On 2/19/2011 7:37 AM, CaveLamb wrote:
I just recently bought a couple of inflatable PFDs.

One of the standing orders on my boat is that if you
are on deck and out of the cockpit you must wear your
float.

But I'm curious about what the rest of you think.
Do you wear them or not?


When single handing, I made it my business to clip on to one of two
jacklines I had rigged or another solid place. I used a harness with two
lines / clips so I could clip on, and then clip off of something else. I
saw no reason to wear a PFD while single handing.

Clearly this is a good idea for safety as is wearing a helmet when
riding in your automobile, but few do either because for most, it
reduces the experience. Clearly an incident may knock you off the boat
and knock you silly at the same time so a PFD can easily save your life
while others turn the boat and try for a rescue. So it's really a
personal choice.

Before you go further in this, though, I strongly suggest you try
retrieving someone from the ocean as if it were a MOB drill. Getting
someone on deck from most boats with significant freeboard is MUCH more
difficult than most people envision.