recently i have been blown aback by the sheer lack of people opting to use life jackets in boats. now i know that anglian water have a policy that you must wear them in boats but on a recent trip to ringstead grange i was shocked that they dont have a rule on wearing life jackets in boats.

you may think you can swim but its alot diffrent from swimming in your local swimming pool were all your wearing is a pair of swiming trunks, try swimming with all that heavy fishing gear on i wouldnt want to risk it all for the chance of a slightly better cast! if your interested in learning abit more about boat safety ill link a video by total fly fishing on the benifits of being safe when bording, going out on a boat and coming back in.

Total Fly Fisher - Videos - Total Flyfisher Videos - Boat Safety

all the best james

I agree. Life jackets should be worn at all times

It just takes you to read something like this

Distraught family pray missing boat man is found alive - News - Belfasttelegraph.co.uk


Neither of these guys were wearing life jackets. One of them was lucky & swam to shore. The other, well they still haven't found his body 5 days later. Just think of the sorrow that he has left behing

Be responsible, wear a life jacket

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Yeah yeah yeah, sure it's the sensible thing to do.... However, contrary to popular belief, there are worse things in life than losing your balance and falling over the side of a rowing boat....and getting wet Believe it or not, swimmer or non-swimmer, a dunking without a bouyancy aid doesn't guarantee certain death.

I see it as the thin end of the wedge, and we're creeping along to the fat bit at an inexorable rate already. No offence mate, but I value my freedom and right to make certain decisions for myself more than my life. If you value the thrills and spills and the freedoms of the outdoor life too, then you'd do well to stop backing up the folk who make these rules who don't know the difference between a bow and a stern, and stop patronising us with threads like this.

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Too much Saturn, not enough Moon.

Buzzers 2012


Fly Clips & Stands

Well , it's better than it was in the 80's .

When we got going with the Float Tube thing the one main selling weapon we had to get us on to waters was that unlike boat fishermen all of us wore our very own CO2 powered lifejackets . And to make capital out of this I actually rang round one England Boat team and was startled to find out that a) None of them wore lifejackets and b) A third couldn't swim at all !

Since then lifejackets have become pretty much mandatory on virtually all of the bigger waters - the ASGFM took matters to heart and basically extended what we'd done for Float Tubing .

Of course you cannot stop folks taking them off when out of eyeshot of the lodge and there are always odd innocents who never thought it could happen to them .

The way I see it - Drowned Customers Cease To Buy - so I and a lot of other retailers have sold the things at below normal margin to encourage customers to stay alive for years.

It'll get better !

Take Care

Steve P

fair enough but i personally wouldnt want to risk my life or anyone elses for the sake of wearing a piece of clothing, and your right it is your choice and its not exactly comprimising your freedom but im not gonna say you MUST wear them its not gonna affect me if you accidently fall in without a life jacket

but oh well whatever floats your boat eh?

all the best james.

p.s i hope you dont fall in

Scratch,

Don't ever share a boat with me and be so foolish as to fall over the side because I'll respect your right to make decisions about your personal freedom and let you drown peacefully. All I'll ask is that you don't disturb my fishing in the process.

Another one who's bought into it.

Bob, trust me, I've no intention of sharing a boat with you any time soon.

__________________
Too much Saturn, not enough Moon.

Buzzers 2012


Fly Clips & Stands

I've had a couple of enjoyable days a float at Arnfield from the boats and personally I have not worn a life jacket, that's my choice, I also wear a vest and feel it would obstructive. But if it were to become compulsory or at a particular water, then I would wear one and would adapt!

I want to start float tubing this year when funds allow, bet your @rse I wear one then though... with flippers

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About the most irresponsible and stupid post I've ever read here.

"I value my freedom and right to make certain decisions for myself more than my life."

Have you thought what an absurd statement that is? You kind of have to be alive to exercise your 'freedom'.

I know the difference between a bow and a stern and I also know very well the dangers of 'getting wet'... And I promise you the day you do go in and not everything is as you thought it would be you'll very quickly be in the guano. Anyway, you can drown happy in the knowledge that it was your choice and that you weren't some unimaginative follow-the-herd reactionary Do you also refuse to wear a seatbelt just to exercise 'your right'?

I just hope your family are of the same opinion as you and - should it ever go wrong - could accept your needless passing in such a liberal manner.

It would be a really stupid mistake to assume that wearing a lifejacket will save you....

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Plusnet/Madasafish > Liars to the internet community