Anyone ever fall out of a boat? (C'mon, one of you musta at one time or other)

[Spoonminnow]

Question: how many of you wear a life jacket? I keep one in the boat per the boating law but never wear it. I'm thinking it would be a good idea to have it on once the water drops into the 50's or lower. Hypothermia waits for no man!

Like I said, once I went in head first, I literally didn't know which way was up in 4 1/2', not wanting to open my eyes in that warm murky water. Luckily it was in warm shallow water where I found my footing. Deeper colder water - I don't want to think about it!

[gillchaser999]

That’s why I’m having this same boat built with 60 percent of the front deck removed. It’s plenty deep, no more decks for me.

Regards Attachment 470342


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About ten years ago I gave away my 1542 Alumacraft that had a front deck and bought a 1436 Alumacraft without a front deck .
I installed a couple Millennium seats on the bench seats for comfort , inside the boat .
I never fell out of the 1542 , but came close to stepping off the side enough times to want to change .
The 1436 weighs about half what the 1542 did too . Easier to handle.

But, one day I met my brother at the lake back when he had an old semi v-hull aluminum boat and found him soaking wet .
He stepped off the dock onto the front seat of the v-hull and the wobble got him .
He said he tried to stop but wound up doing a split into the lake .
I just wish I’d been there to see it .

Spoon , I recently started wearing my life jacket while fishing . I bought a BPS inflatable, but didn’t like it with the inflation device on the right side that gets in the way of me fishing with rod in my right hand .
I bought a kayak life jacket to try but haven’t tried it yet .

[Spoonminnow]

kayak life jacket
How does it differ than the regular kind.

[wannabe fisherman]

I wear mine, auto inflate doesn't count here if you don't have it on.

[Ketchn]

on them fast boats I suit up with the floatation device and in winter land as well , the rest of it don't worry me much
but to be sure it would be best if we all wore a vest ....
I prefer being seated in boats and as stated earlier as low as possible when we hit docks , standing up in any boat is a recipe for a swim for sure and with them mind of their own trolling motors even more so ,,,

[Spoonminnow]

auto inflate?

[Ketchn]

auto inflate?

sometimes yes , my buds like them Onyx ones , but I have a vest that is ok and not auto inflate as well

[Rojo]

Question: how many of you wear a life jacket? I keep one in the boat per the boating law but never wear it. I'm thinking it would be a good idea to have it on once the water drops into the 50's or lower. Hypothermia waits for no man!

Always every time I go fishing. A Game Warden check us and told my Brother He had never picked up a Dead Body wearing a PFD. I swim about as good as a Dull 1/2oz Jighead, so something better be around my neck when I go in the water. I prefer Mustangs.

I moved in the boat once and my Mustang just inflated, it went from folded up to inflated in a fraction of a second. The pill was just old. Scared the @*%!+ out of me. I left it inflated till the re-arm kit arrived and it was still inflated, sold me on Mustangs.

[BuckeyeCrappie]

auto inflate?

Yep…like this. Inflates when you hit the water. Comfortable to wear and just a small amount of maintenance required. My wife and I use them and replace the CO2 cartridge each spring.

[ALBuzz]

Question: how many of you wear a life jacket? I keep one in the boat per the boating law but never wear it. I'm thinking it would be a good idea to have it on once the water drops into the 50's or lower. Hypothermia waits for no man!

Like I said, once I went in head first, I literally didn't know which way was up in 4 1/2', not wanting to open my eyes in that warm murky water. Luckily it was in warm shallow water where I found my footing. Deeper colder water - I don't want to think about it!

Being a small boater in big water (1436 JB), I wear my PFD religiously while boating from place to place. If it's the warm months, I will take the PFD off while fishing. If it's cold season, I'll wear it at all times just in case. I use the belt style of PFD that the stand up paddle boarders use. It stays out of the way, so that is a big plus for me. The belt is nowhere near as nice and safe as the Onyx. I am a fairly decent swimmer, but I can't count on an accident happening and being able to swim. Better to prepare for the worst you know?

Just as Rojo said, there's an extremely small chance that you'll be blue and floating if you have that PFD on.