by Jeff Herman
Paddling Out
PFDs:
Wear Them!
I
t seems every few weeks there is
news of another kayak fisherman
drowning. The story is becoming
more and more familiar. The one
common theme of these sad and
tragic stories is usually the absence
of a PFD (Personal Flotation Device)
or life jacket. It doesn’t mean that
the outcome in the deadly accidents
would always be different if the
paddler had been wearing a PFD, but
all statistics indicate boating
accidents involving folks wearing
life jackets are less likely to be fatal.
The math is simple: Wear one and
reduce your risk. Don’t wear one and
increase your risk.
I know I’m getting close to
winter fishing when the bull redfish
bite starts slowing down. On a
recent trip on the upper coast, I had
launched a few hours after sun up
and noted that the water was getting
too cold to not be wearing splash
pants. As the morning went on, the
expected tug of the big fish after big
fish never materialized. We would
wait and wait and wait for the zzzzz-ZZZZZZ of the drag to alert us
and hope for a good hook set. After
many hours we had a few fish each
and handful of runs that came
undone. In between runs, my friend
Andrew and I chatted about PFDs.
First, I am big believer in whatever
PFD you will actually wear is the right
PFD for you. There are many different
PFD manufacturers, and each
manufacturer has fishing specific
designs, general use designs, specialty
vests (made for white water/rescue/
touring) and even lady specific variants
that ensure a comfortable fit for women.
The bottom line is, you can find a PFD
that you find comfortable and functional.
Fishing PFD’s, or the life vests
usually marketed to fishermen, tend to
have some extra pockets and gear loops
to allow the necessary ancillary gear most
fishermen carry. If you are a gear head
and always paddle with immense
amounts of extra stuff, these vests are for
you. NRS, Kokatat, MTI, and others all
make a “Fishing PFD”. I suggest looking
for one with a high back to accommodate
the typical seat found on today’s fishing
kayaks. NRS and Kokatat both make these.
I often prefer to use a low profile life
vest. Thus, I tend to wear PFD’s made
for sea-kayak touring. These are low
profile, especially around the arms and
shoulders to allow for unrestricted
paddling motion. The bonus of this
design is twofold: Firstly, nrestricted
paddling motion also means unrestricted
casting motion; and secondly, the low
profile vests always wear cooler in the 9
months between winter. The last thing
you want is a PFD that makes you too
hot in the summer months.
Another option that many folks like
is the inflatable PFD. These are low
profile, lightweight and definitely
comfortable in the summer. They use
a CO2 cartridge to inflate when a rip
cord is pulled. Therefore, it is critical
to fit these types of jackets while they
are actually inflated. I once had one
of these jackets deploy unexpectedly
and I was certain that I was being
abducted by aliens. It was tight,
constric ѥ