My Yearly Reminder on PDFs (Life Jackets)

[Special K]

A timeless and valuable piece of advice for sure, which could never be said too much.

[Timbertodd]

It's a shame that it takes a near fatal incident to wake us up.

So true Gansett. I was one of those who thought he was invincible.

[happycaster58]

Great advice that is not often heeded by a lot of folks. Also, a kill switch (especially with a tiller motor) can keep you from being killed by a runaway boat even with a PFD on!

[BarryG]

Excellent!

[Gone Fishin']

Good advice given here. When I go my new, bigger boat a year and a half back, I got two inflatable life vests. I put in on before cranking the motor and take it off on shore before driving off. I've been a strong swimmer since most all my life and I don't panic around water. But I'm getting older every year and at some point the balance won't be as good, I trip...accidents happen. At least the vest will keep you on top of the water and give you a much better chance of recovery. The inflatables make wearing it all the time pretty easy.

[Micanopy]

I adorn myself with an inflatable, and after those first few trips, it is unnoticeable.


My nightmare scenario is tumbling from the boat, and bobbing up only to watch that beautiful boat sail across the lake under TM power. Never catch it. Now what ? Fighting alligators to make shore ain’t much fun but better than being too tired to swim any further.

[bee]

It happened to me last September. I was leaning over the transom adjusting the xducer angle. In an instant I was overboard. I'm 76 and when I went over there is no taking a breath like you do when swimming. I had someone with me. When I came up and got to the boat I could not get back in. Lucky we were close to shore. He put the trolling motor in reverse and backed into shallow water so I could get back aboard. Again falling in is one thing. Not having any air in your lungs is another. I so recall telling myself as I was trying to get back topside was Do Not Breath.