Many weekend anglers will have lifejackets in their boats while fishing because it is the law, but they never wear them. I see hunters going down the waterway every winter to hunt the remote islands without lifejackets on as well.
As the water cools, there are a number of things that we need to consider as a REASON to wear lifejackets.
Last October, I dived into the water to get a new rod and reel combo back. It was so cold that it took my breath and was an eye-opener on how your muscles want to cramp in cold water. There are hypothermia cases where the person was actually swimming away from safety because of becoming confused in the frigid water. Drowning occurred shortly thereafter.
Hunters that are using the waterway to hunt the islands especially need to wear lifejackets because the weight of the additional clothing and boots. I was told by one hunter that all you have to do is kick off your boots and shed a few layers. How many of you have stepped off into a stump-hole and filled a rubber boot? Rubber boots are one of the hardest things to get off when wet. If you have to tread water and pull off boots, you might want to practice it. It only takes a couple of seconds to put one on and save your life if it was needed.
Boating accidents happen more than you know. Most are never reported unless someone is injured. If every boating accident was reported, the numbers would be staggering. There are many of these accidents where a person is actually ejected from the boat. If the person is able to swim back to the boat or the bank, everything is OK but what if the person is injured or knocked unconscious?
There are many different lifejackets out on the market. Yes, the ugly old orange ones that make you feel you are in a back brace are still available for sale. But technology has come a long way even in personal flotation devices as they are called today or PFDs.
One of the least restrictive vests on the market today is the inflatable series of vests. There are two models being the manual inflatable and the automatic inflatable vests.
The manual inflatable vests have a yellow pull handle and if you enter the water, you can pull the handle and the cartridge will fire and fill the vest with air in a matter of a couple of seconds.
The automatic inflatable vest is as the name says, automatic. If you enter the water, a little pill will get wet and cause the cartridge to fire on its own, filling the vest with air. The automatic vest also has the manual pull handle for a bypass.
These vests are much more expensive than the old standards but they offer something the others can”t and that is comfort. These vests are designed where they can be worn all day during a fishing tournament and not feel restrictive in making casts.
Whichever flotation device you like, make sure you wear it. As the water continues to get colder, hypothermia or worse becomes more of a concern.
The tournament rule is a good one to follow at all times, “lifejackets are to be worn if the boat is on plane.”
Kevin Forrester is the outdoor writer for The Commercial Dispatch. Contact him at [email protected].
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