The Great Life Jacket Debate

[thatguy]

Don't forget the Kevlar shorts and bucket restraints with the chute jacket!

[Luvnlife]

Over regulation by the gov is never the answer. If you are riding in a boat and feel that you should have a life jacket on then ask the operator for one, if he doesn't have one for you or says you don't need one he is not responsible. We do not wear life vests in our boat, my son does as he is underage. With that being said I never do anything to put my family in danger, because I'm responsible. If I was going for speed runs or on a fast paced poker runs I would do the responsible thing and put on jackets made for what I was intending to do, as in lifelines. Now for those that saying life jackets help in body rescue/recovery then then the people involved should be doing the responsible thing already by wearing those jackets. For those that say anything can happen like another boat hitting me this is true, but a plane can fall out of the sky on me also. What was I suppose to do have my bimini up? What I am is observant as I operate looking for potential hazards. I don't want licensing but am for a safety program that rewards people with lower insurance rates, that is an incentive to get educated. Thanks for reading

[Just Electric]

What about a kill switch land yard too. Many recreational hot rods I've seen at the river and pairing up with other boats maken passes on the river if you get pitched I don't need your boat still going into those that are beaches and floating. I run both a lifeline and a kill switch land yard in my turd

[HB Vic]

What about a kill switch land yard too. Many recreational hot rods I've seen at the river and pairing up with other boats maken passes on the river if you get pitched I don't need your boat still going into those that are beaches and floating. I run both a lifeline and a kill switch land yard in my turd

Very good point. And thank you for reminding me. I have a switch, but no lanyard.


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[riverrunner1984]

What about a kill switch land yard too. Many recreational hot rods I've seen at the river and pairing up with other boats maken passes on the river if you get pitched I don't need your boat still going into those that are beaches and floating. I run both a lifeline and a kill switch land yard in my turd

I really like the kill switch idea!

[gn7]

Although some I/O and outboards have self closing throttles, most don't.
Think about somebody getting tossed from a 18ft flat bottom and it idles around until...... and a twin engine cat doing 110 until.........

[Just Electric]

Although some I/O and outboards have self closing throttles, most don't.
Think about somebody getting tossed from a 18ft flat bottom and it idles around until...... and a twin engine cat doing 110 until.........

Very true gn7 most of the bigger boats run fast in more open waters I was was leaning towards all the smaller boats running the more narrow parts of the river. Plus what I've seen at som of Tom papps memorials where people are running hardware that's pretty darn scary with no regards to the other peeps safety. I guess we can't fix stupid

[KAP]

Commentary:

This topic comes up all the time with me. Why? Well everyone in my boat wears PFD's like or not. If not then get in your own boat and make your own rules.

It comes up because sometimes people want to talk smack. For Example..."hey KAP were's the race at"...why are you all "rickey racerd up" with jackets and stuff. My common reply is my wife needs to recover the body so she can collect the life insurance! The other is because I drive faster than your 55 MPH boat. Usually it's crickets after that if not I have more arrows in the quiver.

This topic is an interesting one. First and foremost, I am emphatically against mandatory PFD's on boats for adults and that goes for licensing as well. The marine industry is in the dumps right now so we don't want more obstacles to people boating we want to be inclusive.

A key issue that has not been discussed is what type of water are you boating on? Also speed is an issue if your driving a pontoon with a 90 HP outboard your top speed is like 19MPH. [You can skip this section.] In the ocean or anything remotely offshore if you don't wear a PFD in a performance boat... your simply a dumb azz and you need to be eliminated from the gene pool...just kidding...with some truth tinged in. Speed aside the ocean is not a place to mess around I don't care if your going 10knots. If your boat sinks and your not wearing a PFD your chances of dying are extremely high.

We can all agree on the above right! It should still be a choice but good Captains should make it a requirement.

Next is all other water types big lakes and rivers. In those situations I would say speed is more critical in making a determination. For Example...if you cruising LOTO in a 75ft Viking the PFD issue is a non-issue. Yeah you may have the but if X or Y...it is still an exception but the majority of the time a PFD is a moot point. I would not wear one it's uncomfortable when I'm trying to make a sandwich or use the facilities...note...large amounts of sarcasm.

Now if your cruising a performance boat at high speed you most certainly should be wearing a PFD and everyone on board. Will it save everyone's life probably not but it boosts your odds of surviving. Even more so if you have a performance PFD such a Lifeline, SRP, or Mustang. Now I own a Lifeline and can tell you it is 100% amazing. I have done the pool test dunk test and it is worth every penny. As a big guy it holds me high out of the water and rolls me onto my back. Plus, what people fail to realize is the impact absorbing ability of the vest. At high speed the body impacts both the water and possibly the boat. The impact will certainly render you incapacitated or unconscious that is where the high performance vest shines over the standard type Class IV PFD.

Sidenote: Water intrusion at high speed [for argument lets say 100MPH or more] will certainly kill you easily. Either through your mouth or rear end hence the need for ballistic shorts and helmets. The water intrusion is a completely different topic.

I regularly cruise at speeds in excess of 80MPH and even at that speed you can get killed. So anything over 90MPH should be a no brainer everyone gets a PFD.

I have done many a Poker Run and find myself and crew to be usually... the only ones wearing PFD's. I don't point fingers at those that don't unless it is a kid without one then get ready to hear it. If I am cruising my PFD is right next to me it only takes a minute to put it on...and yeah I don't always do the leg straps but buckled in a KILL SWITCH attached. [That is for another thread but rarely do I see anyone wearing a kill switch attached.]

Have I run without a PFD at high speed answer is YES but it is a rare occasion. Mr. & Mrs. Hotboat have witnessed first hand my requirement of everyone wears a PFD aboard my boat. Lastly, it is up to the Captain of the boat to make the rules because ultimately they are responsible for everyone aboard their vessel...and that is the law.

Wishing all my Hotboat members a safe and enjoyable summer boating season.