LifeJackets - is everyone a pansy these days?

[sailing86]

[ QUOTE ]

Sorry ... less than 0.1% of the ppl employed in fishing die each year ... and 0.08% of the working fishermen end up in the water ...


[/ QUOTE ]
isn't less than 0.01% and less than 0.008%.

 

[fireball]

[ QUOTE ]
P.S. It is upto the individual if he doesn't wears a LJ just as it is for those who do. If you want to persuade people not to, find the evidence that they don't save people.

[/ QUOTE ]
I don't want to persuade ppl not to wear LJs .. I want ppl to think about why they are wearing them and consider the risks themselves.
It is all to easy to say "wear steel toecaps in factories because it saves your toes" ... but if you do something stupid then they won't ...
IMHO ppl consider LJs to be the "fix all" method of life preserving when to me and many others it is clear that they are just one small step, and what is more important is to ensure you stay on a floating vessel.

There are vessels where it would be prudent to always wear a LJ as the risk of unexpected entry to the water is higher than most.
There are ppl who should always wear a LJ because they are frequently putting themselves in higher risk position on the boat (foredeck work for example)
There are ppl and vessels where wearing a LJ is not a necessity because the only time they are going to need it is if the vessel sinks.
There are (fortunately relatively few) situations where a LJ can aid death by trapping you underwater (you'll find very few windsurfers wearing buoyancy aids and a few dinghy classes where the chances of being caught under the sail are quite high).

 

[narooma]

However, sailing through the solent (which is the majority of our sailing)

Hate to be piccy but, like many,I've never been there. Passed by on many occasions but never dared to enter.

 

[narooma]

There's a suggestion to stop a lot of shunts in cars - remove the seat belts and put an 8" metal spike out from the middle of the stearing wheel - that'll make drivers FAR more careful ...


Think you've made youir point!!

 

[fireball]

[ QUOTE ]
Hate to be piccy but, like many,I've never been there. Passed by on many occasions but never dared to enter.

[/ QUOTE ]
We're lucky - the solent is very sheltered .... but I'm sure it isn't the only area ...

 

[fireball]

I don't lay claim to that suggestion - it was made IIRC in the lounge a couple of years back ...

as they say - prevention is better than cure ...

 

[xiaoneitie]

I don't like wearing them as they push my glasses off, and then I can't see.

 

[DogWatch]

I don't like wearing them as they push my glasses off, and then I can't see.

Did it take you 4 years to come up with this fascinating nugget

 

[DogWatch]

I don't like wearing them as they push my glasses off, and then I can't see.

I don't like wearing them as they push my glasses off, and then I can't see.

spooky!

 

[FistralG]

spooky!

It is weird... there are at least two other posts by this user that follow an identical pattern...
Here http://www.ybw.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3578614&postcount=289

And here
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3577701&postcount=296
I'm starting to wonder if they are a real person or an autobot re-posting random posts on some of the longer threads.

 

[prv]

I'm starting to wonder if they are a real person or an autobot re-posting random posts on some of the longer threads.

Almost certainly a bot - question is why. If it had a link in its signature the answer would be obvious, but there isn't so what do they gain?

Pete

 

[prv]

Also stand by for everyone who hasn't noticed that this thread is four years old to re-kindle another pointless argument

A clue, people: a thread doesn't go from nothing to thirty pages overnight, even on a contentious subject like this, so when it suddenly appears on the list it must be old.

Pete

 

[Elessar]

These threads about when you wear your lifejackets and clip on ... more and more ppl are either clipped on 100% of the time or always wear their lifejackets ...

Me? I'll put it on if I consider the conditions warrant it. I'll clip on if I think there is a chance of me loosing my grip .. other than that it is always onboard at hand ...

Now ... I know LJs are more comfortable and are a valuable piece of life saving equipment ... but I do have to question why more and more ppl feel compelled to wear them more often....

As a lad I was climbing up and down trees all the time, and when I wasn't I was dinghy sailing (always wore a buoyancy aid because of the capsise risk) - in all those years I can remember falling out of the tree once (my own silly fault) and fell out the back of the dinghy twice (once the toestraps broke- it was a teaching boat and the school modified their setup so it wouldn't happen again, the othertime I missed the toestraps). In all the situations where I've "had an accident" I was suitably dressed and either connected (falling out of the tree) or had a buoyancy aid on (the dinghies) as I felt the risks required those safety devices.

However, sailing through the solent (which is the majority of our sailing) we're rarely out in anything above a F5, there isn't too much chop and just about everything is done from the cockpit ... added to that that I am still agile and always have one hand to hold onto the boat I don't think I'm likely to fall overboard ...

So, the question is - has everyones attitudes to risk changed? Do you feel more vulnerable (or venerable?!)

100% with your approach. And yes attitude to risk has changed. We've been bullied into changing.

RYA has it right RNLI has it wrong IMHO.

(The tree thing explains a lot mind - did you fall on your head )

 

[Elessar]

Also stand by for everyone who hasn't noticed that this thread is four years old to re-kindle another pointless argument

I hadn't noticed. But it's raining and I'm bored.

 

[Crabman]

I wear a lifejacket all the time if im out on the water the same as the professionals do . I have seen my fill of identifying bodies in bags where they have not worn a lifejacket. If you dont wear one just remember this ,Is it nice when your loved ones have to come and identify you on the morgue slab. Put the bloody thing on you idiots.

 

[RichardS]

Almost certainly a bot - question is why. If it had a link in its signature the answer would be obvious, but there isn't so what do they gain?

Pete

Probably the Steph-bot up to her old tricks again!

Richard

 

[awol]

Is it nice when your loved ones have to come and identify you on the morgue slab. Put the bloody thing on you idiots.

Sounds more like a reason for not wearing a lifejacket and instead carrying heavy objects in your pockets. Toss up between drowning and hypothermia, 7 year wait or immediate probate, diminishing hope or distress at the slab. RIP whichever you choose!

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

There is a reason this thread was untouched for 4 years.

All sane forumites are bored to tears with the topic.

Let's not encourage the others by replying and thereby continuing the pointless arguments that have been hashed and rehashed a zillion times.

Oops, I've just done it myself.

 

[Fire99]

Just do what suits and hopefully some people still have their common sense gene in tact.

I use my jacket 100% of the time when I'm in the tender (club rules and for good reason too) and when I'm on the boat, it's on when i'm in danger of falling in or the weather turns a bit offy.

 

[prv]

Maybe we can ask the moderators to lock this out-of-date thread so that people stop responding to it and it drops off the front page again?

Pete