Make sure that the life jacket is on at all times when the water gets below 50 deg. Even 60 deg F water is cold as heck. Remember that swimming pools keep their water temp at around 78 deg. Even 78 deg F water can chill your body if you stay in the water a long time. Water can ##### the heat right out of your body very quickly.

Wear the life jacket on the outside of your clothing at all times in the winter time when fishing. Moss on launch ramps can cause you to slip and hit your head on something while launching the boat. A friend of mine said he fell on a slipper launch ramp and had to have 21 stitches put in his leg to close a cut. Imagine if he had bumbed his head on something that hard? You can drown in just a few inches of water if you are knocked unconscious.

I use to swim a lot and 25 years ago when I was in great shape I and a few life guard friends of mine decided to jump into the lake in early March. We had not been swimming since Sept the year before and the water was like 45 deg F. I'll never forget the shock of hitting that cold water. Imagine being dressed with lots of heavy clothing and falling into 40 deg F water.

With the new types of life jackets there is no excuse to not wear one.

I like my sterns because it helps keep me warm when worn over my cloths.


Regards,

Moose1am