I hear some saying they don't wear one now and if it was a law they still wouldn't. For those who take their own lives in their own hands don't realize others have to pay for their mistakes, uh stupidity ie, family members, rescue people, etc.

FL-Fishlady--- kinda funny how you speak of stupidity for not wearing a PFD but your profile picture is of a person in a dinky boat and they are not wearing one at all. Unless its under their shirt???

My point of this post is to say we all have our difference of opinions on this matter, but one thing we all KNOW and that is....its a good idea to wear some form of PFD while in a boat. So, just like every thing in life the choice is a personal choice. No law passed will keep anyone safer because we still have free will. When free will is gone we are mere robots!!

Sorry FL-Fishlady for calling you out....

I wear a auto inflator in tourneys and when the water is rough. I have not fallen out while in the boat but i have been close. When its super cold i wear it the entire time in the boat. i have a 2 month old little girl so i think of her while putting it on. I bought a blue storm from academy and it inflated in my rod locker on the way to a tourney. I then bought a mustang and i have had no problems since.

Any one who runs boats on Texas waters (full of hidden stumps, logs, and other underwater hazards) who does not wear a life jacket when running the big motor is simply a moron. If you hit a stump or sunken log at 60+mph you are not going to stay in the boat. Chances are you will not be conscious either.

Along with the PFD how may have the kill switch attached to them?

I can't think of a more preventable or ironic way to die than to be thrown out of your own boat and then have the boat run over you.

I wear the big one when the boat is on plane and the inflatable when im fishing points and areas of rough water or the chance of boat traffic rocking the boat.

When im in coves and such i dont wear either.

I really like the concept that the gene pool culls itself, but sure hate reading the stories about the process of culling.

Skeeter151,
Funny you noticed that! I got into the boat that day because a friend of mine wanted a photo. Had to pole out to about a depth of 1 foot and about 20 feet from the shore for the photoshoot. Didn't think of the PDF because I tied the boat up again when she got the photos. You're right, though.
I have one of the fancier ones, but would still love to have one that inflate$ when needed...so much more comfortable. My husband says NO, because I only had that boat for 4 months running in 2 feet of water and sold it the middle of Feb. Darn, couldn't fit it on the back of the motorhome with the car, ha ha. Oh well, most of the time, we're not around water anyway.
Good Eye!!

what about the party boats on lake travis? all those gals in and out of bikini tops??? big motor is running, you think they will have a pfd on and mess up their tan lines?

I always wear a PFD when the big motor is running. If I am fishing by myself, I will have a PFD on all the time. I tripped one time, while standing on the casting deck...fell over backwards and hit my head on the windshield - fortunately I didn't go overboard.

I know most people can swim, but if you are knocked out when you enter the water you can't swim.... anything can happen.

I wear mine all the time. I conciser myself to be a very good swimmer and I can climb back into my boat without assistance. But like Junebugger said, I can not do either one while unconscious! The way I see it there is too great of a chance of hitting you head on the boat or a stump of what ever, when you fall not to where one.

I don't think it should be required by law. There are too many laws as it is.

That being said, I put on my life jacket when I have the big motor on, and have a D-ring attached to my kill switch. I think the potential is there for the life jacket to actually cause more accidents than it prevents when the boat is stationary. During the winter, its not so much drowning you are worried about, but hypothermia.

The law is good the way that it is.

One thing I NEVER allow is drinking on my boat. People who say they want to "get drunk" on my boat don't realize that it forces the captain to become a babysitter, and then you are liable for them! Wear a life jacket when the big motor is on, and never drink on my boat.

People in a boat look smarter with a pfd on. People in a boat without a pfd look like either they forgot to put theirs on, or they are too hard headed to be extra safe.
Just my opinion.

I just purchased two PFD's for the boat. Spent the extra money to get some good ones that are comfortable. My 13 year old must keep his on all the time and it would be hard for me to tell him to keep his on while taking mines off.


Reggie

Folks, I don't believe making it a law will change anything because there aren't enough law enforcement officers on the lakes to enforce all the laws we have already. I believe that while the big motor is running everyone should have a life jacket on, regardless of age. I would be a hypocrite to say that everyone should wear one while fishing because I don't generally do that either. What I cannot, for the life of me, understand is all the name calling and labeling of folks who do not wear one all the time. I have read this thread and I have seen everything from "stupid" to "moron" used to describe folks who obviously don't think the way you do. My personal take is that you are entitled to your own opinion and while it may be a great opinion it still doesn't grant you any special priviledges such as calling someone else stupid or moronic. I am going to leave this thread up here because the topic is a very good one, but I am going to ask you folks to try and be a little more considerate when it comes to expressing yourself.

no, because it's a common (ok rare) sense thing. It depends on conditions for me. If it's cold out, or even warm but the water is cold then I wear one. If the wind is really blowing, I wear one. If it's the middle of summer and conditions are calm or pretty close to, then I don't. I would be ok if it was only when you're on plane, but then again most times I don't wear it then either unless conditions mentioned above are present, but my top speed is 27mph, and I know you can get killed doing 5mph but overall it's really a risk assessment thing. 2 cents

I say take the warning labels off everything and let nature run its course.