Do you wear a life jacket while fishing

[knightfisher]

There has been a very high casualty rate for boaters/fisherman in Ontario recently.

It's been in the papers and on the news. Most of the people were not wearing a life jacket.

 

I personally always wear mine whether in the canoe or tinny. I may take it off if I'm going

to anchor for while, however if there are rough waters or wakes from other boats the

life jacket stays on.

 

Do you wear one ? Do you think it should be mandatory ?

 

This question has probably been asked before.

 

Just curious about your views.

[SBCregal]

i saw an article in the star about this today. myself, i rarely wear mine when im in the boat, unless it starts getting rougher out. probably not ideal, but its what seems to happen. im not quite sure how i feel about making them mandatory... its probably a good idea as well, but i dont know if making them mandatory will change much. seems like many of the accidents that ive heard about in the news involve alot more factors than just not wearing a lifejacket (speed, carelessness, intoxication)

[timmeh]

Whenever I'm in the kayak I wear it 100% of the time, no questions about it. If I'm fishing from a boat I will wear it when the waters rough, but honestly I will take it off if I'm fishing a spot for a while.

 

I personally do not think it should be mandatory. You can't protect people from everything and you need to be responsible for your own actions. And if you feel you don't need one that's your choice, and it shouldn't be forced upon you. With no disrespect meant at all to the victims, and while life jackets likely would have saved some of their lives, most people end up in trouble because they made bad decisions on or before they went out on the water, unrelated to wearing a life jacket.

 

Also would everyone follow the law all the time if it were made? And would wearing a life jacket convince to take more risks on the water (ie. more speed, rough water) because they feel safer?

Edited August 10, 2009 by timmeh

[misfish]

It all comes down to commen sence.

Most of the drownings were from not thinking. Child had a PFD on when here father and his brother went in to save her.Both could not swim.Sad news.

Other was a guy in a canoe that had drinks in him and was a non swimmer. Sad news.

 

Friends venturing into wild waters and not knowing the conditions.Non swimmers again.Sad news.

 

The other was a guy speeding in his boat.Speed kills.Sad news.

 

Think of what your doing.

 

Would this law save lives. Maybe,but it wont stop those that dont know or care.

 

Very sad several days.but it could of been prevented.There is no such thing as accidents.

 

Oh and I was once one of them,but survived to tell and learn. Stupid was I.

Edited August 10, 2009 by misfish

[diggyj]

I never wear my life jacket unless it is rough and choppy and I fear there is a chance to fall overboard while standing up or working the trolling motor. Common sense prevails for me.

 

Dirk

[ciceri]

I never wear a life jacket, it's sad.

[Handlebarz]

I dont wear one when in the boat but do have a floater suit for the colder days on the water. I hope that the rest of us dont have to suffer because of some who dont know what they are doing. My kids always have there's on I guess if I get one of the self inflating ones I would use it when at high speeds

[Lunatic]

I have them in the boat but most of the time i do not wear them. I find them bulky and annoying. and i hate sweating in them, i find that they do make really good seat coushings

Of course if it gets rough i put it on.

i can swim and if the boat were to tip or whatever im sure the jacket wouldnt be more then 3 feet from me to swim to.

I think the big increase in boating and water accidents come from what we call ' cityits'

all the urban families who get into boating or fishing and become cocky.

i remember when we used to have a cottage up muskoka and it used to be great,lots of fun and the local police were veryyy cool about certain things,like having a 6 pack on a tinny ect.

all the party kids from the city come up,get drunk and go swiming or boating,and end up on the news. now the police are strict up there.

 

speaking of cityits, we had a bunch across our camp site on the weekend and they had loud techno and dance music blasing all day and night.

what kind of camping is that!?!?!?

[grinandbearit30]

Always wear mine..but the odd thing is no matter how confident (or ignorant you are), all the personal common sense in the world cant stop the guy in the other boat from ruining your day, or the rock that knocks you out that you didn't know was there when you fell in reaching for your fish.

[Rich Clemens]

Always .... 'nuff said.

[danbouck]

I think the big increase in boating and water accidents come from what we call ' cityits'

all the urban families who get into boating or fishing and become cocky.

 

I'm from a city i'm sorry that all my kind are rude "cocky" people

 

 

As others have said I only wear mine when it gets rough, my children always. I do plan on getting one of the inflatables so I can wear it all the time. But they are too expensive for me right now.

[misfish]

what kind of camping is that!?!?!?

 

I was young once.

[Fisherman]

Keep it up and pretty soon you won't be able to go for a number two without wearing gloves, or maybe you'll have to wear a helmet with faceshield while waiting for the toast to pop up. Common sense is one of those things you can't legislate, for me, there's far too many life jackets in the human gene pool. This is going to be another one like wearing a floater suit in the hard water season. Ice isn't thick enough, stay off it, can't follow common sense, rescue your own butt.

[Greencoachdog]

Yeah, yeah, yeah!!!... Common sense isn't as common as y'all might think!

 

I wear mine when:

 

1. Fishing current

 

2. Boat is under power (with kill switch attached)

 

3. Fishing water colder than 60*F

 

I invested in the auto/manual inflatable because it is very comfortable! In cold weather I sometimes forget I have it on until I'm at homke and taking my jacket off in the house!

 

I've started wearing my life jacket pretty much all the time from reading about the tragic deaths that have needlessly occured because someone wasn't wearing their PFD!

 

I'd like to see mandatory PFD laws in all the U.S and Canada!!!

 

For someone to die because they weren't wearing their PFD is just plain stupidity and a terrible waste of human life!!!

 

 

Please feel free to ignore my signature!

[2 tone z71]

there in the boat, but I dont or dont make anyone wear it that dont want to ,I wear the survival suit in early spring @ fall cause I hate the cold and being splashed ,I do wear the life jacket at ALL times on the Seadoo thou,should not be mandatory

[crankbait]

It all comes down to commen sence.

Most of the drownings were from not thinking. Child had a PFD on when here father and his brother went in to save her.Both could not swim.Sad news.

Other was a guy in a canoe that had drinks in him and was a non swimmer. Sad news.

 

Friends venturing into wild waters and not knowing the conditions.Non swimmers again.Sad news.

 

The other was a guy speeding in his boat.Speed kills.Sad news.

 

Think of what your doing.

 

Would this law save lives. Maybe,but it wont stop those that dont know or care.

 

Very sad several days.but it could of been prevented.There is no such thing as accidents.

 

Oh and I was once one of them,but survived to tell and learn. Stupid was I.

 

Exactly what misfish said. It all about common sense, as long as you take the necessary safety precautions when in or around water. It's very sad that these accidents happen but they could have been avoided.

Swimming beneath a raging falls from recent rain in frothing white water is not a good idea with a life jacket or not. One knock on the head and the life jacket won't be much help either.

Having a child swim in a current and slowly drift from shore without constant adult supervision isn't a good idea.

Deciding to go on a boat ride at 3am while intoxicated with a bunch of buddies....etc.

It's all about common sense and to take preventative steps. I personally don't wear a life jacket when fishing but if it's rough, late at night or speeding I'll throw one on just in case, even though I'm a competent swimmer.

 

Be safe

[Burning Babies]

I've got a set of SOSpenders, on loan from the Ohio Div. of Watercraft, which I wear unless it's hot enough to take my shirt off. I definately don't favor making it mandatory to wear them however; if you are not wealthy or fortunate enough to have an inflatable PFD, most options are pretty detrimental to fishing efficiently.

[Greencoachdog]

Exactly what misfish said. It all about common sense

 

 

If y'all had common sense, you'd be wearing your PFD in your fishing and boating pics!!!

[Dutch]

I think the laws need to change and make it mandatory. However, I think it would be just like poaching far too many people would skirt the law and do what they wanted anyway. It is unfortunate.

 

As far as I am concerned - I wear mine under power of the big motor, when I am alone, when the water is chilly or when it is windy as they do a good job of keeping you warm. I also wear it on water in which I am not all that familiar with. This year, I probably have worn it 60%+ of the time.

 

A good tip - attach your kill switch to your life jacket. Can't start the boat without the PFD on that way.

 

I also think there needs to be some support from the manufacturers of the manual/auto inflate jackets to bring the prices down so that everyone can afford them. More people would wear PFD's if they aren't as heavy and cumbersome. Not everyone has $200-$300 to drop on a mustang vest.

[Musky or Specks]

3. Fishing water colder than 60*F

 

Thats when I wear mine and generally its my floater suit. Ive gone in by accident many times. Thats why I learned to swim when I was small somehow I sensed that I wouldnt have much sense as an adult. And I NEVER mix alchohol and boating /swimming/water activities.

[TJQ]

I wear mine occasionally, and make the kids wear them when we are underway. To me making it mandatory is just one more way the government can control my actions, based on a knee jerk reaction to a flurry of fatalities. (Like the gun registry and boaters cards, which have both proven themselves to be useless.) I tell ya what, they can mandate whatever they want, it doesn't mean ill do it.

 

It may not be politically correct, but its the way I feel.

[Greencoachdog]

3. Fishing water colder than 60*F

 

Thats when I wear mine and generally its my floater suit. Ive gone in by accident many times. Thats why I learned to swim when I was small somehow I sensed that I wouldnt have much sense as an adult. And I NEVER mix alchohol and boating /swimming/water activities.

 

 

Alcohol is for the end of the day, when all the fishing and boating is finished and it's time to shoot the ship around the campfire or internet!

 

 

T.J. Quesnel Posted Today, 08:01 PM

I wear mine occasionally, and make the kids wear them when we are underway. To me making it mandatory is just one more way the government can control my actions, based on a knee jerk reaction to a flurry of fatalities. (Like the gun registry and boaters cards, which have both proven themselves to be useless.) I tell ya what, they can mandate whatever they want, it doesn't mean ill do it.

 

It may not be politically correct, but its the way I feel.

 

If you make the kids wear one... shouldn't you wear one as well?... to be a good example?

[HTHM]

I put my inflatable on at the same time as I put the plug in the boat. It doesn't come off until I cinch down the stern.

[Greencoachdog]

I put my inflatable on at the same time as I put the plug in the boat. It doesn't come off until I cinch down the stern.

 

 

Is that because you make Bean soup while out on the water???

[crankbait]

If y'all had common sense, you'd be wearing your PFD in your fishing and boating pics!!!

 

I never fish alone but if I was older, fished alone on a boat and near dams. I too would wear a pfd all the time.