PFDs and Paddlecraft

It's a happy scene that I see weekend after weekend while on patrol – an excited family at the water’s edge preparing to launch their kayaks for a day on the lake. Sunscreen, hats, lots of water, snacks, maybe some fishing poles, then everyone begins to find their seats and grab paddles. When I contact them to check for safety equipment before they launch, a frighteningly large number have no life jackets with them. At most, the youngest children may be buckled into a colorful personal flotation device.

Insufficient PFDs is one of the most-cited violations each year, both in the enforcement division and for me personally. A citation for insufficient PFDs can cover a wide variety of situations, from someone not wearing a life jacket while operating a jet ski, to a pontoon full of people with one less life jacket than people on board, to a person on a standup paddle board with no life jacket at all.

While most boaters are aware of the requirement to have a properly sized, wearable PFD for each person on the vessel, people are often unaware that paddlecraft such as kayaks, standup paddleboards, canoes and pedal boats have the same PFD requirements as motorized boats.

Often the family heading out for a day of paddling never even considered the need for life jackets. As soon as I explain the requirement, they are quick to realize the potential dangers of capsizing in the middle of a lake and having no life jacket available.

Thankfully, life jackets are readily available for purchase at a reasonable cost. Additionally, many public areas have life jacket loaner programs, where PFDs in a variety of sizes may be borrowed for the day at no cost. Public libraries often have life jackets available to check out.

So next time you or someone you know heads out for a day of paddling, remember to add life jackets to the checklist of supplies you take aboard for the day.

- District Game Warden Courtney Sprenger