Lifejackets important or not?

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christopherc

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Browsed the RNLI publication on Sea Safety this morning, which I thought was a good document. There are five basic tips on the back, the first of which is 'Wear a Lifejacket'. So I picked up YM and PBO January issues and could only find one photo with someone wearing a lifejacket. Sould I assume PBO and YM don't feel its so important? Both publications seem to review safety equipment often enough but it appears its not important to show people using it. I appreciate its down to personal choice but is this responsible journalism??? Surely they should be worn, if only for the photo..... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
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The lack of early response to your posting seems to show that most people don't rate safety very highly

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Or that a) the subject is better raised on Scuttlebutt b) It has been done to death before c) the post might just be a troll.
 
Like all things it needs a drowned one for full realisation with the ensuing AAhh but.. No but... yeah but..... Only one reason why and a thousand why not
 
Briefly, and strictly IMHO,

Yes, life jackets are important, but I don't wear mine in benign conditions. If conditions aren't benign staying on board is far more important than staying afloat if you do go over the side, so being clipped on is more useful. My LJs have built-in harness, so they're part of staying on board.

IMHO the most important time to wear LJs is in the tender, especially coming back from the pub - it's dark and your reactions may not be quite up to scratch...
 
IMHO the clue is in the title "life" jacket!

It does worry me that people and publication the seemto promte safety seem to lack it in the photography.
Am horrifid when I see pix where the subjects are on the water and jacket-less.

Whilst it is your own choice to wear or not to wear such publications should lead by example.

I was horrified at the recent LIBs to see a stand selling a boat purley for children and yet they had pictures up that showed children on the water jacket-less!!!

Maybe I am a tad ananl on this subjet but my 9 year old daughter does not even go onto a pontoon without her jacket.
This has been the case since she started joining me on the water.

As I said all IMHO

Best regards
 
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such publications should lead by example.


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Why?? they are magazines........not Tablets of Stone direct from the lord god almighty...........

These magazines also contain WORDS, as well as pictures.

If you read any of them I think you will find that the "safety" aspect of messing around in boats tends to be well covered and extends to matters beyond wearing life jackets.......next week someone will be wanting folk in Magazine pictures to be always wearing woolly hats (Hypothermia), Sun Block (Skin Cancer), and Condoms ( /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif).


I can't believe I have bitten on this.................. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Completely unnecessary /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
SynchSwimWalk.jpg
 
I know I'm going to get flamed for this - and it has been done to death before.

In my opinion LJs are not usually that important. If there is any danger of falling in then you should be clipped on. If there's no danger of falling in why wear a lifejacket?
 
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Maybe I am a tad ananl on this subjet but my 9 year old daughter does not even go onto a pontoon without her jacket.
This has been the case since she started joining me on the water.


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I'm totally the other way - my 3 yr old never wears a jacket when the boat is underway - if he's in the cockpit he's clipped on.

It seems hopelessly optimistic to think that a lifejacket will save a child's life if he falls overboard from a moving boat - it may do but I for one don't want to take the risk.
 
Nah, never need them & I'm always in the water (see avatar)

- BUT there ARE times when I insist on me AND crew wearing 'em, but for publiccity photos in fine weather? What are you on? Hate it when car drivers can only be pictured with belts- even if parked & cyclists need helmets, even when walking. Come on guys, get a life, enjoy it & enjoy the buzz you get from taking sensible risks.
 
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IMHO the most important time to wear LJs is in the tender, especially coming back from the pub - it's dark and your reactions may not be quite up to scratch...

[/ QUOTE ]I'm surprised how many people I see round our moorings who don't wear them in the tender, then put them on once they're aboard the boat.
 
Honestly wasnt troll, did wonder what people thought and yes, guess it must have been done to death before. As ever, I guess its a sensible balance for the people afloat, depending on experience and confidence etc, but I do think illustration (picyures speak louder than words) in the trade mags should err on the side of safey rather than the other way around which is where things seem to be at the moment.
 
I try to be sensible over lifejackets and wear when the conditions dictate. This I feel is also reflected in the photo's and some jackets contain lifejackets so maybe people are wearing them ... ???
 
To a certain extent it depends on you, your boat and what the conditions are.

If you cannot swim, for example, you may want to wear one all the time.

Mid Atlantic, single handed, a life jacket it not very useful, but a harness it.

Thick fog, I put mine on, as well as in a dinghy (unless close insore on a nice day).

A harness - now this is a different matter. Gets much more use on my boat.

Might, however be seen as essential in certain emergancy situations, when you may have to enter the water with no choice.
 
The day our four year old son fell off a cruiser in the Fens we were extremely glad he was wering a life jacket. I know it ought not to have hapened but it did.

The effort two us had getting him back on board makes me endorse the opinion that it's much more important not to fall off in the first place.
 
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