T2x
Icon/Charter Member
No.
Headlines
At what speed do you wear lifevests?
- Thread starter GRADS
- Start date
No.
Tank
Charter Member
We are on the exact same page....Except for one little detail....
Doesn't matter if you were naked and crashed, killing 5 or you were wearing a vest, lanyards and helmet and were seriously injured. Those that want to restrict our sport, will use a collision whether safety equipment were involved or not.
Most importantly (and this is my main point on this thread.....and topic in general). It does us NO GOOD to comment on this subject in an open forum! Because all it's going to take when so and so kills themselves driving naked at 100 mph is for congressman Cecil Clueless to pull this thread up and say, "Even those involved in the sport like T2x, who has extensive background in racing and running boats at high speeds, agrees life vests and lanyards should be worn at all times...And that is why I propose this new law that will mandate life vests being worn by all passenger and driver when the boat is in motion....And while we're at it I also propose the mandate a 55 mph speed limit on all bodies of water. Because a life vest really isn't going to save someones life at over 100 mph when your head collides with the dash at that speed."
I say:
A) Doesn't matter how much you argue people should wear their vests, most wont. You're not going to change peoples minds on the topic.
B) (Due to the above) All the pounding on the keyboards in an attempt to make people see it your way, will only further assist those (insurance companies and law-makers who are getting money from them) that seek to restrict our hobby.
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MarylandMark
Charter Member
I vow to wear mine more each year and not up to 100% but getting closer and closer.
cuda
Banned
Wow! 15 bones, that's a real accomplishment. Which one of those bones was you skull? You're so tough, you gargle with Draino.
cuda
Banned
I'm not pushing for mandated restrictions, you can't outlaw stupidity. I've been laying in a hospital bed the last five days, listening to a man one room down from me who broke his neck, fight for every breath for five days. I don't know the circumstances behind his broken neck, but I doubt you'd be so cavalier about getting a broken neck if you saw and heard him. I guarangodamntee he wishes he'd never done whatever broke his neck. So does his family. I know you could get hit by a bus, but that doesn't mean you should NOT do something as simple as put on a lifejacket. I remember way back when I took driver's Ed, they showed a picture of a girl who said she didn't like to wear a seatbelt because it wrinkled her dress. Then they showed a picture of her in a full body cast. Wonder if she worried about her wrinkled dress while she was laying there in a body cast? In my considered opinion, not taking simple safety precautions is just plain stupid. It's the boaters who DON'T take these simple precautions that will have them legislated down our throats.
If your goal is to have restrictions rammed down our throats because you thoughtlessly went out and broke your fool neck, kudos to you.
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ProMod
New member
I wont get on a performance boat without my Lifeline. I was knocked out hitting the water at less than 60mph some years ago laying face first I almost drowned with a cheap jacket partially on my body..
I must say that other than at Poker runs we are the only rig in our group that where jackets.This group includes several big Skaters ,Nortecks an MTI ,Outerlimits ,Cigs etc.all boats that on plane run 90+mph all day long..
When I run in friends boats I am the only person wearing a jacket and that's fine we are all adults it's not for me to say what's right for others!
On my boat when on plane we put on our lifelines it's my rule!.
I must say that other than at Poker runs we are the only rig in our group that where jackets.This group includes several big Skaters ,Nortecks an MTI ,Outerlimits ,Cigs etc.all boats that on plane run 90+mph all day long..
When I run in friends boats I am the only person wearing a jacket and that's fine we are all adults it's not for me to say what's right for others!
On my boat when on plane we put on our lifelines it's my rule!.
Attachments
cuda
Banned
I have the same rule. The club I used to run with didn't require lifejackets in the poker runs, but I told anyone who wanted to ride in my boat, they had two options: 1) Wear a lifejacket 2) Stay on the dock
These are my terms, and they are non-negotiable.
We went through this in pretty good depth when the Scarab tossed those guys into the Ohio river. They found the boat running in circles, but no boaters- at least not for a few days. There were some excellent posts made.
I personally don't give a damn about some group raising Cain about our boats. And frankly, that seems to happen on waterways that these boats were never really intended for anyway. If they want to ban 150 mph boats on these little ponds, OK by me. And I do value personal freedom and choice. But I also believe in personal responsibility and people making informed, educated choices.
Bottom line- the high-performance boating community doesn't have enough fatalities to generate even a statistical blip in a country full of 300 million people, many not so bright. We've got idiots killing themselves in a myriad of ways and in such significant volume that we are invisible. Few states even have seat belt use as a primary violation and most dropped helmet laws. So a few dead boaters won't stimulate Congressional hearings. And I believe the insurance industry has already figured out our little niche has a fairly significant group inside of it that boats drunk, jacket-less and lanyard-less and they've either departed the market or adjusted their rates accordingly. The damage that could be done was done some time ago.
So what are we left with? I think it's the people these folks leave behind needlessly. The point was made that all activities have varying degrees of risk. I'll buy that. But may risks can be negated. I care enough about my wife and kids to put on a vest and a lanyard. And I care enough about people I bring on board that I'm willing to set the example.
I have a close friend. His son was a bit of a wild kid. My friend even joked about it- that we did wild stuff when we were kids and so on. I think he was proud to be the father of an alpha male. I made a few pointed suggestions about the kid's behavior when I saw it but it fell on deaf ears. In the Spring of his senior year in high school, the kid hopped on a friends dirt bike and proceeded to wring it out on the street in front of his house. He came over a rise wide-open in 5th gear and hit an elderly lady as he was backing her car out of her driveway. They estimate he was going about 80. I couldn't attend the funeral for fear that I'd drag my friend into the parking lot and beat the stuffing out of him for allowing the behavior to go on in spite of all the warning signs. I tried- I sat in the funeral home parking lot for over an hour, watching his classmates stream in and out, many of them sobbing. and my friend? We've gone from good friends to mere acquaintances in the last 6 or 7 years. I can't see him without the anger rearing up. And the woman he hit- she blames herself.
So I guess you have to ask yourself- how many lives are you willing to shatter for a little bit of your own personal freedom?
I personally don't give a damn about some group raising Cain about our boats. And frankly, that seems to happen on waterways that these boats were never really intended for anyway. If they want to ban 150 mph boats on these little ponds, OK by me. And I do value personal freedom and choice. But I also believe in personal responsibility and people making informed, educated choices.
Bottom line- the high-performance boating community doesn't have enough fatalities to generate even a statistical blip in a country full of 300 million people, many not so bright. We've got idiots killing themselves in a myriad of ways and in such significant volume that we are invisible. Few states even have seat belt use as a primary violation and most dropped helmet laws. So a few dead boaters won't stimulate Congressional hearings. And I believe the insurance industry has already figured out our little niche has a fairly significant group inside of it that boats drunk, jacket-less and lanyard-less and they've either departed the market or adjusted their rates accordingly. The damage that could be done was done some time ago.
So what are we left with? I think it's the people these folks leave behind needlessly. The point was made that all activities have varying degrees of risk. I'll buy that. But may risks can be negated. I care enough about my wife and kids to put on a vest and a lanyard. And I care enough about people I bring on board that I'm willing to set the example.
I have a close friend. His son was a bit of a wild kid. My friend even joked about it- that we did wild stuff when we were kids and so on. I think he was proud to be the father of an alpha male. I made a few pointed suggestions about the kid's behavior when I saw it but it fell on deaf ears. In the Spring of his senior year in high school, the kid hopped on a friends dirt bike and proceeded to wring it out on the street in front of his house. He came over a rise wide-open in 5th gear and hit an elderly lady as he was backing her car out of her driveway. They estimate he was going about 80. I couldn't attend the funeral for fear that I'd drag my friend into the parking lot and beat the stuffing out of him for allowing the behavior to go on in spite of all the warning signs. I tried- I sat in the funeral home parking lot for over an hour, watching his classmates stream in and out, many of them sobbing. and my friend? We've gone from good friends to mere acquaintances in the last 6 or 7 years. I can't see him without the anger rearing up. And the woman he hit- she blames herself.
So I guess you have to ask yourself- how many lives are you willing to shatter for a little bit of your own personal freedom?
AugiePensa
The Godfather
Hey Guy's, was sick yesterday. Rich, to answer your question on how fast Kevin and I were going was Approx. 82-83 mph when we stuffed. we were going South on the Hudson River during an SBI Race. I will say besides the two cracked bones in my neck I broke my wrist and took a chunk out of my forehead to the bone. Not a pretty site. Up until then I never wore kill switches, life jackets, ect. while pleasure boating. ... I now do, even to go for a little spin. Ya Never Know, But that's just me! Oh, and everyone that gets in my boat must wear life jackets, or get the Fu$k out!
Sean Stinson
Founding Member/Contributor
I was boating in the Pacific one day that it looked like a mill pond....Had BCC, Rivergirl and RG's boyfriend at the time Semper Fi....38 Top Gun Big Zul power that all being said here we go....leave Dana Point warm up the oil look at surroundings the only thing in sight in any direction is a blow boat all is good no jackets on because it's a sunday cruise right....Ok lets see what this puupy has under the hood a bit at about 80 I look over my shoulder to make sure nothings looks goofy behind us with the rooster tails and tabs doing anything to the water coming off the back.....Out of no where on a dead flat ocean the boat hits a rogue wave kites the front a bit and trips then hooks to the left power it out while trying to catch passengers bouncing into my lap and not in a fun way come off plane to make sure everyone is alright....Everybody is like "Where did that come from?" Results RG hit the dash with chin and cut it open end of boating for that morning go get checked out and bandaged up and then head backout for more....What could have happened is boat could have tossed some if not all into water and kept going....the rest everybody can draw their own what if scenarios....Jackets and lanyards are a must....Hell ask a couple seasoned pros how their swim outside of haulover was as the boat ran circles around them bobbing their dumb asses in the water!!!!!
Wobble
Charter Member
Those stats don't seen to confirm or disprove what I read. It may have been a newsletter from parks and wildlife or some other.
EDIT
USCG table 13 as supplied by Chris. This doesnt specify whether jackets were worn or not
Not moving or under 10mph, 286 Deaths and 987 Injuries
Under way over 10mph, 128 deaths 2197 injuries
Not known 271 deaths 1109 injuries
There were 685 total deaths (all causes), out of those 122 were wearing jackets (table 24) and of those only 49 drowned.
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If there's another study about boating and drowning out there, I'm not aware of it. The USCG is typically the first, last and only word on the topic. Federal law requres that drownings be reported to them. They maintain and publish the data.
It stands to reason though that alot of people drown for reasons other than a collision or moving mishap. Swimming, peeing off the transom or just losing balance and falling in are all in that basket of possibilities. Being alone most likely increases the chances of drowning substantially.
It stands to reason though that alot of people drown for reasons other than a collision or moving mishap. Swimming, peeing off the transom or just losing balance and falling in are all in that basket of possibilities. Being alone most likely increases the chances of drowning substantially.
BRAD SCHOENWALD
Charter Member
Hell ask a couple seasoned pros how their swim outside of haulover was as the boat ran circles around them bobbing their dumb asses in the water!!!!![/QUOTE]
and they still dont wear them.. Unless I get onboard and zip it up for them....
and they still dont wear them.. Unless I get onboard and zip it up for them....
40FlatDeck
New member
I threw that out there because I have been injured and I know what broken bones feel like! I'm not very tough, but I do like to push limits, and I have been bitten a few times. So was the skull comment supposed to insinuate that I am not very bright????
MOBILEMERCMAN
Founding Member / Competitor
I can apply something I have heard.. One of two things is true if you choose to not protect yourself or others.
You are either stupid because you have heard the stories, know the dangers, and can't make a good choice.....
Or you are selfish because you disregard others and potentially put them in harms way.
Neither reason is very attractive.
I am not saying this to anyone in particular.
You are either stupid because you have heard the stories, know the dangers, and can't make a good choice.....
Or you are selfish because you disregard others and potentially put them in harms way.
Neither reason is very attractive.
I am not saying this to anyone in particular.
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