Should you have to wear a life jacket?

[Guest Crooksyredboat]

With all the recent drownings in the area,I have heard this topic come up a lot recently," should it be law that you have to wear your life jacket and not just have it in the boat." What are your thoughts?

[Guest scott324]

I don't think you should have to. I wear mine when in rough water or the spring and fall. I take it off when I'm trolling or still fishing. Usually wear it when I'm going fast as if I don't it will fly out the boat.

[gsambray 172]

I thought the law was you had to wear it when the boat is in motion

[eddylives 99]

Most should wear them

Many would not make it if they went into the water and mainly rely on someone else in the boat to save them if they did

I myself am guilty of not wearing it if there are other competent operators in the boat but will always wear it if I am alone.....even still fishing or drifting

[Some Old Guy 968]

Bottom line,,,, I wear mine.

Roger

[Monks 164]

Definitely. I will never boat again without mine on. I was cruising on Marmion, beautiful calm day same track I ran a dozen times when all hell broke loose. Hit a rock cruising in my boat, boat stopped dead, my dog flew out of the boat and I was tossed across the boat. That day I said put on your life jacket and tether switch. Luckily I was not thrown out of the boat but if I was I would probably not be here. Was just far enough that tether never pulled but imagine stopping dead at 45 mph and then having the boat then do violent 360 turns. If I was thrown out game over. It does not matter if its calm or rough or what speed your going, things happen. And it's so simple, put it on and connect the tether, don't care if its a 15 hp or 300 hp. Wear them everyone, it can happen to anyone and so glad I did not have passengers that day. Plus imagine if I was thrown out and no tether it life jacket and I hurt some other people out boating. It only makes sense to wear one. Just glad only a few ribs and the boat were hurt. Safe boating everyone.

[Guest FreshwaterFisherman]

Nope. Only under power or while in rough weather. Probably a good idea to wear one all the time. I think I'm gonna start. The older I get the more cautious I become. Having a son has made me rethink a lot about safety.

[Bobber Down 921]

hummm............what colour is the life jacket that your wearing in your picture. I can't quite make it out but my eyes are going lol

Bottom line,,,, I wear mine.

Roger

[wampa 18]

It's exactly like a car seatbelt. There is no reason whatsoever for not wearing one. Every one of those people that died falling out of a boat/canoe would be alive if they were wearing one.

[arvey 154]

we have all seen and heard this one . the parents are getting in the boat with the kids , they tell the kids to put on their life jackets and the parents don't . we worry about are kids more than ourselves but what would the kids do without us. wear your lifejacket.

[Travis Schallock 28]

Just wear one no matter if it is the law or not. Buy an inflatable, put it on in the morning, and you will forget it is even on. The only time I even remember I have it on is when I go to take a layer of clothing off. Then again at the end of the day when I get out of the boat I usually end up going back because I forgot to take it off. You don't even know your wearing it, there is no reason not to wear it.

[Buck 120 32]

If you are old enough to remember the commercial of two kids floating in a boat with the parent drowned, that had an impact on me that I always think of.

[ghart 55]

That's the commercial that first comes to mind every time I hear the lifejacket/no lifejacket question. To me its just logical self preservation.

[McGinnis_Fishing 49]

Well similar scenerio with my brother. He and a buddy were only in a 9.9 but they got tossed out of the boat and neither had a life jacket on. At the end of the day they were both luckey to come out alive and greatful they didnt have their life jackets on. The tiller had the throtle so it would stay open. And all you had to do was steer. So the boat was doing circles and they had to keep swimming out of the way of the boat. My brother swears he woulnt be able to do it with the restriction of the life jacket. His buddy also swam down under the prop at one point. No one thought he was going to make it but all of a sudden he came up on the other side of the boat.

So should you wear your life jaket? I dont know. In my brothers case it would have made things alot worse! But in many other cases a life jacket can be the difference between drowning and surviving.

Just something to think about.

[Guest FreshwaterFisherman]

Really?

[McGinnis_Fishing 49]

Ya he said that was the only time he felt he may not be going home to his family. And they for sure thought they were going home without his buddy when he dove under the prop. He also said it was like something you would see out of a movie but it was just that real

[uncle 19]

Just wear one no matter if it is the law or not. Buy an inflatable, put it on in the morning, and you will forget it is even on. The only time I even remember I have it on is when I go to take a layer of clothing off. Then again at the end of the day when I get out of the boat I usually end up going back because I forgot to take it off. You don't even know your wearing it, there is no reason not to wear it.

I have a pair of inflatable life jackets that are 60 yrs. old and if you practice with them in the water it is surprising how little air you need in them to hold your head out of water if you were hurt or unconscious. The funny thing about mine is they are U.S. military issue and not CSA approved but the seat cushion I sit on is.

[Guest FreshwaterFisherman]

I don't think that you should ever recommend not wearing a life jacket. I know I myself am guilty of not always wearing them. But I would never tell people they would be safer without one. In that situation MAYBE it helped. But the odds of drowning from no life jacket are higher than the odds of being hit by your own boat. If you don't want to wear one that's fine, it is your choice. But you should never tell someone they would be safer without a life jacket.

[McGinnis_Fishing 49]

I was just giving people something else to think about. Im not saying dont wear your life jacket, but it does give you a totally new appreciation for the water. Im also the guy that when i was younger an i went shore fishing by myself, my mom would make me wear a life jacket.. LoL

[gsambray 172]

I agree ^^ in certain odd circumstances and very rare it is possible that it a life jacket could not help from an injury. Kinda like seatbelts. I always wear mine. Its a rule in my vehicle no seatbelt or refuse to wear it your walking but in a very rare incident a very good friend of mine was in a very bad car accident. It wad the one time he didnt wear his seat belt and he lost control of his truck and hit a rock cut. On impact he wad thrown down to the floor when the roof collapsed down. If he were to be stuck in his seat wearing the belt he would have been dead. But like i said it was a very rare incident and you should always wear your seatbelt or life jacket. Its just common sense.

[Lyle Reiner 174]

I always wear mine now that I have an inflateable. and you will never catch a boat with even the trolling motor just running. my friend swims in races and he could barely catch my old 36# trolling motor at speed 3. absolutely life jackets should be law.

[filletandrelease 17]

It seems a no brainer that your usually better off wearing it but I don't want to be required to have it on especially when its 35 degrees and I'm anchored. The question in the original post asks if you should be required to have it on and if that would have saved some from recent drownings but half of the drowning victims were swimming so should you be required to wear a pfd to go swimming?

[wampa 18]

It seems a no brainer that your usually better off wearing it but I don't want to be required to have it on especially when its 35 degrees and I'm anchored. The question in the original post asks if you should be required to have it on and if that would have saved some from recent drownings but half of the drowning victims were swimming so should you be required to wear a pfd to go swimming?

We are not talking about swimming deaths.

Guy falls out of canoe and drowns. With life jacket on he would still be here. End of discussion. It should be made law just like a seatbelt in a car. There was lot's of complaining about seatbelts and child seats when they first became mandatory and now it is habit. There is no valid reason for not wearing one.

[Guest Angler AV]

Should it be a law to wear a lifejacket..No. But it is a good idea to wear one in rough water or in an area you are unfamiliar with. Should I have to wear in a small inland lake when its 35C and flat calm...Nope. It should be my choice. Don't believe the government should take away any more of our freedom of choice.

[RLK 38]

We always wear a life jacket when we are traveling but take it off when we get to where we are going.