It’s a nice warm, lazy, sunny summer’s afternoon. A hint of a cool breeze is just beginning to blow in off the water as a group of people on float tubes drift along in the current. The thought of having to wear a life-jacket seems, well, just too bothersome. After all, there’s no chance of anything happening, of anything going wrong.
Every year in this province people drown while taking part in activities on the water. None of them intended to drown. They were, for the most part, everyday people out enjoying a pleasant day on the water – until something went wrong.
The worst part is that 87 per cent of people who drowned either were not wearing a life-jacket or PFD, or, did not have one on- board. With an ever increasing number of people taking part in activities on and around the water, there is an increased need for safety and regulation.
According to federal government regulations, a person operating a boat or pleasure craft is responsible for equipping the boat with the proper mandatory safety equipment. Operators and or owners of boats and pleasure craft that do not comply with these regulations can be subject to penalties and fines of up to $200 for each person not wearing an approved life-jacket/PFD.
Think of it this way: not only do life-jackets save lives, the cost of a good quality Coast Guard-approved life-jacket is still far less than the cost of a fine. Whether in a boat, on a dock, or simply near the water (in the case of small children), a person is safer if they are wearing a life-jacket.
The bottom line when it comes to life-jackets or PFDs is that they save lives.
There are a number of things to consider when choosing a flotation device. First of all, consider the type of water activities that you enjoy. Today there are life-jackets and PFDs specially designed for virtually every water activity, including pleasure boating, fishing, water skiing, tubing, kayaking, canoeing and rafting. Today’s life-jackets and PFDs are available in a variety of bright colours. When determining what size of life-jacket or PFD, remember that sizing is based on chest measurements for adults and weight for children. Read the label for details. And, most important, try the life-jacket or PFD on before buying. It should fit snugly, with all the buckles, zippers and snaps done up, but still allow room to breathe and move around freely. Try walking around and sitting with it on as well. A life-jacket or PFD is too big if you can pull it up over your ears and too small if you cannot fasten all the buckles and do up all the straps.
Whether boating, kayaking, angling or floating down river on a float tube, it is important to know the waters you will be on. This year in particular, moving waters such as rivers and streams, are running higher and faster. A number of people in the province have already been swept to their deaths in fast-flowing waters.
It is also extremely important to remember that different people have differing levels of skill and physical strength, not to mention swimming ability. A life-jacket or PFD can make all the difference in a life-threatening situation.
While I have yet to float downstream in a tube, I have spent a lot of time in a canoe, not to mention a fair number of 12-foot aluminum fishing boats and, with all the hours I have spent on the water, I have never gone out without a life-jacket – for the plain and simple reason that I am not a strong swimmer. I’m not sure that I could save myself, let alone anyone else, without a life-jacket, Besides, the way I see it, wearing a life-jacket isn’t really all that bothersome – especially compared to the alternative.
