: This reminds me of a situation I found myself in last week. Y'all
: remember Keith, the guy who I helped build the WD Solace 17EX.
: Well, Keith asked me what part of the river was the best to
: paddle on. He was thinking of taking his son and himself over to
: a nice launch point and paddling a 5-hr stretch of the river. I
: was somewhat put aback at his request but I was damned glad he
: asked me. I immediately suggested that he wouldn't be paddling
: the river without me. I spoke with him for a solid hour about
: the differences between lake and river hydrolics. I worked hard
: to put the scare in him so that he would stick to lakes until he
: got more experience. He is a natural paddler but still pretty
: darned green in my eyes. I am comfortable with letting them go
: on the river if and only if I am with them because I can use
: that occasion to teach them how to understand its currents and
: how to respect the safety gear they need but don't have yet. I
: am the last person who wants to read about two kayaks who
: disappear on the river during a nice quiet family outing. I
: think there are too many businesses selling kayaks without
: proper safety instruction and even more folks who think kayaks
: are fun watercraft that require no real skill to paddle. Yes, it
: is easy to get into a kayak and make it move but hey, when that
: thing tips over, you have less than one minute to think about
: your situation. I suggested to Keith that he needs to learn to
: bail and then to know what to do next: he is definitely a little
: more sober when he thinks of kayaks. I'll leave the rolling
: classes to someone else somewhere down the road.

: Robert N Pruden

I have to admit that I never wear my PFD on the small lakes near my house, as a ski boat wake is the worst thing I have to deal with... but I always have it bungied right behind me, and I put it on if the weather starts looking bad. I've been in some pretty good sized swells during storms. And I always wear it if I'm on moving water, or on the Chesapeake Bay, the coastal NC sounds, or the ocean. I surfed for years, so I know how easy it is to get into trouble out there.

Yes, proper training is important, and so is proper equipment... but you absolutely have the right in this country (at least right now) to be as stupid as you want.... and I believe that the incidents you refer to are natural selection at work... most people are responsible... most people are safe... but let's not turn this sport into one of the nanny-state regulated ones because of a few idiots... that mentality nearly wiped out private aviation...