OK guys, this may be a dumb question but here goes: In the rules concerning life jackets. What is your interpretation of the "the combustion engine is in Operation" mean. Each contestant is required to wear a fastened (fully zipped and/or all clips fastened), U.S. Coast Guard approved, personal flotation device anytime the combustion engine is in operation during official tournament hours. Does this mean before you start your engine or when the engine is put in gear?

It is a little vague. I would think as long at it is not in gear you are okay. They just do not want you moving with the big motor with no PFD on.

This is what I do. Keep your PFD in the driver's seat with the kill switch attached to it. As soon as you sit down in the driver's seat put on the jacket and zip it. Have your partner(s) do the same as soon as you do.

Remember if you win any hour of the event you will be given a polygraph. You just need to be able to say truthfully that you did not knowingly violate any rules of the event.

In my mind that would mean if the outboard is running.

If they put anytime engine is running some guy argues he wasn't running he was idling.

In operation means engine is started. Secure all pfd's before hitting ignition switch. Look to make sure your partner is secured before you start the engine

This is what I do.

Saw a guy in a McDonalds event years ago get DQ'ed with a fish that would've won him $8,000...

He came into the bank at LFM and beached his boat. Took off his PFD then grabbed a weigh in bag from one of the helpers. Got back into his boat and got his fish out of the livewell. As he was doing it his boat drifted off the bank. He reached over and cranked the big motor and put it in gear & idled back to the bank.

He was not allowed to weigh his fish due to breaking the rule of not having his PFD on & zipped when his outboard was in gear. Bob Sealy talked about it on stage and he felt badly for having to DQ the guy but he stated in a tournament the size of his, you could not make any exceptions.

Very simple. PFD on and zipped up or buckled and kill switch attached before you hit the key.

Why risk it, to me it's such a small difference, why would you need to have the jacket off to sit in neutral anyways(kens specific explanation aside lol). Just treat the rule the same for all tournaments, zip it up before cranking the motor.

The Berkley rule is vague, so I will zip it before cranking.
I do this unless the rules specifically state "while the motor is in gear", which a few of the tournaments do.

Combustion engines do not operate when they're not started. Once started, they're operating whether in gear or not. Why take a chance? Just zip and buckle before you turn they key, then there will be NO room for interpretation and no question in your mind if you have to take a polygraph.

thanks fellows. I will zip before I start the engine.

Exactly, I don't even see it as vague.

Don't start without being zipped and clipped. not worth getting protested on a technicality.

When you start the motor it is operating whether in gear or not.
That is what we was explained to us in a BASS open a few years ago when I fished one.

I've never had a self inflating PFD but they look to be very wearable. Just leave it on?