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lifevests - personal safety

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t.z.
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Re: lifevests - personal safety

#11

Post by t.z. »

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Paul Arden
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Re: lifevests - personal safety

#12

Post by Paul Arden »

Ashly wears a life jacket when kayaking. In some parts of the world you must wear a life jacket when on a small boat. Tasmania for example, if the boat is moving and you are not wearing a life jacket then you will be fined.

We had two drownings on Ardleigh Reservoir. One was before my time. A woman tried to cross the lake at night when it was frozen and fell through. The other was a young angler in his 20s who was bank fishing and slipped in off the dam.

Large number of drownings there in Norway. Any idea who and why? Are these recreational swimmers? Anglers? Children? Is swimming part of the school curriculum?

I used to positively *hate* swimming at school and it took me a very long time to love the water! I think the difference is confidence. That and swimming in a pool is boring.

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Paul Arden
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Re: lifevests - personal safety

#13

Post by Paul Arden »

Incidentally I often hear “what if you knock yourself unconscious?” If that is a possibility, for example gorge fishing that I mentioned before, then I think wearing protective head gear would be appropriate. I would definitely have started doing that if I was still fishing NZ gorges and it only occurred to me at the end of my stint there. I used to wear neoprene gaiters that I cut in a way to prefect my knees and shins.

What I object to is the state treating people like they are all children with learning difficulties. I can’t ever remember seeing a surfer or an open water swimmer wearing a life jacket. If people drown what’s the best way to protect them? Make everyone who approaches within 10’ of the water wear a life jacket or encourage them to become confident swimmers? Just as you are a strong advocate of life jackets I’m equally strong in promoting learning to swim properly/effectively/with strong technique. I’m also quite serious when I suggest that fishing guides should get their life saving certificate – should that be mandatory? Probably. When I was 10 years old I was rescued from the sea when I got caught in a rip as a poor swimmer. I might not have drowned, because I didn’t panic, but would have ended up drifting all the way to France where I would have been adopted and made to wear a beret.
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Carol
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Re: lifevests - personal safety

#14

Post by Carol »

Nothing says "I love you" like a self-inflating lifevest (or an N95 mask?). Might be a good anniversary gift.
Carol
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Paul Arden
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Re: lifevests - personal safety

#15

Post by Paul Arden »

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Getting back into my swimming again at the moment. Was supposed to swim 1.9km but for some reason it was 2.4km. Ashly was measuring in the kayak :p Next time I’ll put a buoy at the turnaround point. Water temp 31C!
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Walter
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Re: lifevests - personal safety

#16

Post by Walter »

Life vests are mandatory here when boating but for some strange reason you don’t actually have to wear them. They just have to be within reach.

If you are going to go that route (having the vest in reach rather than actually wearing it) then it’s a good idea to put your self inflating vest where it is not going to get wet or fall into water in your boat. One of our club members took his off when getting out of his boat to walk and wade a bit. A minute later he thought somebody was shooting at him because the vest had fallen into water in his boat and triggered itself making a large bang in the process. Good to know that the self inflation worked but also a pain because he had to replace the cartridge.
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