Young kids in marinas

Seastoke

Seastoke

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Seeing some 2 year olds today without life jackets made me think back , we were in Torquay and my 3 year old was crabbing on the pontoon I was in the boat , wife shouts he has fell in , I dive in frantically searching , came up for air were he and mum was laughing about it. While I was under water , with having his life jacket on he just popped back up and his mum scooped him up. So do you think kids should wear jackets and do you insist yours do.
 
Brixham Bound said:
Seeing some 2 year olds today without life jackets made me think back , we were in Torquay and my 3 year old was crabbing on the pontoon I was in the boat , wife shouts he has fell in , I dive in frantically searching , came up for air were he and mum was laughing about it. While I was under water , with having his life jacket on he just popped back up and his mum scooped him up. So do you think kids should wear jackets and do you insist yours do.
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Yes. From the car until their feet touch carpet in the boat.
 
Yes and Yes.
All my regular crew were introduced to H2O from a very early age and most have swum ? from the boat.
The swimming pool is not the same as a real life unexpected dunking but it does prepare them for the shock and hopefully stops them from panicing.
Have experienced small people going over the side on two occasions in past year or two, while moored.
Probably more risk when moored than underway.
Both were promptly retrieved none the worse for wear, one of them was fully prepared to go back in as he had lost one of his favorite "Crocs", type of footwear apparently.
 
oldgit said:
Yes and Yes.
All my regular crew were introduced to H2O from a very early age and most have swum ? from the boat.
The swimming pool is not the same as a real life unexpected dunking but it does prepare them for the shock and hopefully stops them from panicing.
Have experienced small people going over the side on two occasions in past year or two, while moored.
Probably more risk when moored than underway.
Both were promptly retrieved none the worse for wear, one of them was fully prepared to go back in as he had lost one of his favorite "Crocs", type of footwear apparently.
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No “probably” about it IMO.
 
My boy always wears his when on the boat. When at the marina and kayaking etc he has a separate buoyancy aid.
Even the dog wears one!?F51895C2-C9A3-431C-A77F-846DE2AFDD2C.jpeg
 
I fished an Italian kid out who had slipped off the transom of their MB. The mother was beside herself with thanks. The father, on the other hand, was not best pleased with me, because I had taken away his authority, even though he was nowhere to be seen at the time......some odd folks out there.
 
Some kids should be made wear them.
We wear our inflatable ones to set a good example, plus if I need to save a panicked kid its peice of mind that I can have instant buoyancy.

The other obnoxious little snots should be asked to .. on the other hand these bratts should not be near a marina.
 
Ours are made to wear them on the boat, if they want to be anywhere but the wheelhouse, but not for walking around the marina. This thread has made me think whether they should or not which is good.
 
I have two allergies: Politicians and kids not behaving. Admittedly the latter, as all problems, belong to the management - which in families must be the parents.
All parents love their kids and want others people to like them as well. Logically should bring them up to be likeable, but....

I know the subject is sensitive. Will get my hard hat, leather coat and pretend not to be around ;)

PS! Rumor has it that a kid has been found somewhere without any three letter diagnoses. THAT's good news :) [Irony intended]
 
Yes some great replies , I think the issue is if they fall in without , they can come up under the boat which could be devastating.
 
Interesting thread.

Our kids (now adults) grew up around the boat and whilst out on the boat they wore life jackets unless in the cockpit on the river, when they sometimes removed them but they were close by. If at sea, particularly in lumpy conditions, they stayed on. Effectively dynamic risk assessment. Around the marina they didn’t wear lifejackets, primarily because we were there a lot and wearing a lifejacket all the time wasn’t really practical. Visiting kids unfamiliar with the environment were a different matter.

The lad went in once that I recall - in a rush to spend a fiver he had got from somewhere and cut a corner between pontoons - the fiver in his hand stayed dry - lots of people around and he was never in danger so it caused much hilarity but there was a serious lesson learned. Our daughter went in once too and had actually removed the lifejacket she was under strict instructions to wear and got off the boat she was under strict instructions to remain in - completely out of character and that one could have ended badly - I heard the commotion and managed to grab her and pull her out. Many years on my blood still runs cold when I think of it

The thing is that you can’t eradicate risk and the extent to which you mitigate it depends on your attitude to risk. So many yachties don’t wear lifejackets when sailing but we always have them on when our in our day sailer. Same on the flybridge of our mobo but in the wheelhouse sometimes removed but close at hand.
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Look after them. Little kids don’t float too well until after they get a taste for Mickey Ds. I fell in a pool when I was 3. I couldn’t swim and sank to the bottom where I remained. After a while a passer-by saw me motionless on the bottom, dived in, pulled me out and handed me to my unaware and very embarrassed parents.
 
When on the moorings, we have vast collection of manky old bouyancy aids for little ones and and visiting kids (of all ages ).
At last count about 15 :eek:
When big enough though, its auto jackets whenever on the move and the skipper sets good example (mostly) .
 
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