When does wearin a lifejacket become silly?

[snowleopard]

I saw a programme last night where Ben Fogle was learning to punt on the Cam. He was wearing a lifejacket, presumably under BBC orders but his instructor wasn't and nor was anyone else on the river. In fact in my misspent youth on that river I don't recall anyone ever wearing any form of buoyancy.

 

[Leighb]

Pretty silly really, altho' I guess it was "PC". If it was on the Backs the water is shallow enough to stand up nearly everywhere apart from a few deep holes. On the upper river there are/were larger stretches of deep water.

However back then no-one ever wore buoyancy aids when punting, but many didn't for dinghy sailing let alone yachting in those distant days

 

[aquaplane]

Cycling along a tow path?

I've never worn one when cycling, or seen anybody else wear one, but I suspect some folk think it's a good idea.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

At church or when attending a Garden Party by HM

 

[30boat]

If one is singlehanding far offshore.If you fall in prolonging the agony makes no sense.Unless you happen to have a personal epirb and the water is fairly warm with no sharks around.

 

[bedouin]

It seems pretty much the rule these days that anyone who goes on the water for their job will always wear a lifejacket. That is not totally unreasonable as the question would be whose responsibility would it be to say that it was safe not to. I suppose it is the nautical equivalent of "hard hat" areas on building sites.

 

[EdWingfield]

When you are trapped under a capsized dinghy?

 

[flaming]

It seems pretty much the rule these days that anyone who goes on the water for their job will always wear a lifejacket.

Except professional sailors.

 

[cmedsailor]

When you windsurf.
No, it's not a joke. Try free yourself when you are under the sail and are wearing a lifejacket. It's difficult. You need to be able to swim under the water fast.

 

[Spyro]

I'm sure Ben felt pretty silly, after all he rowed across the Atlantic without one and naked a lot of the time.

 

[Woodlouse]

It would be silly to wear one wrapped around your head as a fetching hat at Ascots ladies day.

 

[Woodlouse]

It seems pretty much the rule these days that anyone who goes on the water for their job will always wear a lifejacket. That is not totally unreasonable as the question would be whose responsibility would it be to say that it was safe not to. I suppose it is the nautical equivalent of "hard hat" areas on building sites.

Been working at sea for four years now, only constantly worn a lifejacket when working for a Sailing school. Occasionally wore one on yachts when the weather was really bad and bowsprit work was required. Never wore one on the Survey boat, but that was a small, tight knit operation.

I'll agree though, for commercial work, such as merchant shipping, or harbour launches etc H&S has made it compulsory to wear a lifejacket. It's not the choice of the individual though.

 

[Sailfree]

After a recent H & S risk analysis the BBC have anounced that all actors being filmed in the bath need to wear a lifejcket.

Now that would be silly but why don't I think it would never occur.

 

[flyingscampi]

No lifejacket, no insurance (I guess).

 

[DavenHelen]

I saw a programme last night where Ben Fogle was learning to punt on the Cam. He was wearing a lifejacket, presumably under BBC orders but his instructor wasn't and nor was anyone else on the river. In fact in my misspent youth on that river I don't recall anyone ever wearing any form of buoyancy.

I was surprised he wasn't wearing a lifejacket when swimming in the fens earlier in the program. Mad...

 

[Searush]

See LJ's all the time on TV programmes based on the canals - you would need to be less than 4' tall to need one (except in the deep locks).

They are also compulsory on a number of council managed sailing lakes that I know - again where the depth is never more than 4'6" deep. Even kids can safely stand up in that depth.

 

[doug748]

"When does wearing a lifejacket become silly?"

Thanks, just reading the title made me laugh.

I suspect it is silly most of the time but heigh ho.

 

[ninky]

due to ever zealous health and safety production insurance is such that for factual shows you have to have presenters in life jackets on any sort of vessel. that said, i did see a bbc channel ident with someone in a rowing boat not wearing a lj the other day. maybe the painted it out in the edit or had other safety measures in place - dramas would have to do this, you're hardly going to get pip from great expectations wearing a self inflating lj are you?

 

[Poignard]

When you are trapped under a capsized dinghy?

Been there! And very glad my lifejacket was not the auto-inflating type.

 

[Giblets]

The loverly Julia Bradbury p ) was wearing one on Country File on Sunday whilst out tope fishing in Ireland but the chap whose boat she was on wasn't.