A fresh think about PFDs

They'd be better off making them advisory along with helmets.

Originally posted by kneewrecker So I've been thinking about this lately, is time to challenge the Group Think on this again

No, they shouldn't. Now, clubs should have the right to have in their rules that they are, but on a light wind day (thinking back to river sailing days), I see windsurfers, SUP riders, rowers, drunks on powerboats and a plethora of other water users, all far more likely to get wet than me in a stable dinghy, yet I'm the one wearing the BA.

Some sort of personal choice (and to go with it, personal responsibility, so, my choice, my concequences) would be nice.

Now, once there is more risk of a capsize than of falling off a SUP, with bumped heads on booms then involving safety boats and other people who might be put at risk because of my actions, then organizers should have the right to say "wear BAs".

They remain a hindrance in my book, if you are at all adept in the water, then buoyancy 'aids' hinder and tire. They make it more difficult to extract yourself, either from under anything or to climb out of the water onto a rescue craft or back into your own boat and they definitely hinder swimming speed and distance.

We (and I was particularly vocal in the battle) fought very hard not to have them enforced on us as windsurfers, (yet you will often see kids wearing them at team fifteen level), The argument we made also at the time was that death bags dry suits in themselves over supply buoyancy, and diving out from under the sail, which fortunately for us was perceived as a greater risk than it actually was, is made more difficult by excess buoyancy. we also pointed out that modern wetsuits also encompassed positive buoyancy. (You don't see surfers who are active in the critical section of waves wearing the damned things)

So it should be about personal choice, no one wants to stop folk who are cagey about their in water competency, but nor should the competent be hampered, I really think not encouraging the use of helmets amongst newcomers is a greater failing personally the number of nasty bangs I've endured and I use one.

Edited by iGRF - 30 Sep 14 at 9:11am

What is the greatest risk to a dinghy sailor?