[Guest]

After reading Smith's Pass Lake ordeal, it brought to mind my recent outing to Cranberry Lake last week. I bypassed Pass Lake because I happened to pick a weekend day where two clubs were visiting and there was no parking anywhere... so I dropped down to Cranberry. If you've ever been there, it's rare to be there when there isn't some wind blowing. As I pulled up, there was some pretty decent wave action going but wasn't enough to prevent me from wetting a line. Just before pushing off, an unsettling feeling came over me about not having my PFD on. So I went back to my truck and pulled out my inflatable to wear (which I'm somewhat embarassed to admit I don't normally do).

How many of you are religious about wearing a flotation device? Some interpret the regulations as being required when in a pontoon boat...

 

[KerryS]

I don't when fishing lakes. Usually I have the thing with me on rivers but sometimes forget to put it back on after taking it off to fish.

How did you do at Cranberry?

 

[yellowlab]

I have an inflatable with waist belt clip that is always in my boat and Im not afraid to have it on, especially in windy or sketchy situations, its not bulky, like a fanny pack and with a pull to the cord will inflate in an instant. Even the best swimmer won't last long in 50 degree water. Be smart, and wear your PFD, might not get too far with a PDF

 

[Tim Lockhart]

Isn't it PFD? PDF is a file type. Anyway, I've only used one to waterski but I can think of once or twice when I wished I'd been wearing one. But I usually fish from a roundie with 2 chambers + it's rare that I'm far from shore.

 

[ral]

My inflatable PFD hangs around my neck and is not in my way when I fish. I suppose if one of my pontoons deflated I would still have the other pontoon to keep me afloat but I know would be wishing I had my PFD. Explain to me the upside of not wearing one.

 

[Matt Smith]

I had mine on the other day at Pass due to the conditions. But I usually don't wear one when I'm on the lakes. Rivers however it's an always, especially when Mumbles is rowing.:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl: Sorry Ed, just had to.

 

[Tim Lockhart]

Explain to me the upside of not wearing one.

Well, it's a lot like a condom I suppose... :clown:

 

[Norm Frechette]

i wear one but not because of any regulation says i have to wear one.

 

[Michael Nelson]

I have an inflatable (pull cord to inflate) and I don't wear it because I'm stupid.

 

[Mumbles]

I had mine on the other day at Pass due to the conditions. But I usually don't wear one when I'm on the lakes. Rivers however it's an always, especially when Mumbles is rowing.:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl: Sorry Ed, just had to.

Well played. Would have been better played by Rob though! On the river mine is on. On the lake mine is on or on the back of my seat. On days when the fishing is tough I have even been known to get wet on purpose and practice putting on the pfd.

 

[13223]

Interesting. In my Pontoon I ALWAYS wear mine. However, in my aluminum boat it is always just in the boat. In my pontoon boat I have visions of my anchor rope getting hung up in the pulley (like it tends to do too often) and reaching around to undo the jam and accidentally slipping off the seat and into the drink. In this scenario I always picture the pontoon scooting about 10' feet away from the force of my butt slipping off the seat. My waders quickly fill with 45 deg water and find myself struggling way too hard to reach the toon.

Probably never happen but I can't shake the feeling sitting on that seat with nothing between me and the water. Kind of like sitting in a tree stand without a harness. I feel the odds of ending up in the drink while in my 12' aluminum boat is much less. hmmm..... I have seen a number of Bill Dance shows though..... maybe I'd better rethink that.

 

[Jeff Studebaker]

Not to get too heavy here, but:

Two guys capsized their canoe on Lake Padden on a calm day this January, and only one came out. The off-duty fireman who rescued the survivor found two life jackets still in the canoe.

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2010/01/29/1268406/man-missing-after-kayak-overturns.html

 

[JMitchell]

I'm usually staying relatively close to shore, don't wear one but probably should.


Jarron

 

[rattlesnakeflyguy]

Wear mine always while in the FC4D. It's red and matches the red color of the tube. Patagonia type III.

 

[bfic]

I always have an inflatable with me but never wear it on lakes in my pontoon or in my drfit boat. I do wear it religiously on moving water.

 

[Guest]

PFD Use

We've all probably heard the stories about those poor (stupid?) souls who accidently deep-sixed themselves somehow and would have survived had they been wearing a PFD. For what it's worth, I shall have mine on from here on out; I hate to imagine going into the drink lake or river, feeling the waders fill, and trying to keep myself afloat while trying to make it back to shore...
Give it some serious thought folks; you just never know when...

 

[ak_powder_monkey]

I wear a PFD if:
-I'm in cold moving water on a river that is not wadeable in most instances
-I'm in whitewater
-I'm guiding out of a boat
-I'm in a canoe/kayak on a cold lake
-I'm in a skiff on the ocean and the skiff is moving

I have mine in the boat it:
-I'm in a canoe or kayak on a warm lake
-I'm in a stopped skiff
-I'm on moving water, that is wadeable/warm/easy

I don't have one
-Float tubing