I have been a long-time wilderness canoeist and can tell you that the single
biggest danger to canoeists/kayakers should be casual PWC users who whave not
been properly educated. Let me share with you why I no longer go near cottage
lakes or open water where PWCs are often seen.

While canoeing with my wife and 2 yr old daughter on a large body of water, a
group of 3 or 4 PWC's were spotted jumping powerboat wakes. They looked like
they were having fun. We were struggling with the same wakes, trying to make
headway as we picked our way out from shore. A 15ft boat passed us, and we
rode out its wake, then another. The PWCs came over and started hopping the
waves of the boats.

One of them pointed at us and said something to his buddies. I had no idea
what. They all started moving around near us, but far enough off so as not to
be dangerous. Minutes later another boat passed by. I kept a close watch of
it so as to be able to quarter its wake, when my wife started to scream.

I looked to the opposite side of the canoe to see a Jetski screaming towards
us. He launched himself off the wake of the boat, barely clearing our canoe
and nearly hitting my daughter in the head. God only knows what would have
happenned if he hadn't made it over our canoe. We made our way to shore where
it was better fighting the backwash of the waves than being dead. I wonder if
his friends were supposed to be "next".

Now whenever I am in the vicinity of large boats I stay near shore, and I
never go near Jetski's unless I can keep a very close eye on them, and I
avoid PWC hotspots at all costs.

MMC wrote:
'Be ready to spin the kayak to bow on. This is not to present a smaller
target, but to allow the boat to do its best to escape damage and
[quoted text clipped - 42 lines]
Matt Colie
Lifelong Waterman, Licensed Mariner

I'd like to add to Matt and Anthony's list an air horn (if yon Rodney
Dangerfield can't hear one of those- he must be dead) and to make sure your
PFD is bright orange and NOT one of the more aesthetically "yachtie"
pleasing colors like beige, camo, blue, yellow, etc.
My little rant- for the life of me, I cannot understand why a life vest much
match peoples outfit and eyes when they're going out to sea? Might bump into
the ladies from church?
Same with foul weather gear. None of the other colors even come close in
visibility to international orange and I'd rather be found if floundering in
the deep blue (or seen by Rodney) than stylish.
But, just my 2c.
MMC

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