What price do you place on your life?

[Tyme2fish]

There is a post on the Indiana Board where two young men drowned at Patoka Lake. Tragic and preventable deaths.

I recently bought for myself a new auto/manual inflatable PFD that I plan on wearing at all times while on my boat. The price was $85.57

These PFDs are light and comfortable and one hardly knows they are wearing them.

I consider myself to be a good swimmer but I have to face the fact that was 30 years ago. Add in cold water or a head injury and we have a recipe for disaster.

Please,fellow fishin.com members, wear your PFDs and be safe.

[Dave Stewart]

Prayers for those young men and their families. So tragic when something like this happens and could possibly have been avoided. I have not read whether or not these boys had on PFD's or not but I suspect not...then again in those water temps hypothermia sets in quick. I learned the hard way some years ago when I tripped over my trolling motor foot control and fell in. Water temp was 45 degrees and outside air temp was 35. I was lucky in that I was not injured in the fall and that I had a strong client in the boat that was able to pull me back up and over the side pretty quick. I had taken my PFD jacket off when I had gotten up out of the driver seat...habit from my tournament days. Even with getting out of the water pretty quick, by the time we got back to the ramp (about 3 miles) I was really feeling the effects of being in wet clothes in that cold air.

Now when I go out in the cold I have a 300.00 Mustang auto/manual inflate PFD on and don't take it off. There is a reason the U.S. Coast Guard uses the Mustangs. I also have a full change of warm clothing and a towel in a waterproof bag stowed in the boat. I keep my cell phone stowed in a waterproof bag also. I have a boarding ladder on the boat now also.

[kygorski]

I wore[and will] wear a PFD up to the time I get into my truck to pull the boat out. A lot of us that used to fish the great lakes went to USCG seminars, and it was stressed that no matter how well you swim, the PFD will save your life, the boarding ladder is a great asset also. A good friend of mine lost his life on Lake Michigan, water temp low 60s, when they found his boat the PFDs were still safe and dry in a storage compartment. The most important thing I got out of it was this. Carry a pee bucket, USCG rescue people said over a third of drowning victims had their flys open.That object is still in the boat I just sold.

[Dave Stewart]

I read on another board that these two boys may have been trapped under the boat after it capsized.....if that was the case, pfd or not, they would not have stood much of a chance...tragic.

[Moveon]

I've fallen out of my boat three times in the last 40 years. Twice while trying to stand on the back of the boat and take a wizz and once when I ran into the front bass seat and was knocked off balance and fell out of the boat.

Now I take my wallet and cell phone and put them into a water proof box stored under the driver seat. And I always wear my life jacket while in the boat. I only take it off after I get out of the boat and back into the truck bed of my pickup truck.

Stay safe guys. That water is really cold. Another thing to remember is that the wind can blow your boat away from you after you fall out of the water. It's hard to swim with shoes on and a life jacket on. So you have to catch the boat before it blows away. That's why I don't like fishing on windy days.

I wore[and will] wear a PFD up to the time I get into my truck to pull the boat out. A lot of us that used to fish the great lakes went to USCG seminars, and it was stressed that no matter how well you swim, the PFD will save your life, the boarding ladder is a great asset also. A good friend of mine lost his life on Lake Michigan, water temp low 60s, when they found his boat the PFDs were still safe and dry in a storage compartment. The most important thing I got out of it was this. Carry a pee bucket, USCG rescue people said over a third of drowning victims had their flys open.That object is still in the boat I just sold.

[HURRICANEBOB]

I've fallen out of my boat three times in the last 40 years. Twice while trying to stand on the back of the boat and take a wizz and once when I ran into the front bass seat and was knocked off balance and fell out of the boat.

Now I take my wallet and cell phone and put them into a water proof box stored under the driver seat. And I always wear my life jacket while in the boat. I only take it off after I get out of the boat and back into the truck bed of my pickup truck.

Stay safe guys. That water is really cold. Another thing to remember is that the wind can blow your boat away from you after you fall out of the water. It's hard to swim with shoes on and a life jacket on. So you have to catch the boat before it blows away. That's why I don't like fishing on windy days.

omg dude...you don't need a pfd...you need a flippin set of hand rails, or guard rails, or bow rails...

PS: Ya know those little straps they put on fishing reels so the rig won't go over board? You might consider hooking a 20 foot strap to your belt and a boat cleat...problem solved. BTW. why a Pfd whn you have proven you float :-)

[Moveon]

I wear a regular life jacket all the time Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. I need to really get me one of those Mustang Auto Inflating PDF's.

Good Advise to everyone.

Prayers for those young men and their families. So tragic when something like this happens and could possibly have been avoided. I have not read whether or not these boys had on PFD's or not but I suspect not...then again in those water temps hypothermia sets in quick. I learned the hard way some years ago when I tripped over my trolling motor foot control and fell in. Water temp was 45 degrees and outside air temp was 35. I was lucky in that I was not injured in the fall and that I had a strong client in the boat that was able to pull me back up and over the side pretty quick. I had taken my PFD jacket off when I had gotten up out of the driver seat...habit from my tournament days. Even with getting out of the water pretty quick, by the time we got back to the ramp (about 3 miles) I was really feeling the effects of being in wet clothes in that cold air.

Now when I go out in the cold I have a 300.00 Mustang auto/manual inflate PFD on and don't take it off. There is a reason the U.S. Coast Guard uses the Mustangs. I also have a full change of warm clothing and a towel in a waterproof bag stowed in the boat. I keep my cell phone stowed in a waterproof bag also. I have a boarding ladder on the boat now also.

[peter]

Prayers for those young men and their families. So tragic when something like this happens and could possibly have been avoided. I have not read whether or not these boys had on PFD's or not but I suspect not...then again in those water temps hypothermia sets in quick. I learned the hard way some years ago when I tripped over my trolling motor foot control and fell in. Water temp was 45 degrees and outside air temp was 35. I was lucky in that I was not injured in the fall and that I had a strong client in the boat that was able to pull me back up and over the side pretty quick. I had taken my PFD jacket off when I had gotten up out of the driver seat...habit from my tournament days. Even with getting out of the water pretty quick, by the time we got back to the ramp (about 3 miles) I was really feeling the effects of being in wet clothes in that cold air.

Now when I go out in the cold I have a 300.00 Mustang auto/manual inflate PFD on and don't take it off. There is a reason the U.S. Coast Guard uses the Mustangs. I also have a full change of warm clothing and a towel in a waterproof bag stowed in the boat. I keep my cell phone stowed in a waterproof bag also. I have a boarding ladder on the boat now also.

Not sure what HIT (Auto-Hydrostatic) is..

[Dave Stewart]

If anybody has the inclination to get one now while they are thinking about it.

Amazon.com: Mustang Deluxe Inflatable PFD with HIT (Auto-Hydrostatic),Tan/Black: Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com: Mustang MD3087 Deluxe Inflatable PFD (Auto Activation) Bass Competition: Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com: Mustang Deluxe Inflatable PFD with HIT (Auto-Hydrostatic) Bass Competition: Sports & Outdoors

Not sure what HIT (Auto-Hydrostatic) is..

Basically HIT means it will not inflate until it is submerged 4" under water so that it will not inflate while stored in a damp storage box or if you are in heavy rain as some of the cheaper models and brands tend to do.

NOTE: There is a safety advisory on these models from Mustang if you have one that was manufactured during April or May of 2012 in Canada. You can find this safety advisory on the Mustang Website: www.mustangsurvival.com by clicking on the Learn More button of your particular model. You can also check the inside label of your vest to see when and where it was manufactured. Also, read the instructions that come with the vest and perform the self inflation test to ensure there are no leaks in the vest!!

[GeoFisher]

Basically HIT means it will not inflate until it is submerged 4" under water so that it will not inflate while stored in a damp storage box or if you are in heavy rain as some of the cheaper models and brands tend to do.

NOTE: There is a safety advisory on these models from Mustang if you have one that was manufactured during April or May of 2012 in Canada. You can find this safety advisory on the Mustang Website: www.mustangsurvival.com by clicking on the Learn More button of your particular model. You can also check the inside label of your vest to see when and where it was manufactured. Also, read the instructions that come with the vest and perform the self inflation test to ensure there are no leaks in the vest!!

I have two vests, and I check EACH one every year. Easy to do. Most every model has a manual inflation tube to manually blow it up.

Do that, and then leave it overnight. Check the volume of air after a couple days and make SURE the air has not leaked out. That is important. If you find a leak, they are pretty hard to fix, best to get a newer one.

On one of my Mustangs, I found a leak in a seam, and they replaced the entire vest for free.......

Later,

Geo

[Bill M of NJ]

Drowning victim at Hunterdon County reservoir identified as N.Y. man | NJ.com

[peter]

I was shopping for a life vest because I grabbed the wrong one when heading back from the lake and I need one this weekend. I remembered this thread and found it through the search feature. Just thought I would stick it to the top for a while so It might give pause for thought to those like me that don't use one on a regular basis or only when in a scary situation. The one Dave Stewart recommends might be worth the bucks . The fact that it does not inflate until 4" underwater (HIT) and that the Coast Guard uses then, to me makes it a no brainer decision.