AntarcticPilot
Well-known member
All good stuff, but I wonder if the height of eye is really an advantage in this situation? From a higher vantage point, you will be looking at an object in the sea against the background of the sea, and even a big object sticking up is still seen against the sea. From a lower viewpoint, there's a better chance of seeing something in the water against a sky background. The big sticky-up thing would be really obvious against a sky background, but it would lose contrast against a sea background and be correspondingly less visible.Yes that is a very good point indeed, if on deck on your own you really ought to be connected to the boat with a safety line - one that will prevent you falling out rather than simply pull you along in the water.
I always feel more comfortable with my lifejacket also, even though I am a confident swimmer; if I am unconscious it will save my life but not only that it has a luminous yellow inflation bag which has a light inside it to aid spotting me.
I also opted for bright red foul weather gear rather than the more fashionable black or white gear.
True story - at work, my Ship was called in to conduct SAR for a diver that was missing. We had two ships, three lifeboats, and four helicopters assigned to the efforts, and it was only when we chanced upon the man we spotted him. He was about 400 yards off the bow and only then did I THINK I could see something.
This diver had a huge inflatable device which extended in the air (see attached). If it wasn't for this device, we NEVER would have found him I don't think. So just think how difficult your head on it's own is to spot even from the bridge of a Ship which has a considerable height of eye advantage over someone in the cockpit of a sail boat at the waterline almost.
I too prefer brightly coloured foul weather gear, but I'm given to understand that black kit is actually pretty visible against the sea. White, though, is bad as it's the same colour as breaking waves.