Bill Tuthill wrote:
Paul Skoczylas wrote:
In a typical low head situation, PFDs won't save you--they'll just
make it easier to find your body (assuming it stays on). In this case,
it sounds like PFDs would have saved lives.

If a PFD provides enough flotation, wouldn't it be able to keep your head
above the water? I was surprised once that with drysuit, thick fleece,
and an Extrasport Hi-Float, I was able to breathe while trapped in a
hole.
I would have stayed in the hole if not for a throwbag, but I could
breathe.


I think it depends on a couple of things:
My experience with weirs is that if the water is too aireated, you
simply float just below the surface, due to lack of buoyancy. Also, if
the hydrolic below the weir is too strong, you get pulled below, despite
a PFD and wet-/dry-suit. You might come up every once in a while, but
since you stay under for quite a bit of time in between and since we
lack gills, that eventually means that you run out of air in between the
pop-ups.
:-(

A couple of years ago I had difficulties rescuing a friend of ours who
was getting recirculated, I remember that I was amazed at how long she
stayed under during each circulation, despite wearing a PFD.

--
Wilko van den Bergh wilkoa t)dse(d o tnl
Eindhoven The Netherlands Europe
---Look at the possibilities, don't worry about the limitations.---
http://kayaker.nl/