PFD on a kayak- laws

[dgkasper58]

State laws around me do not require me to wear a PFD while kayaking and am debating if I need to wear one 100% of the time or not. *in any situations where I feel uncomfortable or ina dangerous situation I would wear one no doubt.

 

Seeing what everyone's state requires vs what you actually do in here.

Mainly interested in states that do not require it

 

If it requires it you should be wearing it.

[MN Fisher]

Minnesota - children under 10 are required to wear a PFD at all times while on the water.

10 and older - for each person in the craft, there must be a PFD accessible for their use. That means not locked up in a compartment, but easily retrieved.

 

You're not required to wear it - though in the canoe I did wear mine all the time.

[casts_by_fly]

12 and under here (NJ) must wear them on any boat.  Over 12 and you don't have to wear one on any boat.  That's the baseline law.  Some lakes, state parks, or other places will require PFD use so you have to check for the place you're at.

[Bankc]

In Oklahoma, we're not required to wear one, but we are required to have one on board for each passenger.  So if nothing else, wearing your PFD will take up less space.  Also, I know two people who have drowned, and both were excellent swimmers.  People don't usually drown because they don't know how to swim.  They typically drown because something unexpected happens that they can't recover from.  

 

I was talking to a lake patrol officer a while back, and he told me that he makes people wear them if they're kayaking alone.  If they're kayaking with others, then he's more lenient.  He might not be able to ticket you, but he can pull you over and kick you out of the lake (they have the power to remove anyone from the lake for any reason, or no reason at all).  

[Darth-Baiter]

I just have to have one onboard.  Within reach. 
 

I put mine on/off at the truck.   I’ll die if I get separated from the kayak. Unless I’m near shore. 

[Choporoz]

NC and VA both require PFD to be accessible.   I wear one 100% of the time.  I'm a strong swimmer, but my club requires it for any events or even photos on their social media pages, so it has become habit.  And, as I mentioned in a couple threads recently, I also seem to have a habit of putting myself in less than the safest situations....no less than 3 times already this year....stayed upright, but glad I had PFD on each time

[TnRiver46]

Wear it! 

[A-Jay]

3 hours ago, dgkasper58 said:

State laws around me do not require me to wear a PFD while kayaking and am debating if I need to wear one 100% of the time or not. *in any situations where I feel uncomfortable or ina dangerous situation I would wear one no doubt.

 

Seeing what everyone's state requires vs what you actually do in here.

Mainly interested in states that do not require it

 

If it requires it you should be wearing it.

Wear it for the folks that love you and you'll leave behind,

hurt, sad and mostly heart broken.

To ignore this is just selfish.

C'Mon Man.

#notevenjoking

A-Jay

[Darth-Baiter]

11 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Wear it for the folks that love you and you'll leave behind,

hurt, sad and mostly heart broken.

To ignore this is just selfish.

C'Mon Man.

#notevenjoking

A-Jay

Yup. I promised my wife…no exceptions. 
 

that pop singer Naya Rivera drowned after she pushed her kid on the boat only to realize she couldn’t climb back on herself.  She went under.  Her kid watching I presume. 
 

no thanks. 

[dgkasper58]

I understand there is a risk of going in the water and not coming out.  Doesn't matter if I am in a kayak or a boat and I feel they are very comparable and have the same risks for both.  

 

Boat: I only wear my vest when I run or am in a tournament that requires it 100% of the time- then I take it off when I am on deck on the trolling motor.  Sure I know I should wear it on front deck as well- But I don't.

 

Yak: I do think I will be wearing a manual inflatable 

I am just seeing who wears a pfd when the law says you do not have to.  In kayak pages it is about 75%/25% but wanted to check in here since this is more fishing related.

[Bankc]

Studies show a PFD reduces your risk of drowning while out on a boat by around 85%.  For comparison, a seatbelt only reduces your risk of dying in a car accident by about 45%.  

[BassNJake]

TN just requires one per person on the vessel. (kayak or canoe)

 

I would venture to guess that in most boat related drownings

The required pfd's were onboard and could have saved a life if they were worn.

[MN Fisher]

49 minutes ago, dgkasper58 said:

Boat: I only wear my vest when I run or am in a tournament that requires it 100% of the time- then I take it off when I am on deck on the trolling motor.  Sure I know I should wear it on front deck as well- But I don't.

This is close to the one I have that I wore in the canoe - went on before I shoved off, didn't come off till I landed.

I'll have this in one of the compartments on the boat for rough water or for a second person.

 

This is what I bought for the boat - probably won't take it off either.

[gim]

I realize this is a kayak-specific thread.  Full disclosure, I do not own or use a kayak.  However, if I did, I would wear one all the time.  I don't really see the reason for removing it while using a kayak.  Technically it only has to be "accessible" here in MN but to be honest, where would you store it in a kayak if you weren't wearing it?  Its not like kayaks are equipped with a bunch or storage like boats are.  I see a lot of kayakers without their PFDs on here in MN.  To me it just seems like a disaster waiting to happen.  They could be sitting on it or whatever, but I don't quite understand why you wouldn't just wear it.  Same concept applies to paddle boards.  Most of them not only aren't wearing one, but they don't even have one.  Its rampant.  I KNOW those are breaking the law because there's no place to store one on a paddle board.

 

I wear my PFD in my boat when using the main outboard and the kill switch is attached to it.  I remove it while I am fishing on the front deck and using the bow mount.

[Jigfishn10]

1 hour ago, MN Fisher said:

This is what I bought for the boat - probably won't take it off either.

I have the whole family wearing these when we're out.

 

The cartridges are pretty expensive I might add. If you see them on sale, grab a couple. We had a wave come over the boat last season and 2 of these worked very well.  

[dgkasper58]

Just now, Jigfishn10 said:

I have the whole family wearing these when we're out.

 

The cartridges are pretty expensive I might add. If you see them on sale, grab a couple. We had a wave come over the boat last season and 2 of these worked very well.  

I have had that happen. Rough $30 to see explode.  I usually convert to manual because of that while still carrying the type 1 2 or 3 as required by the state.

[Jigfishn10]

2 minutes ago, dgkasper58 said:

I have had that happen. Rough $30 to see explode.  I usually convert to manual because of that while still carrying the type 1 2 or 3 as required by the state.

We did as well...  ... Except for one person who isn't a strong swimmer to begin with ... lesson learned

[flyfisher]

2 hours ago, dgkasper58 said:

I understand there is a risk of going in the water and not coming out.  Doesn't matter if I am in a kayak or a boat and I feel they are very comparable and have the same risks for both.  

 

Boat: I only wear my vest when I run or am in a tournament that requires it 100% of the time- then I take it off when I am on deck on the trolling motor.  Sure I know I should wear it on front deck as well- But I don't.

 

Yak: I do think I will be wearing a manual inflatable 

I am just seeing who wears a pfd when the law says you do not have to.  In kayak pages it is about 75%/25% but wanted to check in here since this is more fishing related.

The only way I can see anyone making a comment like this is if they are not in a kayak often.  I have been kayak fishing for a long time now and a PFD is absolutely more prone to being used in a kayak than a boat.

Also, if you get an inflatable you have to wear it as it doesn't count as one of the being accessible types.

 

If a game warden tried to make me wear one because I wasn't and was kayaking alone, I would absolutely file a report for him stepping over his legal bounds to do so.

All that being said it is very rare I do not have a PFD on since I switched over to a inflatable version.  

[Hook2Jaw]

Kayaker here that reads about too many dead kayakers who didn't wear their PFD.

 

Wear your PFD, I don't want to read about you.

[gim]

2 hours ago, dgkasper58 said:

Sure I know I should wear it on front deck as well- But I don't.

I wouldn't necessarily say that.  I think most bass anglers remove them while they are actually fishing on the front or back deck.  At least the ones I see and know of do, including myself.

[Bluebasser86]

I wear mine 100% of the time in my kayak, and my boat. Things happen fast. What may be within reach at one moment might be too far to save yourself when it actually matters. We had a guy in our tournament this past weekend forget the plug in his kayak and had to go in, almost went down, it happened fast in cold water on a cold day in the middle of nowhere with very little cell service when we were scattered over a large area. Thankfully he made it to shore in time and didn't really need his PFD, but those cold temps would have sucked the energy from him fast if he'd have swamped further from the bank and who knows what would have happened then.

 

[dgkasper58]

49 minutes ago, flyfisher said:

The only way I can see anyone making a comment like this is if they are not in a kayak often.  I have been kayak fishing for a long time now and a PFD is absolutely more prone to being used in a kayak than a boat.

100% correct- but I just meant the threat of drowning is always there Boats/Kayaks/Swimming/PWC/Paddleboat/PaddleBoard all carry the risk. But I definitely see your point.

 

I was in one last year a few times and could tell it was tippy.  Ended up buying a sportsman 120 pdl this year due to its stability and been out only once but felt like I was in a jon boat (was wearing a neoprene vest)

 

That is why I kind of asked this question since I see about 50/50 pfd use (with Fisherman) on the lakes I frequent. Pretty much 0% from the adults getting their daily workout in but most of the kids in their $300 yaks have em on. 

 

Just wondering what are your thoughts with the manual/auto inflate on the kayak? 

 

8 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I wear mine 100% of the time in my kayak, and my boat. Things happen fast. What may be within reach at one moment might be too far to save yourself when it actually matters. We had a guy in our tournament this past weekend forget the plug in his kayak and had to go in, almost went down, it happened fast in cold water on a cold day in the middle of nowhere with very little cell service when we were scattered over a large area. Thankfully he made it to shore in time and didn't really need his PFD, but those cold temps would have sucked the energy from him fast if he'd have swamped further from the bank and who knows what would have happened then.

 

Cold water is terrible! Glad he was OK.

[MN Fisher]

4 minutes ago, dgkasper58 said:

Just wondering what are your thoughts with the manual/auto inflate on the kayak? 

If I'd had the money for it, I'd have gone with a Mustang instead of the Onyx.

 

Difference?

Onyx - dissolving bobbin...as others have said, if it gets too wet from rain, etc it can go off.

Mustang - hydro-static bobbin...takes a certain pressure differential to activate...going overboard and it registering a 2-3 PSI increase (4' thereabouts is about 2 PSI) activates it...no going off in the rain.

[Gera]

This is one of the things were following the rules its not the important part of it.. Your life is what you should be caring about. 

 

yes, wear it.  

[GaryH]

I don’t kayak but even on my 21’ bass boat I’m never on it without a pfd on. @A-Jay gave me advice a while back on this subject. My Mustang 100mph pfd on when the big motor is running and my Mustang inflatable on while fishing. We’ve all seen things either in person or on videos how fast things can go south and you won’t have anytime to be trying to get a pfd on. This can be especially a concern on a kayak with power boats in the area.