Make your kids wear a f’ing life jacket…

Yep. I have a 24' cruiser and I don't get in it without a PFD on. Never know when some bass tournament junkie may lose control of his $50K overpowered 200 hp surfboard and cut my tug in two.
I usually hate “bass tournaments” here on the river, but a few observations…50k isn’t buying most of their rigs, and a 200 hp motor is underpowered in a bass tourney. However, they are almost always required to wear a life jacket.
 
Hell, I have a hard time getting adults to wear them.

Me and my friends like to float the local rivers a few times each summer. They’re nothing crazy, but water is water, and every year a half dozen or so people drown in them. Last time we went floating, one guy insisted on swimming the whole thing rather than riding in his innertube, all the while drinking from his massive water bottle full of Jack & coke. I thought for sure I was going to witness him die.
Luckily he seemed to grasp that I wasn’t messing around when I sternly insisted he wear a damn life jacket. Still didn’t wear it the whole time though. Some people can’t get over their confidence in their swimming abilities to consider that they aren’t in control of much when you’re in the water.
 
Hell, I have a hard time getting adults to wear them.

Me and my friends like to float the local rivers a few times each summer. They’re nothing crazy, but water is water, and every year a half dozen or so people drown in them. Last time we went floating, one guy insisted on swimming the whole thing rather than riding in his innertube, all the while drinking from his massive water bottle full of Jack & coke. I thought for sure I was going to witness him die.
Luckily he seemed to grasp that I wasn’t messing around when I sternly insisted he wear a damn life jacket. Still didn’t wear it the whole time though. Some people can’t get over their confidence in their swimming abilities to consider that they aren’t in control of much when you’re in the water.
I would consider myself an above average swimmer and I used to be like this. I wear a life jacket now. I’m getting old, fat and lazy and floating is a lot more fun than swimming all day!
 
Everyone that canoes/rafts/kayaks on moving water with any degree of current should take a Swiftwater Rescue Course. Opens your eyes, plus tons of fun and meet a lot of great people.

Practicing knots and Z drags is always fun, and doing throwbags. Hit my instructor in the head at fifty yards. When he got to land, he wanted to know who threw that, as it was supposed to be out of reach for a throwbag.

I said probably not someone from the soccer generation (course was near Missoula, and I couldn't resist). He called me Tom Brady for the rest of the weekend, so I've got that going for me. Not as good as the blessing of the Dalai Lama, though. ;)
 
Everyone that canoes/rafts/kayaks on moving water with any degree of current should take a Swiftwater Rescue Course. Opens your eyes, plus tons of fun and meet a lot of great people.

Practicing knots and Z drags is always fun, and doing throwbags. Hit my instructor in the head at fifty yards. When he got to land, he wanted to know who threw that, as it was supposed to be out of reach for a throwbag.

I said probably not someone from the soccer generation (course was near Missoula, and I couldn't resist). He called me Tom Brady for the rest of the weekend, so I've got that going for me. Not as good as the blessing of the Dalai Lama, though. ;)
Took one about 5 years ago for the FS near Missoula. It will open your eyes and kick your ass.

The course was 3 days and well worth taking. Only 1 person out of about 20 had to get stitches when his head bounced off a rock.
 
I was almost killed by a guy wearing a life jacket once. Swimming in the middle of a reservoir off the back of the boat. Someone yelled “how much water are we in?” It was like 60’. The guy panicked and grabbed me (not wearing a life jacket) in an attempt to get to the boat. I finally got loose and dove down.

Thats kinda the reason I don’t want my kids to be afraid of water. I think people panic and drown often in scenarios where they could easily float or doggy paddle their way out of it even if they weren’t strong swimmers.

That said I think it’s a good idea to wear life jackets and need to get better at it myself.
 
I’m not a park ranger but I’ve had to help with a few searches. None of them were wearing life jackets and most of them involved alcohol.
The Navy taught me about water, after my dad had.
Everyone that canoes/rafts/kayaks on moving water with any degree of current should take a Swiftwater Rescue Course. Opens your eyes, plus tons of fun and meet a lot of great people.

Practicing knots and Z drags is always fun, and doing throwbags. Hit my instructor in the head at fifty yards. When he got to land, he wanted to know who threw that, as it was supposed to be out of reach for a throwbag.

I said probably not someone from the soccer generation (course was near Missoula, and I couldn't resist). He called me Tom Brady for the rest of the weekend, so I've got that going for me. Not as good as the blessing of the Dalai Lama, though. ;)
Once a year we would put on Open Water rescue practices where we surfed for local S&R teams. Hazzard Canyon surf rescues. Large surf, one way in and out of the cove. Sharks. Cold water. The swift water folks always found new insight from watermen. Calm.
 
Once a year we would put on Open Water rescue practices where we surfed for local S&R teams. Hazzard Canyon surf rescues. Large surf, one way in and out of the cove. Sharks. Cold water. The swift water folks always found new insight from watermen. Calm.
No surf here in the Midwest, but lowhead dams take a few people each year. Luckily many lowhead dams are being removed.
 
I was with a Montana S&R for many years and my brother still dives for them. Not sure which is worse, recovering bodies that have been rolling around in the river for weeks or little kids that drowned the same day. Those little ones really tore me up.

Bud Buzinsky, the third base coach for Toronto Blue Jays, had to be hauled out of a game two weeks ago when his 17 year-old daughter died in a tubing accident, presumably drowned. Beautiful young lady.
 
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