Life jackets.........who uses em.

Sculpin

Well-Known Member
I just read another gut wrenching thread on another forum about a lost individual that did not wear a life jacket.

I am a statistic waiting to happen as I will openly say a rarely wear one. I am going to change that this season.

I have 8 full floatation vests on board and 2 inflatables. I am going to wear the inflatable from now on. I am going to ask folks that come on my boat to wear them as well (most folks that have been on my boat bring their own inflatables with them).

How many folks actually wear their inflatables well onboard?. How many folks actually have more than enough of the full flotation vests aboard for the people that typically frequent their boat?

I'm just trying to get the point across and not looking to hang anyone. Just an open discussion on the matter is all. I have been a bad example in the past.

Cheers,
John
 
I wear one when the conditions are not optimal. ie: dark morning starts, foggy (low visibility), off shore if pitching and rolling. Most always try to wear one when the kids are in the boat to set a "good" example, because they have to wear theirs!

Percentage wise, I would say I have mine one better that 60% of the time.

I have wanted to look into the inflatables, because when you are not wearing a life preserver, even in optimal conditions, if the S#!T hits the fan and you smack your melon, you are going to need something to keep you afloat and hopefully with your face up.

Cheers, be safe out there.
FH
 
I do not wear a flotation devise on flat calm glassy days, but I have replaced my inflatable for my floater suit when the lumps get a-lumpier, safety first!!

Kh
 
I'm just old school I guess and pig headed. I can swim very well but age is getting to me and I have't been very polite to my body over the years. I don't think I would do very well with out one in all reality even with others on board that could circle back and get me if needed. I think that is where my thinking has always been at. If I fell overboard the other guy's on board will come back to get me. Well that might not be fast enough in the real picture of things. Sea conditions etc. can vary a lot. Most of my fishing is offshore on the banks etc.

I kind of feel stupid posting this stuff but hey that's life. I am going to wear my inflatable from now on. I am going to learn how to work around the minimal restrictions that it creates.

If I can spend thousands getting my boat ready for offshore tuna fishing the least I can do is actually wear an inflatable life jacket lol.
 
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When working or fishing by myself i always wear a self inflator, i will not rely on someone elses boating skills to come pick me up, and if i crack my skull on the way into the drink!! Customers on deck must wear one..as most washdown decks do not have a legal height as per TC regs, proper lifejackets on board and passengers must wear a pfd on deck.
 
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I have never once worn one while on my own boat. But I'm not really sure why. I have H/H inflatables that aren't even restrictive. I have good intentions on wearing one this season and getting my wife to do the same. Just like seatbelts, I think if you build a culture around it, it will become natural. I would guess that most people under the age of 40 wouldn't travel in a car without a seatbelt because that is the culture of the time we were raised. It's something so easy and could very well save your life.

For you guys with enclosed pilot house boats, have a read of Bo Palmer's accounts of when he sunk one of their 29 foot defiance with all crew in the cabin and door closed. I think his story is on bloodydecks somewhere. Ifish too. Draw your own conclusions but worth the read.

Every time I read a story about a boat going down the common theme is that there is virtually no time to prepare yourself. I keep the jackets in the cuddy and that is the last place I would want to be in an emergency situation. Where do you guys that don't wear em keep them?
 
A flotation devise is a key, but in big water a way of life
But I would like to add if any captains use the shut off lanyards when traveling from point A-B

I made a almost fatal mistake not having it hooked to me...............never again
Sorry if I steered The OP's post
 
I wear mine always when i am alone and with others if its less then a nice day. All I have are crappy $30 CT specials. It's funny this thread was posted though because we were just looking at inflatables at the trotac sale thinking I should get a couple and just make us wear them all the time. $99 a pop for the cheapest is a little pricey when you add up 3-4 of them though, plus cartridges.
 
I made the switch to wearing an inflatable all the time about 4 years ago--now I'm in the habit and it's just automatic.
T2
 
I am starting to get into the habit. For sure when I fish alone I wear my H/H inflatable and my PLB around my neck.
 
It all depends on how much you value your life.We always wear inflatables regardless of the weather. It might take a bit of time to get used to them but once you
do it will be just like doing up your seat belt in a car (assuming you do that). In other words it won't feel right without it.
Being a strong swimmer is not the issue hypothermia is.
From what I have seen down in the Sound and offshore most people don't wear them. I wouldn't bother with a rigid lifejacket as they are quite uncomfortable after a time
and you'll end up not wearing it. Spend a little bit of dough ,get yourself an inflatable and look on it as a limited insurance policy.
 
I found that since we got the inflatables we wear them all the time especially when i am fishing alone. Never wore the bulky old style but kept them close. My understanding is that the inflatables only qualify as a pfd if you are wearing them, however and this is the silly part if you have old style pfds on board to cover the amount of people on board you cannot get a ticket or fine for not wearing your inflatables. anyone else heard the same thing?
 
My bad.....I only wear one when things start to get gnarly. That goes for any body else on board although "anybody else" is never children. (They grown up and gone). I have been thinking about the PFD's for sometime though. On the other hand , the captain going into into the water unconscious is just half of the equation. Does anybody left on your boat know what to do in an emergency..and....are they LEGALLY QUALIFIED to run the equipment? You are not allowed to run a boat unless unless you have a Boat Operator's card and you aren't allowed to use a VHF unless you have a ROC (M). That said, I'm not sure how punitive the authorities would be in a life-death situation. Having everybody wear a PFD or lifejacket might win the battle but not the war in some cases. Having an auto-activated GPS/EPIRB or a SART transponder affixed to your PFD/LIfejacket could help in a big way if you are by yourself. Running a boat either by yourself or with people aboard is a big responsibility and I'll bet that 85% of the population lacks the technical skills and training for emergencies. By the way, what's the "shelf-life" on a lifejacket? I don't think they make the "kapoc" ones any more but those kind had an expiry date. And why is it that they say a person with a chest-size over 47 inches ( I think) does not needs to wear one?.....?..... All the old "horsecollar" jackets are not recommended any more but I see lots of them around still.
 
when I am by myself I am always wearing a life jacket, inflatable or float coat depending on temp/conditions...trolling, underway, anytime...on the nice days with someone else on board I have been known to remove it...but like already mentioned the inflatables are so convienient it starts becoming habbit, I also find that with the float coat...as the wind/waves pick up thats what I use as my main jacket for warmth...

so anybody with the convemience/bulk excuse(I have used it LOL)...I would strongly reccomend an inflatable and the float coat because they really are not that bad...and like I said become habbit without much effort
 
I too am guilty of not wearing one unless it gets snotty out. When I think about it, it is ironic and also embarrassing that I have a lift raft, Epirb, Exposure suits, 10 lifejackets, (2 inflatable), and a whole raft of other safety equipment on board and I am too stubborn to put on a simple inflatable vest. I htink this year I will change that.......hopefully.......if I can not be quote so pig-headed and stubborn........
 
Well I have all the equipment and rarely use it... Don't want to get it dirty hahaha. But seriously if I put mine on so should you has been my rule on my boat. If I feel I need to put one on well on your boat either your an idiot or the weather has turned and we better be heading for home. If it is because your an idiot it will be the lat time I will step foot on your boat.

I would think the best time to be wearing a life jacket would be when getting in and off the boat as well as when running cause some always goes out on the back deck. When you get to where your going take them off if you like.
 
Im bad for that. I dont usually wear one. I dont go out in rough weather, and I dont go far, but thats no excuse. I bought an inflatable at Sherwood a couple weeks back, hoping that I would start to wear one. The traditional ones are just too cumbersome and uncomfortable I find. Like I said though, Im hoping to change that this year.
 
I have more than enough on board of the fully inflated type. Do I wear them-never-never seen anyone else on my boat wear them. Most of my guys wear a floater coat-one wears a self inflater-i should improve because I do have a self-inflater vest but if I take off my floater coat I don't always put it on. With my background in Search and Rescue and the number of floaters I've seen-It's a sad commentary which I will try and amend this year!!
 
not to dissuade anyone from wearing a life jacket but the amount of accidents compared to boaters is extremely low, that's why its such a big story one someone does drown in a boating accident. We take risks every time we walk out the door.

There really is no excuse to wear the inflatables though, you can barely tell they are there - but I'll admit I don't wear one on the chuck.
 
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