Header - Ads / PCD

PFD Rulings

PFD Rulings

By Randy Vance

PFD Rulings

[ May 10, 2011 ]
21
by Randy Vance

On April 1 the National Safe Boating Advisory Council voted in a split decision to recommend that the U.S. Coast Guard begin an eight-year process of implementing mandatory personal flotation device wear for boaters. This occurred even though U.S. Army Corps of Engineers studies on lakes it manages show dismal compliance results. Just over 70 percent of boaters wear life jackets in places where they are required, according to a Corps report, and lackluster support by enforcement agencies, boaters and businesses is the cause. (Visit boatingmag.com/PFD to view the NSBAC and Corps documents.)

Nowhere was this bureaucratic disconnect more apparent than at Lake Mead. This spring rumors surfaced that the Corps had pressed a Lake Mead Recreation Area ranger to impose a mandatory PFD rule not just on boaters, but swimmers too.

Boaters and area marine businesses were caught off guard, dismayed and generally not receptive to the draconian measure. It’s unclear if the rule was a misplaced rumor or a bureaucratic misfire.

Matt Harvey, regional vice president for Forever Resorts, the group that popularized houseboating on many National Park Service waters, sees it more as a deterrent to boating than a safety movement.

“This would have been a kick in the kneecap to boating out here,” Harvey said.

Under the Corps’ proposed rule, local marine operators said, anyone on a boat would have to wear a life jacket, and in Harvey’s eyes, that adds two more objections to keep people out of the sport: “People can’t sunbathe with PFDs on, and boaters are going to look at it as just one more thing to cost them a ticket.”

While comfort and convenience are often cited as the overruled objections in the 1960s push for seat belts in autos, with life jackets in boating, there’s another question.

“Who’s going to want to wear a PFD when its 120 degrees outside?” asked Gary Wirth of Forever Resorts at Lake Mead. He added, “This is absolutely ridiculous. Lake Mead has had no boating fatalities that we know of. They’ve all happened when people were swimming, and usually from the shore.”

“If they have to wear PFDs, we’re afraid they will just go somewhere else,” said Gail Kaiser, of Las Vegas Boat Harbor on Lake Mead. “The Corps of Engineers doesn’t even have to ask for public input, and it steps on people’s rights,” Kaiser said.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Harvey said. “We are all about educating our boaters to be safer. And I think a 12-year-old child should be in a PFD if he can even see the water. But this? This is just another example of Big Brother putting his nose where it does not belong.” Dean Clarke, executive boating editor for Bonnier Corp., Boating magazine’s parent company, is a member of the NSBAC and opposed the recommendation.

“If I were fishing and poling a 17-foot flats boat in one foot of water, I’d be required to wear a PFD,” Clarke said. “The problem with a blanket ruling on this is that it will require so many exceptions it will be as voluminous as the Federal Tax Code.”
 
Randy Vance, Editor-in-Chief
editor@boatingmag.com

Comments (21) Write a comment

It’s unclear if the rule was a misplaced rumor or a bureaucratic misfire.
girls dress up games |cake games
Cooking Academy games

yeap ,you are right! it will require so many exceptions it will be as voluminous as the Federal Tax Code.dora games |hair games |baby games
school games |barbie games
cooking games

I have been reading your posts regularly. I need to say that you are doing a fantastic job. Please keep up the great work.
Distance Learning Programs || MBA Distance Education || Distance Education University || Distance Education Colleges

Thanks for shearing.Good steps have been used in this article. By giving these type of examples we can easily understand what the writer is saying in this article. it is very nice to see this blog and it's really informative for the readers
home builders calgary

and operating technologies for a particular job role. They formulate the design and technology decisions necessary to make sure
mcsa mcpd

the design and technology decisions necessary to make sure successful technology implementation projects.
mcsa // mcitp mcts // mcse mcsd

designing, building, optimizing, and operating technologies for a particular job role.
mcitp mcts // mcsd mcpd // mcse

One can't be proven to as fashionable once they does not own high quality cheap Hermes Belts . Individuals who're acknowledged being popular have sufficient discount Burberry Belts inside their closet. Because cheap Gucci Belts on sale will be the primary add-ons which are needed being fashionable. Belts could create numerous looks for your outfit and may really add spice for the boring outfit. By simply obtaining a cheap Louis Vuitton Belt , you will observe the means by which might help your outfit in the more intriguing, notable and even more fashionable one. You might have a dress-up costume-up costume which will surely stick out as the saying goes only use the most effective type of belt.

Oakley will offer Radarlock fake oakley sunglasses in both standard and fake oakleys XL lens sizes with the latter offeringseveral replica oakley sunglasses millimeters more height for time trial/triathlon specialists or anyone replica oakleys whosimply desires a bigger field of view. Lateral coverage is identical on both and in fact, the frames oakley sunglasses sale only differ by their nosepieces.

Hello i am Toiclaw from Panamax JSC, today is the happy day and i love to share some infomation:
We are the best law firm in Viet Nam with many service like: cong bo san pham, thanh lap cong ty, dang ky nhan hieu, hoi dap luat doanh nghiep and in our main page: dang ky logo, cong bo thuc pham !
Our company has about 1000 staff such as: Nguyen Linh, Lai cao Son, Nguyen Quang Hien, Thanh Thanh, Nguyen Phuong Yen, and blog luat, Maxilaw, Huyen Tran.
in our forum has many hot topic: blog hay, Truyen cuoi, Luat doanh nghiep, Ly hon, Lam so ho khau, dich vu khac dau, khac dau ngay thang nam, khac dau hoan cong ...
and many blogger talk about us : Luat doanh nghiep, so huu tri tue, cong bo san pham, Cong bo san pham, Luat doanh nghiep, tu van so huu tri tue, luat so huu tri tue, dich vu cong bo san pham, dang ky ma vach, dang ky thuong hieu, thanh lap cong ty .
=> And more blog air tickets here:ban ve may bay gia re, ban ve may bay truc tuyen gia re, ban ve may bay trong nuoc gia re, ban ve may bay quoc te gia re, ban ve may bay VietnamAirline gia re, dich vu lam visa
More thing my friend's website you can follow here:mau thiet ke website dep, mau thiet ke website tin tuc, mau thiet ke website ban hang., thiet ke website
+ Cong bo, cong bo thuc pham, cong bo my pham, cong bo san pham, dang ky so huu tri tue, dang ky nhan hieu, dang ky shtt, dang ky ma vach, dang ky logo, tu van doanh nghiep, giay phep, khac dau, dang ky luu hanh san pham, so huu tri tue, dang ky bao ho thuong hieu, dich vu thanh lap cong ty, dich vu thanh lap cong ty, giai the cong ty, tu van thanh lap cong ty, huong dan thanh lap cong ty, cong bo luu hanh my pham, cong bo chat luong my pham, tu van dau tu nuoc ngoai !
© Media Topiclaw !

Thanks for informative and helpful post, obviously in your blog everything is good.If you post informative comments on blogs there is always the chance that actual humans will click through.

homes for sale in Calgary

There should be a balancing agent in everything, the boaters and the marine businesses must be place on the equation whereas they should be limit on their work only. essay samples

I wanted to thank you for this great read!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it.I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post.I could tell how great you are in your field of interest. You could relate in each detail very well.Thank you.

home builders Kelowna

Thanks a lot diablo 3 gold guide for sharing. You have diablo 3 guide done a brilliant job. Your article is truly relevant to my study at this moment, and diablo 3 gold guide I am really happy I discovered your website

I am not sure what to think about this at all here. So much that goes into these rulings here. You really have to do your homework on this so much here. Reserve Advisors

I wanted to thank you for this great read!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it.I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post.I could tell how great you are in your field of interest. You could relate in each detail very well.Thank you.

Galaxy S3 flip cover

Memoscan H685 Honda Acura fault code reader can test and erase the car trouble codes and read thcomputer lyj BEAUTYBOXES.EU

Never mind, I looked into it and now I understand better. Thanks anyway! I will check the updates on your website for more information!

I don't understand, does this stand for Europe too or it is just for USA? Can someone make it clear for me please?
K. @ yacht charter split

Although as a water safety volunteer and boating safety instructor I am firmly in favor of wearing a PFD whenever in a boat or near the water (and I always do) I am completely against adults being forced into taking this or any other safety measures. I believe that we are currently experiencing the greatest increase in the number of examples of the "Nanny State" in the history of this country, and like Mr. Harvey in the article above, I resent being told what is good for me, and even worse, being forced to abide by the increasingly intrusive rules, laws and regulations foisted upon us by nit-witted do-gooders who believe that Big Brother knows what's best for us and should control every aspect of our daily lives.

Of course, once again we have the greedy Civil lawyers to blame for this mess, by having created an atmosphere where any idiot who does something stupid gets to win huge judgments against agencies, municipalities and individuals who had absolutely nothing to do with these morons lack of brains.

The bottom line is - you can NOT force people to make intelligent decisions, and no amount of draconian regulation is going to change that fact.

Fair winds and following seas,
Captain Mac.

Your Comment
All submitted comments are subject to the license terms set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use