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]

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.

Plus 1 Moveon Likes this.

[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.

[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.

[Hlleonard]

I have been fortunate in that I have never fallen out of a boat... that might be a bad thing, I am 67 and have a brother who is 70 and a couple years ago I bought two mustang auto-inflate life jackets for him and myself and when we are together we both wear them, Most of the time when I fish by myself I don't wear it, I have no excuse, like someone said earlier they are a lot more comfortable than the vest type which get pretty sweaty in the summer but the auto-inflate isn't nearly as bad.... Me and the better half have talked about it a few times and she tells me I should but I still don't... I hope the time never comes when I wish I had not been so ignorant... I have noticed while fishing that there are more fishermen not wearing life vest than those that are.... Old habits are hard to break I guess.

[Tyme2fish]

Hlleonard, please wear that PFD,especially when alone.

I too rarely wear my PFD but that is changing as of right now.

And as stated in an above post, get a pee jar (coffee can will work) and stand in the lower area of your boat when relieving ones self.

[HURRICANEBOB]

I'll let ya know when I get my life insurance premium bill this year.

That tell's me how much it will cost me to keep living as opposed to just cashing in the chips.

Wearing a PDF to me is a lot like wearing a seat belt....I don't know why I should make it easier for the EMT's and first responders to find the body. My last great act of defiance will be the ultimate game of hide and seek.

When I fished salt water, I never wore a PDF because I never wanted to be a floating buffet for the sharks. I also figured if they never found the body, the family would save money on the funeral.

Funny thing is I always put my wallet and truck keys in my boat bag that has a flotation built into it. I mean even if they do find an empty boat, I want them to have the insurance card and keys to ramp out and tow the boat home.

"A man's got to have his priorities"

[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!!