into the water and immediately trying to swim was extremely hard for the first 20 yards or so - like I couldn't get my breath enough to even breast stroke hard.  I am a great swimmer with tons of cold water experience and was wearing only trunks and it was tough to get my breath and move at the same time.

My other experiences involved gradual exposure from the beach, wetsuits or other circumstances, I was really surprised at how much tougher it was just to bail into deep cold water and try to start swimming.  Doing that with clothes on in rough conditions would be something I wouldn't want to try.

[pianoman9701]

Even with a PFD, how long are your survival chances in 50 degree (F) water? I got taken out by a rip current years ago while abalone diving in Northern Cali and was on a ride to Japan. I was in the water for over two hours, part of the time while diving and the rest while fighting my way back to shore...….but, I was wearing a wetsuit with 14mm of Neopreme covering my body's core. I was never cold and never panicked, but I was also aware that I might not survive the event. Without the wetsuit, not sure I would have made it back in. I think your survival might require more than a PDF if you are miles offshore, once the blood leaves your extremities and tries to protect your core. Hypothermia will make your swimming ability very minimal as your arms and legs become less capable of movement.

Much longer than if you just drown. This boat capsized close to shore.

[Bango skank]

Even with a PFD, how long are your survival chances in 50 degree (F) water? I got taken out by a rip current years ago while abalone diving in Northern Cali and was on a ride to Japan. I was in the water for over two hours, part of the time while diving and the rest while fighting my way back to shore...….but, I was wearing a wetsuit with 14mm of Neopreme covering my body's core. I was never cold and never panicked, but I was also aware that I might not survive the event. Without the wetsuit, not sure I would have made it back in. I think your survival might require more than a PDF if you are miles offshore, once the blood leaves your extremities and tries to protect your core. Hypothermia will make your swimming ability very minimal as your arms and legs become less capable of movement.

My father and two friends survived a boat sinking 2 miles off shore of neah bay back in the late 90’s. They were wearing pfds after they realized the boat was sinking. They swam to shore and ended up on two different beaches.They figured they were in the water for at least a few hours. The coast guard said they weren’t supposed to survive that long. I believe you will survive a lot longer then they say.

I wear them when water is sketchy or when I’m running in dark or whatever but how I see it I could also die driving to the boat launch. Stuff happens sometimes it’s fatal, that’s life.

Yeah you can die driving to the boat launch, but you wear a seat belt to help reduce that risk dont you?

[Skyvalhunter]

I am wearing my PFD now just because I can!!

[bhawley76]

I was just told today of a guy out at Roosevelt that never gets to go home, Same story